Preview: Everything to Know as Southern Miss Travels to Troy for Midweek Sun Belt Action

Taking a week off to get themselves back together, Southern Miss kicks off Week 6 in a marquee midweek matchup against an old, yet familiar foe.

Southern Miss Defense celebrating a turnover in the end zone. | Josh House

The Golden Eagles are trying to find that perfect spot six weeks into the season. Before Week 5's bye, Southern Miss last faced former head coach Will Hall and his Tulane Green Wave, who were favored by 18.5 against the Golden Eagles. But Vegas' odds didn't mean it would be that easy of a win. Southern Miss carried the game for a majority, before ultimately falling 24-21, but still leads the all time rivalry 24-11.

This week, Southern Miss is taking on yet another old rival, the Troy Trojans. Troy has had their own struggles, comparable to the Golden Eagles, so this may prove to be an interesting matchup.

Game Information/How to Watch, Follow, Listen

Sep 17, 2016; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Troy Trojans wide receiver Emanuel Thompson (8) runs through the Southern Miss Golden Eagles defense in the second quarter at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

- WHO: Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ Troy Trojans
- WHERE: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Alabama
- WHEN: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. CT
- WEATHER: Partly Cloudy, 0% Chance of Rain, 72 Degrees
- WATCH: ESPN2, ESPN+
- LISTEN: Southern Miss Sports Network
- RECORDS: Southern Miss 1-3, Troy 2-2
- BETTING ODDS (DraftKings): Troy -10.5, O/U 49.5, ML USM +320, ML Troy -410

What You Need to Know About the Troy Trojans

Sep 19, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Jamal Roberts (20) runs the ball as Troy Trojans safety Justin Powe (6) attempts the tackle during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Troy is led on the field by third-year head coach Gerad Parker. In his first two seasons at the helm, Parker's Trojans had a subpar 2024 season but reached the Sun Belt Championship the following season, where they fell to James Madison 31-14.

The Trojans were expected to carry much of their 2025 momentum into 2026, but the field translation has been a different story. Troy nearly went down against Sam Houston in their opening game, but ultimately pulled out a 24-21 win. Then the Trojans pulled off a 17-point win over in-state rival Alabama State, and all seemed good. But then Troy faced Missouri in Columbia, falling by only 10, 27-17. Coach Parker and his Trojans would fall one more time before taking Week 5 off, losing to Utah State 21-10 in Week 4 action.

Goose Crowder has been the leader of the Trojan Offense, with 822 yards in the air, seven passing touchdowns, and four interceptions. Among the team's four running backs, Gavin Griffin leads the team on the ground, with 259 rushing yards, but no touchdowns. Closely in second place is Jaheim Merriweather, who has 209 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Matchups That Could Decide The Game

The Goose vs. The Golden Eagle (Defense)

Sep 19, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Troy Trojans quarterback Goose Crowder (9) throws a pass against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Goose Crowder, aside from that amazing name, has proven himself to be an effective quarterback over his four-year career as a Trojan, finally becoming the starter in 2025. With 822 yards in the air, 74 yards on the ground, and seven total touchdowns, Crowder has carved out a spot that, even with a 2-2 record, looks good on paper. However, his overall passing percentage is not too great, with 69 passes of 132 attempts, giving him a 53 percent passing rate. Also, Crowder's decision-making is a bit on the slower side, with him being caught in the pocket eight times this season, five of those on his home turf.

The Nasty Bunch has both strengths and weaknesses. Last week against Tulane, Golden Eagle defenders found their way into the backfield for three sacks. The Southern Miss secondary also deflected three passes and intercepted one, disrupting Kadin Semonza's passing.

If Southern Miss can keep the same poise on defense they showed against Tulane, they can, at the bare minimum, they can hold back the Trojans in the air. However, as vulnerable as Goose Crowder has proven himself to be at times, he can still throw circles around the Southern Miss defense if given the opportunity. The bones of a Golden Eagle win lie within bringing down Crowder's aerial attack and creating turnovers.

