Turnovers doom Southern Miss in home opening loss
Published: Sunday, September 16, 2012
Updated: Sunday, September 16, 2012 19:09
“We were atrocious in the area of mistakes,” Coach Ellis Johnson said after Saturday’s 24-14 loss
to East Carolina. Southern Miss’ home and conference opener didn’t go the way the Eagles had
hoped as the Pirates took advantage of turnovers and penalties to score 21 points in the third
quarter.
Freshman quarterback Anthony Alford opened the game with his first collegiate touchdown but he
struggled down the stretch in his first career start. Southern Miss failed to score again until the
fourth quarter and by then the damage had been done. Redshirt Junior Chris Campbell replaced
Alford and provided a spark late but a crucial dropped pass killed a drive and any momentum that
was needed for a comeback.
East Carolina captured the 400th win in school history and its second consecutive win in
Hattiesburg. The Pirates trailed 7-3 at the half but scored 21 points in the last five minutes of the
third quarter to steal all momentum and the game.
After the game, Alford told the media, “I took what the defense gave us early on. Later on in the
game, I tried to force it. I’m disappointed in myself. I didn’t play the way I wanted to play.”
Alford got the nod this week based on the tape from Nebraska and the results from camp. But
Campbell earned the starting position at Nebraska and, with the spark he gave the team this week,
looked like the better quarterback versus East Carolina.
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