| 1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football | |
|---|---|
Conference USA champion | |
Liberty Bowl, W 41–7 vs. Pittsburgh | |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 19 |
| AP | No. 19 |
| Record | 9–3 (6–0 C-USA) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Larry Kueck (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | John Thompson (6th season) |
| Base defense | Multiple |
| Home stadium | M. M. Roberts Stadium |
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
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Conf | Overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No.19Southern Miss $ | 6 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 5 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | 4 | – | 2 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 2 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memphis | 2 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 2 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | 0 | – | 6 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Golden Eagles were led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Bower and played their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium. In their second year in the Conference USA, they claimed their second-straight conference championship with a 6–0 C-USA record and a 9–3 record overall.[1] They were invited to the 1997 Liberty Bowl, where they defeated Pittsburgh, 41–7. In the final AP and Coaches Polls of the season, the Golden Eagles were ranked 19th, which was the first ranked finish in school history.[2]
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | at No. 2Florida* |
| L 6–21 | 85,439 | [3] | ||
| September 6 | atIllinois* |
| ESPN2 | W 24–7 | 44,519 | [4] | |
| September 20 | Nevada* |
| W 35–19 | 26,481 | [5] | ||
| September 27 | at No. 21Alabama* |
| PPV | L 13–27 | 83,091 | [6] | |
| October 4 | Louisville |
| W 42–24 | 23,028 | [7] | ||
| October 11 | atEast Carolina |
| W 23–13 | 33,904 | [8] | ||
| October 25 | Tulane |
| W 34–13 | 26,092 | [9] | ||
| November 1 | atCincinnati | No. 24 |
| W 24–17 | 23,799 | [10] | |
| November 8 | at No. 8Tennessee* | No. 24 |
| PPV | L 20–44 | 107,073 | [11] |
| November 15 | Houston |
| W 33–0 | 20,091 | [12] | ||
| November 22 | atMemphis |
| W 42–18 | 17,243 | [13] | ||
| December 31 | vs. Pittsburgh* | No. 22 |
| W 41–7 | 50,209 | [14] | |
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| Week | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 24 | — | — | 23 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | 24 | 23 | 22 | 19 | |
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| Venues |
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| Bowls & rivalries |
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| Culture & lore |
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| People |
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| Seasons |
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National championship seasons in bold | |
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Conference USA football champions
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