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- Southern Miss allowed 223 total yards in its 49-3 opening win over Alcorn State under first-year defensive coordinator Joe Bolden. The 2026 opponent preview explicitly cautions that the overmatched opening opponent limits what that result establishes before the trip to Auburn. - Southern Miss cornerback Kobi Albert intercepted three passes against Alcorn State, while safety Laquan Robinson finished second on the team with seven tackles. Both are highlighted as defensive personnel to watch against Auburn, but the opening-game takeaways do not establish a repeatable interception rate. - Southern Miss' front includes 292-pound junior-college transfer Darrell Gross, who made five tackles in the opener, and 280-pound Nasim Cairo, who has moved into a starting role. The preview also expects substantial work for edge defender Zachariah Keith after he did not play last season; that expectation is not a snap-count commitment. - Linebacker Mathis Haygood led Southern Miss in opening-game tackles, but the Auburn-week chart still shares his listing with Tyler Lassiter. The JACK spot also retains an OR between Kameron Cyprien and Jameer Lewis, so the published chart leaves multiple second-level and pass-rush roles shared rather than naming sole starters.

- Cover 3 describes Southern Miss as having the lowest returning production after roster departures accompanying Charles Huff's move to Memphis. The hosts use that turnover as a concern heading into the road game at Auburn; no individual injury or starting-lineup change is identified. - The hosts' stated matchup position is Auburn's team total over 44.5, reflecting an expectation that Southern Miss will struggle to contain a motivated home offense. This is an opponent team-total pick, not a Southern Miss spread pick or a full-game total recommendation.

- LB: Southern Miss will travel to Auburn for a Saturday 6:45 kickoff.

- QB/LB: I was there and had to call a Bama fan friend of mine (knew he’d be watching on TV) to get confirmation that it was a catch because from my vantage point I honestly...

- QB/LB: The resiliency of the defense will be a key factor Saturday.

- LB: The crazy part is this espn formula gets used a lot for bowls and team strength.

- – Southern Miss football coach Blake Anderson addressed the media on Monday, Sept. - 7, in the Duff Athletic Center ahead of the Golden Eagles' road contest at Auburn this Saturday.