Thursday night’s college football slate features four exciting games from Group of Five programs. One of two primetime showdowns, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (3-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) are traveling to Statesboro to take on the Georgia Southern Eagles (2-3, 0-1) in a crucial conference game that could eventually determine bowl eligibility.
Charles Huff, Southern Miss’s first-year coach, who came from a four-year stint at Marshall, will be desperate to continue his perfect Sun Belt slate as the team looks towards its first conference championship game appearance since 2011.
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Details
- Date: Thursday, October 9
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Allen E. Paulson Stadium | Statesboro, Georgia
- Predicted Weather at Kick: 67°F; partly cloudy
- How To Watch: ESPN2
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Head-to-Head Record
While these two teams are currently both in the Sun Belt Conference, surprisingly, they have only played once. Back in September 1941, Southern Miss destroyed Georgia Southern 70-0 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘. 𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗡𝟮. 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 🍿
🆚 » Georgia Southern
⏰ » 7 PM CT
📺 » ESPN2
📻 » Southern Miss Sports Network
ℹ️ » https://t.co/0MVn2G7p4d pic.twitter.com/fwseIHg5Ph— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) October 9, 2025
Clearly, this game was long ago. At the time, Georgia Southern was known as “Georgia Teachers College,” while Southern Miss was known as “Mississippi Southern College.” That season, USM went on to go 9-0-1, while Georgia Southern, an independent, went 2-8.
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Grades
- Southern Miss (69.7, D+)
- Georgia Southern (72.9, C-)
- Southern Miss (75.4, C)
- Georgia Southern (65.2, D)
- Southern Miss (69, D+)
- Georgia Southern (73.7, C)
- Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss (74.4, C)
- JC French IV, Georgia Southern (68.0, D+)
- Jeffery Pittman, Southern Miss (N/A)
- OJ Arnold, Georgia Southern (74.4, C)
- Carl Chester, Southern Miss (69.6, D+)
- Camden Brown, Georgia Southern (76.5, C)
- Kyirin Heath, Southern Miss (73.1, C)
- Ahmon Green, Georgia Southern (68.8, D+)
PFSN College EDGEi
- J’Mond Tapp, Southern Miss (92.3, A-)
- MJ Stroud, Georgia Southern (73.5, C)
PFSN College DTi
- Brodarius Lewis, Southern Miss (75.4, C)
- Caleb Moore, Georgia Southern (69.6, D+)
PFSN College LBi
- Michael Montgomery, Southern Miss (74.5, C)
- Brandon Tyson, Georgia Southern (73.6, C)
PFSN College CBi
- Ian Foster, Southern Miss (82.5, B-)
- Chance Gamble, Georgia Southern (90.6, A-)
PFSN College SAFi
- Corey Myrick, Southern Miss (78.6, C+)
- Ayden Jackson, Georgia Southern (78.8, C+)
Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Prediction
While both teams are essentially on even playing fields, Southern Miss is in the midst of a great season for a team with a new coach on the sidelines. The Golden Eagles began the season with a tough home loss to Mississippi State before rattling off three wins in the next four games, defeating FCS Jackson State, Appalachian State, and Jacksonville State.
Additionally, USM is coming off a bye week, so the team has clearly been eyeing this trip to Statesboro for a while. On the other sideline, Georgia Southern has struggled.
College Football Predictions Week 7: Projecting Every Game Including Indiana vs. Oregon
After a season-opening loss to Fresno State, the Eagles traveled south to Los Angeles for a homecoming for former Trojans HC Clay Helton, who now leads Georgia Southern. The team temporarily turned things around with wins over FCS squad Maine and Jacksonville State before losing another game — this time to James Madison.
While Georgia Southern has a solid roster and will likely keep this game close, I’m taking Southern Miss to cover its 2.5-point spread and leave Statesboro victorious.
Prediction: Southern Miss 27, Georgia Southern 23