Four interceptions sink Southern Miss in 63-31 loss to Louisiana Tech

Southern Miss lost 63-31 to Louisiana Tech on Saturday in Ruston, Louisiana, after four interceptions helped the Bulldogs build a 42-10 halftime advantage. Louisiana Tech converted the takeaways into 28 points, including two interception-return touchdowns in the second quarter.

The Golden Eagles (3-7 overall, 2-4 Sun Belt) cut the deficit to 21-10 early in the second quarter when Jamarice Wilder scored on a 53-yard run on fourth down. After Louisiana Tech answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive, Jadon Mayfield returned an interception 36 yards for a score. Jordan McRae added an 89-yard pick-six less than two minutes later.

Southern Miss quarterback John White completed 21 of 43 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted four times. White connected with Grant Page for a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter, then found Mario Sanders for a 41-yard score in the fourth.

Sanders had eight catches for 119 yards. Robinson led Southern Miss with 94 rushing yards, and Wilder added 83. The Golden Eagles totaled 406 yards and held the ball for 30 minutes, 35 seconds.

Louisiana Tech finished with 495 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per play. Blake Baker completed 21 of 28 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Finley caught six passes for 104 yards and a score, and Rayshun Hurt ran for a 55-yard touchdown.

Southern Miss’ final points came when MaLik Caswell returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown with 2:11 remaining. Wesley Edison led the Golden Eagles with 10 tackles, and the defense recorded one sack.

Southern Miss is scheduled to host South Alabama for Senior Day next Saturday at Renasant Stadium. The game time is listed as 3 p.m.

Source: Original Article