Every year, coaches and coordinators play musical chairs in the nether-period between the end of college football’s regular season and the bowl games. The shakeout normally leaves teams in the awkward position of playing for an interim placeholder – usually a coordinator who’s also looking for work – in place of the departed coach.
Occasionally, coaches stick around to see the season through, as Larry Fedora did for Southern Miss this year. North Carolina’s new head coach steered the Golden Eagles to a 24-17 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack Saturday night in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The win capped off a 12-2 season for the Conference USA champs. Nevada finished the season at 7-6.
Although their typically potent offense sputtered, the Golden Eagles managed to ride their defense to victory. Southern Miss held Chris Ault’s high-flying Nevada attack to a measly 313 yards of total offense, the Wolf Pack’s second-lowest output of the season. Nevada quarterbacks Cody Fajardo and Tyler Lantrip combined to complete just 13 of 28 pass attempts for 117 yards and an interception.
Behind running back Lampford Mark on the ground, Nevada nearly pulled off the upset. Mark churned out 183 of the Wolf Pack’s 196 rushing yards and hit paydirt twice, scoring his team’s only two touchdowns. A third-quarter field goal from Allen Hardison knotted the score at 17, but it proved to be Nevada’s final score.
Star Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis led the Golden Eagles to what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with just under six minutres left. Davis’ 4-yard scoring toss to Kevin Bolden capped off a 68-yard drive that sealed the win for USM.
Southern Miss got the win in a fashion not usually seen under its departing offensive tactician, but it was a win nonetheless. A celebratory Gatorade bath from his players as the clock wound down served as a fitting send-off for Fedora, who leaves USM in solid shape for incoming coach Ellis Johnson.
