UL running back Dre'lyn Washington (20) runs with the ball during the Cajuns' 23-13 win over Southern Miss on Saturday. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save 1, Patience grasshopper Truthfully, the UL coaches and players didn’t just want to win at Southern Miss on Saturday, they wanted to do it with an exclamation point going away. It just wasn’t in the cards.

Give the Golden Eagles credit. They were prepared and played hard, especially on defense. And maybe when you’ve lost 11 straight games, haven’t beat a team in 31 years and have only won once on the road in the series, it’s not supposed to be easy although it would have been even more satisfying.

The bottom line is the Cajuns won in Hattiesburg. The stats anyway weren’t real close- 410-77 in total yards and 41:35 to 18:10 in time of possession. 2.

Defense delivered It was a little bit scary at halftime. Southern Miss didn’t have the ball much, but when its offense did, the Eagles were putting up big plays to the tune of 6.8 yards per play.

Despite not having the ball much in the first half, Southern Miss only trailed 17-13 at intermission. In the second half, though, coach Jim Salgado’s crew delivered when the Cajuns needed it. UL’s defense limited the Eagles to 21 yards on 17 plays in the second half.

Southern Miss had no first downs in the final 25 minutes of the game. The only two first downs in the second half were on the Eagles’ first two drive of the third quarter. 3.

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