USM runs away with it

By By Tony Krausz/assistant sports editor
November 21, 2003
HATTIESBURG Of the 94 tackles the University of Southern Mississippi defense made Thursday night, no tackle was more important than Greg Brooks sack of TCU quarterback Brandon Hassell with 2:52 left in the game.
The Golden Eagles senior cornerback broke free on an odd man rush to knock the ball from Hassell's hand, and senior linebacker Rod Davis jumped on the loose ball on TCU's 11 set up USM's game sealing touchdown.
Eagles running back Anthony Harris ran the ball in three plays after the fumble recovery to give USM a 40-28 win over previously undefeated TCU (10-1, 7-1 Conference USA) at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
The Eagles victory clinched at least a share of the C-USA championship for USM (8-3, 7-0 C-USA).
USM's first conference title since 1997 didn't come easily, as TCU erased a 31-6 deficit in the fourth quarter on the strength of two onside kick recoveries
TCU scored its first touchdown of the game 4 ∏ minutes into the final quarter on a one-yard touchdown run from fullback Kenny Hayter. The score brought USM's lead down to 31-12.
The Frogs followed the touchdown with an onside kick that TCU recovered on its 48-yard line.
TCU marched down the field on six plays to cut USM's advantage to 31-20, after Hassell, who completed 18-of-31 passes for 260 yards, ran in the two-point conversion.
The Frogs went for another onside kick following the score, and TCU recovered the ball on the Eagles 38-yard line.
Hassell ran the ball in himself from one-yard out and followed with a pass to Reggie Harrell on the two-point conversion to make it a 31-28 game.
USM finally got the ball back on its own 33-yard line with 6:51 left in the game, and the Eagles offense put together a nine-play, 52-yard drive that was capped by a Darren McCaleb 32-yard field goal.
The kick gave USM a slim 34-28 lead, with 3:05 left in the game.
Eagles quarterback Dustin Almond capitalized on good field position in the de facto conference championship game to tally three touchdowns.
The sophomore quarterback, whose grandfather died on Monday, hit scoring passes of 50, 9 and 21yards while racking up 227 passing yards on 14-of-23 passing.
USM appeared to take control of the game late in the second quarter on a pair of big plays from its defense and special teams.
Eagles free safety Etric Pruitt snatched his third interception of the season to help USM build a 10-point lead, with 5 minutes left in the opening half.
Pruitt picked off a pass across the middle from Hassell at the Eagles' 41.
The senior defensive back sprinted down field reaching the Frogs 24-yard line before being knocked out of bounds on the 35-yard return.
USM scored four plays later to take a 16-6 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Harris.
The Eagles quickly added to their lead following Harris' rushing touchdown, thanks to their punt return unit.
USM's defense forced TCU's offense off the field after three plays to set up a marvelous punt return by Eagles wide receiver Marvin Young.
The junior return man received the ball on his own 15-yard line, and he froze the first TCU tackler down field with a head fake to move into the open field.
Young flew past the Frogs punting unit to TCU's 33-yard line before being taken down at his ankles by Flander Malone.
USM scored five plays after Youngs 52-yard return, as Almond threaded a pass through three defenders to Antwon Courtington for a nine-yard touchdown and a 24-6 lead.
USM DaRon Lawerence hauled in his second touchdown pass of the year to answer a TCU field goal in the opening quarter.
The junior wide receiver found himself wide open down the right side line, after a Frogs defensive back fell down around TCU's 35-yard line.
Lawerence received Almond's pass without a defender around him and ran in for the score and a 7-3 lead eight minutes into the game.
TCU kicker Nick Browne, who entered the game connecting on 23-of-26 field goals, cut USM's lead to one point with his second field goal of the game, with 4:16 left in the first quarter.
The Frogs senior kicker nailed a 41-yard field goal to cut the Eagles' lead to 7-6. Browne tallied the first points of the game with a 21-yard field to cap an 87-yard TCU drive.
The Eagles took a 10-6 lead with 9:03 left in the second quarter on a scoring kick off its won.
USM kicker Darren McCaleb connected on a 39-yard field goal attempt to cap an 11-play, 41-yard drive for the four-point advantage.
The Eagles added another touchdown late in the third quarter.
Almond hooked up with Young on a 21-yard touchdown pass to cap a two-play, 36-yard that was set up by free safety Trevis Coley's0 interception on TCU's 34-yard line.
Young jumped to snatch the pass over the top of a Frogs defender to haul in the scoring pass for a 31-6 lead, with 3:46 left in the third quarter.