Southern Miss Tops UL Monroe 35-21, Wins Back-to-Back Games for First Time in 2026

MONROE, La. – After pulling off an upset as 10.5-point underdogs against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns during Homecoming last week, the Golden Eagles took the field at Malone Stadium on Saturday afternoon looking to build on that momentum and find themselves on the winning side once again.

On an overcast day with temps in the mid-70s in Monroe, the Golden Eagles "brought their own juice" and put together enough good moments in all three phases to defeat the ULM Warhawks and secure a second straight victory, 35-21. It's the first time this season that Southern Miss has won consecutive games.

With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in Sun Belt play. Here are the biggest moments from Southern Miss' first road win of the year.

Defense Sets Tone, Keeps Up Momentum

Southern Miss Football — The Southern Miss defense put together a great performance in Monroe. | Josh House

Ever since being embarrassed at Troy a few weeks ago, Joe Bolden's defense has responded in a big way by putting up respectable performances against Arkansas State, Louisiana, and now ULM. The aggression has been much better. The consistency from play to play has been much better, and the Golden Eagles set the tone early in this one, recovering a fumble on ULM's first offensive drive.

Entering the fourth quarter, Southern Miss led 27-7, but then the defense started to bend a little bit, as the Warhawks came back to within 27-21 before the Golden Eagles' defense forced a turnover on downs on back-to-back ULM possessions to end the game.

Steven Robinson Breaks Seal, Keeps Foot On Gas

The first two drives of this game for Southern Miss proved fruitless, as it turned the ball over on downs after a 12-play opening drive and punted after a three-and-out on the second one.

On the third drive, though, star running back Steven Robinson finally broke the seal on the scoring with a 33-yard rushing touchdown on a fourth-and-two play to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead. Robinson is the first Southern Miss player to score at least 10 touchdowns in a season since Frank Gore Jr. scored 13 in 2023.

Robinson finished with 151 rushing yards on 21 carries and one touchdown. He continues to be an invaluable workhorse for the Golden Eagles as this season progresses.

Wilder Closes Door Again

For the second straight week, Jamarice Wilder put the finishing touch on a Southern Miss win.

A week after running for a career-high 154 yards against Louisiana, he raced 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 58 seconds left. This time the redshirt-freshman Louisville transfer delivered the dagger in Monroe, breaking off a 32-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 35-21.

Wilder finished with 104 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Robinson does the heavy lifting early, and Wilder has made a habit of showing up when it’s time to close. It has proven to be a winning formula for Southern Miss.

More Stats and Notes

For a second consecutive week, Landry Lyddy didn't play his best football, but he also didn't turn the ball over either, which was huge for a Golden Eagles team that won the turnover battle 2-0 in Monroe. Lyddy completed 15 of 30 passes for 130 yards and one 21-yard touchdown to Grant Page, who made his return to action from a six-week absence due to an elbow injury.

Landon Sylvie led the Golden Eagles with 11 tackles on the day. Linebackers Wesley Edison and Mathis Haygood added seven tackles each. The Golden Eagles' defense recorded five sacks on the day. JR Stegall had 1.5, Kobi Albert had one, and Kameron Cyprien, Malakai Murphy, A'mari Wilson and Tyler Lassiter all had 0.5 sacks.

Next Up: Short Week Before JMU

The Golden Eagles won't have long to savor this win, as they'll turn around and prepare for a Thursday night game against James Madison at The Rock on Nov. 5. JMU, which made it to the College Football Playoff last year, started this season 7-0 before losing its last two games to App State and Troy.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2, giving the Golden Eagles just five days to turn around and prepare for one of the Sun Belt’s best.

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more Southern Miss football coverage throughout the week.

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