The Greatest USM Football Season of All Time: Sweet Sixteen Matchup

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI team is working this summer to determine what the greatest football season in Golden Eagle history is. Breaking down 32 teams, we are in the Sweet Sixteen round. In the second matchup of this second round, we saw just our second upset of the series, with the 15-seed 1999 Liberty Bowl Champions taking down the 2-seed 1958 UPI Small College National Championship team with 63 percent of the vote.

Today's matchup in the Sweet Sixteen features the 1990 Golden Eagles taking on Jeff Bower's 2003 Conference USA Champions. Be sure to check out the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI Facebook page to vote for what team you think is best, and for the latest content from Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI, be sure to check out our website homepage as well.

Today's Matchup: #8 2003 Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs. #9 1990 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

#8 - 2003 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Two fans riding the goalposts out of M.M. Roberts Stadium, following USM's 40-28 win over #10 TCU in 2003. | Southern Miss Athletics

By 2003, Jeff Bower had built up a reputation at Southern Miss. The "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime" moniker was adopted in Hattiesburg as USM had built a resume of defeating ranked squads from perennial powers like Auburn, Alabama, and Florida State. And in 2003, the Golden Eagles built heavily on this resume.

Coach Bower's Golden Eagles opened the 2003 season with a loss to an Aaron Rodgers-led California team, but recovered to defeat UAB and Memphis the following weeks. In their fourth game of 2003, the Golden Eagles hosted No. 15 Nebraska at M.M. Roberts Stadium, drawing the third-largest attendance in The Rock's history (36,152). However, Frank Solich's Cornhuskers defeated the Golden Eagles 38-14. The Golden Eagles then went 1-1 in the next two weeks before a six-game win streak, which included an upset of a LaDainian Tomlinson-led No. 10 TCU team. USM claimed its fourth Conference USA title and received its third and most recent Liberty Bowl invitation, where it was shut out by Urban Meyer's 25th-ranked Utah Utes.

Record: 9-4 (8-0 CUSA)
Conference USA Champions
Lost Liberty Bowl to #25 Utah
Notable Players: Dustin Almond (QB), Marvin Young (WR), Rod Davis (LB)
Notable Wins: vs. Louisiana (48-3) & vs. #10 TCU (40-28)

#9 - 1990 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Jeff Bower and Brett Fave (4) in Bower's first game as head coach and Favre's final game as a Golden Eagle in 1990. — Jeff Bower and Brett Fave (4) in Bower's first game as head coach and Favre's final game as a Golden Eagle in the 1990 All-American Bowl. Southern Miss would drop the game 31-27 against NC State. | Stock Image [Personal Archive]

With his name in lights going into 1990, Brett Favre was cemented as a Southern Miss legend. Since his famous hungover start against Tulane in 1987, the Golden Eagle faithful fell in love with the star quarterback who was initially recruited to play defense. In 1990, the famed "Favre 4 Heisman" campaign started, but to no avail.

Coach Curley Hallman's Golden Eagles started the 1990 season in style, with wins over No. 13 Alabama, led by Gene Stallings, and wins over historical rivals Tulane, Memphis, East Carolina, and Mississippi State. The end of the regular season was marked with another big win over Pat Dye's 15th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Following the Auburn win, Hallman was hired by LSU to become the Tigers' 28th head coach. A decision that many old school Bayou Bengals fans still have nightmares about led to Jeff Bower being hired as USM's next head coach for the All-American Bowl against NC State.

There is a bit of a legend behind the 1990 season. On July 14, 1990, Favre was involved in a nearly fatal car accident that required doctors to remove 30 inches of his small intestine. However, just eight weeks later, Favre displayed his toughness as he returned to action for his senior year as the Golden Eagles upset No. 13 Alabama.

“Having Brett in the game gave us more confidence than we had before,” USM tailback Tony Smith said following the upset win. “His starting came as a surprise to me. But everyone was pumped up. He has been to battle before and led us to many victories. This wasn’t any different.”

Record: 8-4 (Independent)
1 Week Ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll (Finished Unranked)
Lost All-American Bowl to NC State
Notable Players: Brett Favre (QB), Bobby Hamilton (DE), Kerry Valrie (DB)
Notable Wins: @ #13 Alabama (27-24) & @ #15 Auburn (13-12)

Two seasons, two Golden Eagle legends at the helm. Curley? Or Jeff? You get to decide. Remember to visit the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on SI Facebook page to vote for your favorite in this matchup. And as always: Southern Miss, To The Top!

Add us as a preferred source on Google