The Greatest USM Football Season of All Time: Round 1

College football is next to a religion in the South. Deep-rooted in tradition and history, it’s one of the things that make Southern culture what it is. Knowing that history can also make you more excited for the future as a Southern Miss football fan. With the 2026 USM football season less than three months away, there's a fun question that needs answering: “What could be the greatest Southern Miss football season of all time?” Could it be 2011, or 1997, or 1981, or even all the way back to 1937? There are several options to choose from, but instead of deciding it for you, we're going to present the facts and let you, the Golden Eagles fans, put it to a vote.

There is a lot of history to unfold, so for each round of this USM football season tournament, we’ll break down the individual matchups here on Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI, and then let you, the fans, vote for which team should advance on social media.

Today’s Matchup: The 16-Seed 2000 football team vs. the 17-Seed 1975 football team

#16 - 2000 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

After four seasons of Conference-USA play, Jeff Bower’s Golden Eagles had cemented themselves as the top of the chain in the young conference. In the first four seasons of C-USA play, the Golden Eagles had already won two conference championships, as well as shared the inaugural champion title with Houston in 1996. They had the best conference record of any of the six original members at 21-2. In 2000, the team had 0 interest in losing any of that momentum.

The 2000 squad, led on the field by quarterback Jeff Kelly and running back Derrick Nix, led the Golden Eagles to seven regular season wins, including a double-overtime showdown against UAB. The team dropped four games in the regular season to #13 Tennessee, Louisville, Cincinnati, and East Carolina, holding them back from repeating their conference champion status from 1999. Here’s a more in-depth look at the 2000 Southern Miss Golden Eagles’ achievements:

Head Coach: Jeff Bower
Record: 8-4 (4-3 CUSA)
10 Weeks Ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll
GMAC Mobile, Alabama Bowl Champions over #13 TCU (28-21)
Notable Players: Jeff Kelly (QB), Derrick Nix (RB), and Rod Davis (LB)
Notable Wins: vs. #15 Alabama (21-0) & @ Oklahoma State (28-6)

#17 - 1975 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

1974-1975 Logo For Southern Miss | Southern Miss Athletics

Led in 1975 by college football legend Bobby Collins at head coach and future head coach Jeff Bower at quarterback, this team didn’t play a single football game in Hattiesburg. At the time, Faulkner Field, which sat 15,000, was receiving an 18,000-seat upgrade and being renamed “M.M. Roberts Stadium,” for a local businessman and member of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees who secured the $6 million needed to upgrade the stadium. Instead, the Golden Eagles played their “home games” at Biloxi Municipal Stadium and Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.

The 1975 team ended up going undefeated in all “home games,” going 1-0 in Biloxi and 1-0 in Jackson. Their 3 losses came on the road against Bowling Green, Ole Miss, and #5 Alabama. Originally, the team went 7-4 on the season, before Mississippi State had to forfeit their win due to an ineligible player. As there were fewer bowl games and stricter qualifications 51 years ago, the Golden Eagles did not make it to the postseason. Here’s a more detailed look at that season:

Head Coach: Bobby Collins
Record: 8-3
Notable Players: Jeff Bower (QB), Ben Garry (RB), and Ron Cheatham (LB)
Notable Wins: vs. Cal State Fullerton (70-0) & vs. BYU (42-14)

There’s no doubt that both of these teams had plenty of talent to take on the greats of their day. But to you, which is better? Which team would win in a head-to-head matchup? It’s up to you. Be sure to follow our Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI Facebook page and check out our latest posts to cast your votes. As always, Southern Miss, To The Top!

Add us as a preferred source on Google