INSIDE SLANT

A promising season could have gone down the tubes when starting quarterback Austin Davis went down with a season-ending foot injury on Oct. 1.

Martevious Young didn’t let it happen. The Golden Eagles (6-4, 4-2 C-USA) have won three of their last four games heading into Saturday’s home finale against slumping Tulsa (4-6, 2-4).

Young has completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,052 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. The junior has also rushed 47 times for 192 yards (4.1-yard average) and a score.

“Obviously everybody hated it for Austin, but I didn’t think our guys blinked,” head coach Larry Fedora told the Hattiesburg American. “I think they all had confidence in Martevious from day one. He has that kind of respect on the team and he’s proven it.”

Despite the turnover at the quarterback position, the Golden Eagles have not been hampered by turnovers on the field. Young hasn’t thrown an interception in his last 15 quarters and the team is ranked 16th nationally in turnover margin (plus-eight).

“We get so much practice and preparation with the coaches showing us what [defenses] do,” Young said. “And it’s basically what they show on the field. I take my time, execute, make my reads and check it down when I need to.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• Southern Miss is bowl eligible for the 16th consecutive season. The Golden Eagles have been to bowl games in each of the last seven seasons and 11 of the past 12 campaigns.

• RB Damion Fletcher needs 211 rushing yards to become the eighth player in FBS history to post four 1,000-yard seasons. He ranks 13th all-time with 5,076 career rushing yards.

• SERIES HISTORY: Southern Miss leads 3-2-1 (last meeting, 2006, 20-6 Tulsa).

Scouting The Offense:   Six different players have scored rushing touchdowns, led by Damion Fletcher (eight) and Tory Harrison (seven). Seven players have receiving scores, too, led by DeAndre Brown and Gerald Baptiste with five apiece. Southern Miss ranks second in C-USA in scoring (33.2) and third in total offense (415.1).

Scouting The Defense:   Southern Miss has forced turnovers in 21 of 23 games during the Fedora era and has had multiple takeaways in 17 contests, going 12-5 in those games. FS Eddie Hicks leads all active C-USA players with 13 career interceptions (five in 2009). DE Cordarro Law leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss.

Quote To Note:   “I look at it like a wounded animal, to be honest with you. Their back is against the wall and I expect them to fight with everything they’ve got. They have to win these next two and I expect that [Tulsa coach] Todd Graham will have them ready to go.”—Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

This Week  ‘S GAME: Tulsa at Southern Miss, Nov. 21—The Golden Eagles are 5-0 at home and looking to go undefeated at Roberts Stadium for the first time since 1999, and the 10th time since they dedicated the stadium in 1976. Southern Miss has won seven straight home contests since a 24-7 loss to Boise State on Oct. 11, 2008.

Keys To The Game:   Southern Miss is 35-4 since 2001 when it scores at least 30 points in a game. Tulsa has surrendered an average of 34.6 points during its five-game losing streak. But if the Golden Eagles want to ring up some points, they’re going to have to do it through the air. The Golden Hurricane has only allowed four rushing touchdowns in 10 games.

Players To Watch:  

QB Martevious Young—He has accounted for 10 touchdowns (nine passing) and thrown just one interception in the Golden Eagles’ last four games.

RB Tracy Lampley—The C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week set a school record with 211 kickoff return yards against Marshall, including a 93-yard touchdown. He is one of just three FBS players to return a kickoff and a punt for scores this season, and the only true freshman.

LB Korey Williams—The sophomore leads the team with 96 stops and has tallied nine tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two recoveries. He has six double-digit tackle games this season, including a career-high 15 against Virginia and 14 against UAB.

Roster Report:  

• C Cameron Zipp suffered a stinger vs. Marshall, but returned to the game and is expected to play Saturday.

• Nine of the Golden Eagles’ verbal commitments for the 2010 recruiting class have earned three-star ratings from Scouts, Inc. Brandon Smith of Carver (Ga.) High is rated as the nation’s 10th-best inside linebacker prospect.