The Greatest USM Football Season of All Time: THE CHAMPIONSHIP

This summer, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI team has been working to determine the greatest Southern Miss football season of all time. After eight weeks of fan voting and discussion, we have arrived at the championship round.

Dec 24, 2011; Honolulu, HI, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles head coach Larry Fedora (right) celebrates with team member Marquese Wheaton (2) after the 2011 Hawaii Bowl against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Aloha Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eight weeks and 30 teams later, we have arrived at the championship for the Greatest Southern Miss Football Season of All Time summer bracket challenge.

In our final matchup of the Final Four, the 1981 Southern Miss Golden Eagles claimed their spot in the championship with a 43-33 win over the 1999 Liberty Bowl Champions, narrowly escaping with 57 percent of the total vote. Remember, you can vote for today's championship round on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI Facebook page.

Championship Matchup: 1-Seed 2011 Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs. 6-Seed 1981 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

The #1-Seed 2011 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Oct. 22 2011; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles quarterback Austin Davis (12) celebrates after their game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Southern Mississippi won, 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2011 Southern Miss Football Season was one for the record books. Southern Miss racked up 12 wins, the most in a season in program history, and only their third 10-win season. Quarterback Austin Davis set a program record for most passing yards in a career (10,892), most passing yards in a single season (3,496), most passing touchdowns in a career (83), most passing touchdowns in a season (30), and total offensive yards (12,267).*

In this season, Southern Miss racked up wins against historic rivals Louisiana Tech, Memphis, and Houston in the Conference USA Championship. The Golden Eagles finished 6-2 in Conference USA play, with two heartbreaking losses against UAB and Marshall. Following the conference championship game, the Golden Eagles traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, to face the 7-5 Nevada Wolfpack in the Sheraton Aloha Bowl. The Golden Eagles came out on top 24-17 and ranked at No. 20 in the AP Top 25 Poll.

• Head Coach: Larry Fedora (4th Season)
• Record: 12-2 (6-2 CUSA)
• Conference USA Champions over #7 Houston
• Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Champions over Nevada
• 5 Weeks Ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll (Finished at #20)
• Notable Players: Austin Davis (QB), Kevin Bolden (WR), Jamie Collins (LB)
• 3 Players Eventually Drafted Into the NFL
• Notable Wins: vs. SMU (27-3) & @ #7 Houston (49-28, CUSA Championship)

The #6-Seed 1981 Southern Miss Golden Eagles

1981 USM Quarterback and Heisman nominee Reggie Collier. | Southern Miss Athletics

The 1981 Golden Eagles settled their problems on the field and in the books. The Golden Eagles faced three AP Top 25-ranked opponents and finished with a 2-0-1 record against them. In the first matchup, the Golden Eagles tied No. 7 Alabama at Legion Field 13-13. Four weeks later, ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 and with a record of 6-0-1, the Golden Eagles traveled to Jackson, Miss. to face No. 15 Mississippi State at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. In front of a state record crowd of 64,112**, Mississippi State climbed to a 6-0 lead in the second quarter with two field goals, shortly before Southern Miss senior running back Sammy Winder scored the ONLY touchdown of the game with 11:07 left in the second quarter. The Golden Eagles' third-ranked matchup came the week after the Mississippi State win, when the 14th-ranked Golden Eagles traveled to Tallahassee to take on the No. 20 Florida State Seminoles, led by the legendary Bobby Bowden. The legend didn't last long, as the Golden Eagles were up 51-0 over the Seminoles before they finally scored late in the third quarter.

Southern's big downfall on the season, however, came the following week, when the Golden Eagles, ranked #9 in the nation, fell to 4-6 Louisville 13-10. After a blowout win against Lamar, the 18th-ranked Golden Eagles earned their first trip to the Tangerine Bowl since 1954 to face the Missouri Tigers. Falling 17-19 to Warren Powers' Tigers, the Golden Eagles subsequently fell out of the AP Top 25, but finished ranked #19 in the Coaches Poll. When the season closed, Southern Miss still found something to have pride in, as junior quarterback Reggie Collier became the first NCAA Division I-A (FBS) quarterback to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in the same season. Today, as a quarterback, Reggie Collier still sits in the Top 10 Most Career Rushing Yards and Rushing Touchdowns at Southern Miss. He also finished 9th in Heisman Trophy Voting, the first and only Golden Eagle to place in the final round of Heisman voting.

• Head Coach: Bobby Collins (7th Season)
• Record: 9-2-1 (Independent)
• Lost Tangerine Bowl to Missouri
• 5 Weeks Ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll (Finished Unranked)
• Reached Highest AP Ranking in Program History (#9)
• Notable Players: Reggie Collier (QB), Sammy Winder (RB), Louis Lipps (WR)
• 7 Players Eventually Drafted Into the NFL
• Notable Wins: vs. #15 Mississippi State (7-6) & @ #20 Florida State (58-14)

We have come a long way since June 10. It all started out with 32 teams in Southern Miss football history, from 1937 all the way to 2025. Bowl Champions, Conference Champions, and even a couple of National Champions have made their way from the Round of 32, even down to the final here. But which team is the greatest of all time? It's up to you, the Southern Miss fan. Remember, you can vote for your pick on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI Facebook page. And as always: Southern Miss, To The Top!

*: All records set by Austin Davis in 2011, except for "Total Offensive Yards," were broken by Nick Mullens, who was quarterback for the Golden Eagles from 2013-2016.

*: The record crowd set at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium at the 1981 USM-MS State game still stands as the highest-attended game at that stadium. From 1981 to 2016, this was the highest-attended game in the State of Mississippi until the 2016 Ole Miss-Wofford game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Today, the ten most attended football games in Mississippi are all Ole Miss home games.