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Southern Miss vs. Savannah State prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins the Week 2 matchup between the Tigers and Golden Eagles at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

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Southern Miss vs. Savannah State Game Preview

The Tigers from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference are still looking for their first touchdown—and score of any kind—of the 2016 season after opening up with a 54-0 shutout loss to Georgia Southern. It certainly didn’t help that the Tigers were unable to hold a spring practice session because of low APR scores, so it’s an uphill battle for new head coach Erik Raeburn. The Tigers allowed 605 total yards and managed just 114 yards of total offense while going 1-of-9 on third down conversions in the opener. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles may still be basking in the glow of their comeback victory at Kentucky. It was a game in which the Wildcats blew a 25-point first-half lead and allowed 34 unanswered points to Southern Miss.

What To Know About Savannah State

The Tigers are one of the worst teams in the MEAC, though they were a bit more competitive late last season. The squad returns a boatload of starters, but Raeburn is really facing an uphill battle. The good news is that he was 78-13 and earned five NCAA playoff bids in his eight years at Wabash (Ind.).

What to Know About Southern Mississippi

The Golden Eagles may be the best team in C-USA West, and the offense is led by Nick Mullens, who was last year’s C-USA offensive player of the year. The senior could end up taking those honors home again if he continues to play like he did last week in new OC Shannon Dawson’s offense. Defensively, the team struggled early against Kentucky but managed to keep the UK offense off of the field for most of the second half.

Advantages

Offense: Southern Miss. It will be interesting to see how far Dawson can push this offense.

Defense: Southern Miss. Last season the Eagles only allowed 25.6 points per game, and there’s talent and versatility that returned to the unit.

Special Teams: Southern Miss. The Eagles have seniors at both kicker and punter.

Coaching: Even. Jay Hopson is in his first year in Hattiesburg, though he was a defensive assistant here in the past.

Intangibles: Southern Miss. This team is riding high from the big comeback win at Kentucky.

Matchup To Watch

Scoreboard vs. Scoreboard

The Tigers could not score against Georgia Southern, and Southern Miss boasts a talented defense. There’s a chance they get shut out again. The odds are unlikely, but this is a tough rebuild job.

Betting Odds

Spread: N/A

Over/Under: N/A

Southern Miss vs. Savannah State Prediction

The Golden Eagles are not going to show the Tigers any mercy. It gets ugly—fast.

Southern Miss vs. Savannah State Score Prediction: Southern Miss 56, Savannah State 9

MORE: Week 2 College Football Bowl Projections