UConn beats Southern Miss 48-20 in first-ever meeting

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — UConn scored early and often, defeating Southern Miss 48-20 Saturday night at Renasant Stadium in the teams’ first-ever meeting. The Huskies took a 27-6 lead into halftime and never looked back, extending their advantage in the second half.

Southern Miss (1-2) showed offensive flashes, with quarterback Landry Lyddy coming off the bench to throw for 194 yards and a touchdown. He connected with nine different receivers, including a late 10-yard score to Jaylen Himes that capped an 80-yard drive and provided a late highlight for the home crowd of 23,025.

Running back Steven Robinson led the Golden Eagles’ ground game with 72 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Receiver Mario Sanders had seven catches for 81 yards, highlighted by a 56-yard catch-and-run that set up a touchdown. The team finished with 401 total yards, nearly matching UConn’s 436 yards of offense.

UConn’s Kalieb Osborne threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns, while Cyncir Bowers added a 42-yard rushing score. The Huskies’ defense forced several third-and-long situations but struggled to contain the Golden Eagles’ big plays. Michael Robinson III led Southern Miss with 10 tackles.

Southern Miss kicker Creighton Wilbanks was perfect on the night, hitting field goals of 47 and 34 yards. However, costly interceptions, including a pick-six by UConn’s Anas Luqman, along with missed opportunities on fourth down, hampered the home team’s efforts to close the gap.

UConn improved to 2-1, while Southern Miss fell to 1-2. The Golden Eagles return to action next week against Tulane.

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