The Student Printz

Issue date: 8/23/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steve Rouse / USM PR Incoming freshman football player Korey Williams of New Orleans, La, gets a water break during the team's first practice session of the season.

Media Credit: Steve Rouse / USM PR Southern Miss incoming freshman running back Antwain Easterling, of Miami, Fl, goes through drills on the practice field Friday.

High expectations are nothing new for Southern Miss football, which has posted thirteen straight winning seasons, and no major media publication has placed the expectations higher than The Sporting News. The respected sports magazine has ranked the Golden Eagles 24th in their annual college football preseason poll.

Southern Miss has not been ranked in a major poll since the middle of the 2004 season, but with fifteen starters returning from a squad that fell just a game short of claiming a fifth Golden Eagles Conference USA championship, the team has the talent to return to national prominence-and the expectations that go along with it.

"I think they're potentially better," said Coach Jeff Bower about his 2007 lineup during the Golden Eagles' media day. " I know everybody looks at returning starters. We've got nine back on defense and six back on offense."

But, Bower added, talent alone doesn't mean success is a guarantee.

"All of that looks good on paper," he said, "but that doesn't mean you're going to win."

Still, the list of Sporting News honors are impressive. The magazine gave Southern Miss awards for "Best Pre-Game Atmosphere" and "Best Fans" in Conference USA, among others, and named seven Golden Eagles to its All-American team, including tight end Shawn Nelson, who, says the magazine, is CUSA's "Most Physical Receiver." Also named to the All-American team were offensive tackle Chris Clark, defensive back Brandon Sumrall, running back Damion Fletcher, defensive end Robert Henderson, defensive tackle Martavius Prince, and linebacker Gerald McRath. The Sporting News had praise for Prince in particular, naming him CUSA's "Best Run-stuffing Tackle."

Despite it all, Bower has pointed out several times over the summer that Conference USA's preseason favorite has often failed to win the title, and that last year, Southern Miss itself was not a consensus pick to represent the East Division in the championship game. Successfully managing their own hype may be the key to Southern Miss meeting-or exceeding-expectations.

"It's how you go about your business, prepare every week and your attitude," Bower said. "Those are the most important things. Potential ability is overrated."

Indeed, the most important thing the Golden Eagles can do, says Bower, is avoid complacency, a tendency that their biggest advantage-experience on defense-may in fact intensify. "You like that experience," Bower said, "But then again, let's not have the mindset that we have all the guys back and were the best team on defense. It doesn't work that way. You've got to guard against that."

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