Southern Miss' Offense vs. The Trojan Horse (Defense)

Southern Miss wide receiver Davis Dalton (11) makes an incredible catch for a first down at Tulane. | Josh House

Southern Miss's offense put on a show that, despite losing, was as relieving to Golden Eagle fans as Peptol is to heartburn. Landry Lyddy threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns, and was never picked off. The 2026 Tulane game was the first time a Southern Miss quarterback hasn't thrown an interception since the 2025 USM-ULM game. That was NINE games ago. And all three touchdowns that Lyddy threw are the only three that USM scored. But not to overshadow the Golden Eagle run game, as a total of 131 rushing yards were put on the board. Tulane's defense took much better care of the ground game than of the air attack, but also sacked Lyddy four times.

Troy's defense has racked up nine total sacks so far this season. The interception game has been off, however, with the Trojans only picking off two passes through four games. But they have made up for it with 11 pass deflections.

Like the Nasty Bunch being on point, another key will be Southern Miss' offense finding holes in the Troy defense to generate some points. If Lyddy has another game like last week, there's no reason Southern Miss shouldn't give itself a chance to win. Maybe the decision-making can be even quicker to avoid sacks.

Will this finally be the week the Golden Eagles get off to a quick start on offense? We'll find out soon enough.

Southern Miss Storylines to Follow This Week

Landry Lyddy Making A Difference

Landry Lyddy scrammbling out of the pocket against Tulane, September 26, 2026 | Josh House

After Ethan Hampton suffered a hand injury following the UConn loss, Landry Lyddy was named the new starting quarterback. Coach Anderson admitted throughout the offseason that the starting-position race between Hampton and Lyddy was close, but ultimately settled on Hampton, as he felt Hampton was more prepared to lead the team.

Now, after the Tulane performance and with Hampton still on the injury report, Lyddy has taken on this role in a big way. Southern Miss fell by a field goal in last Saturday's game, but not for any passing mistakes. Lyddy threw for 243 yards and all three touchdowns the Golden Eagles scored, in a style reminiscent of Brett Favre's first game, against Tulane, in 1987. Favre was brought in at halftime when the Golden Eagles were down 17-3 to the Green Wave. Thanks to Favre's passing game, Southern Miss came back to win 31-24.

We'll see how Lyddy builds on his strong performance in New Orleans with his team's record being reset at 0-0 in Sun Belt play.

Injury Reports

Golden Eagle Injury Report

Ethan Hampton dropping back for a pass against Alcorn State and a Week 1 showdown at The Rock. | Southern Miss Athletics

• Laquan Robinson, DB: PROBABLE
• Robert Briggs, RB: PROBABLE
• Tyler Lassiter, ILB: QUESTIONABLE
• Grant Page, WR: OUT
• Ethan Hampton, QB: OUT
• Jaylen Himes, WR: OUT

Trojan Injury Report

• Fabian Rogosch, TE: QUESTIONABLE

Series History

Southern Miss Golden Eagles wide receiver Jalen Carter (24) is tackled by Troy Trojans cornerback Jaquez White (8) during a college football game between Southern Miss and Troy at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Troy defeated Southern Miss 28-18. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Southern Miss and Troy first faced each other way back in 1935, when the Trojans won 14-13 in Hattiesburg. 91 years later, the two teams have faced each other 15 times, four of those games being Sun Belt Conference games. One game in particular was the 2008 New Orleans Bowl, which the Golden Eagles won 30-27 in overtime.

• Record: Southern Miss leads all-time 8-7
• Longest USM Win Streak: 7 (1936-2008)
• Longest Troy Win Streak: 5 (2021-present)
• Largest USM Win: 53-0 (1937)
• Largest Troy Win: 52-20 (2024)
• Most Recent Matchup: 11/29/2025, Southern Miss 18, Troy 28

Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI Staff Predictions

Staff Member	Prediction
Andy Baeuerle	Southern Miss 28, Troy 24
Dalton Trigg	Southern Miss 31, Troy 28
Drew Johnson	Southern Miss 35, Troy 28
Charlie Lanehart	Southern Miss 27, Troy 24
Josh House	Southern Miss 35, Troy 17

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