USM is already bowl eligible...

[dawgstudent]

first time since 2000 that all 3 MS teams have made a bowl game. USM could easily finish 9-3.

 

[WayboDawg]

They are also in contention for their division championship in C-USA for what it's worth. No matter the quality of competition they are beating, these were the same teams that were pummeling them 2 years ago. Todd Monken has really achieved something by finally salvaging a winning season in Hattiesburg after the debacle that took place following the 2011 season at USM.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

The only person I could name off the team is Mullens but I know they got a ton of transfers. Is their resurgence due in part to their transfers? If that's the case then it looks like they sold out for one year and will have a huge drop off. If not, and it's due to recruiting and coaching then congrats. I still hate you, but congrats from crawling out of the crxxm territory.

 

[BruceBruce]

For the most part their best players are the one's they have recruited and developed. Monken has done a really nice job.

 

[11thEagleFan]

Very happy with the job that Monken has done thus far. I don't think that he'll make the jump to P5 after this year (still a losing record overall), but I don't think it's that far off. IMO, the guy has Big 12 head coach written all over him. I could easily see him at a program like Oklahoma State or Texas Tech, if jobs like that became available. Love his swagger, his aggressive offensive mindset, and his general outlook on USM's program. The guy doesn't believe in excuses and he has openly called out our fan base, our players, and our coaching staff. I wish him luck when he eventually moves on.

 

[wpmusm]

I think Monken sticks around after this year but bolts if USM wins 8-9 next year. I'm very pleased with the way this season has gone thus far.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Regardless of when

he's certainly not going to be around long if they continue to win. That's gotta be hard for the USM fan.

 

[wpmusm]

USM is always going to be a stepping stone job, I accepted that a long time ago. If one of our coaches is picked up by another school, it probably means he's doing a good job.

 

[Cow College]

I think the key is to develop a philosophy at southern and when one head coach leaves another is ready to step into the job internally and everyone move up a level below the coach.

 

[Palos verdes]

It kinda sucks that most of their former rivals are now in the AAC.

 

[was21]

They're in a ****** conference no doubt about it. College football is transitioning at a rapid pace in many ways and some conferences may be combined and/or absorbed while others may simply.... fade awaaaaay.

 

[msstate7]

first time since 2000 that all 3 MS teams have made a bowl game. USM could easily finish 9-3.

I say 8-4. I think la tech is a better team

 

[wpmusm]

I agree. Had we done this and promoted Blake Anderson after Fedora left, the collapse likely never happens.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

Not if y'all would have been smart and kept Bower. Y'all would probably have never missed out on a bowl game still. In stead you get essentially get same results as bower except for one once in a decade season that resulted in setting y'all back several years just to get back to the bower days. Keep bower, win 7-9 games a year or keep playing the coaching carousel and you'll have a few strike outs and get set back again. Rinse and repeat.

 

[wpmusm]

Eh, I think the Bower thing would have fallen apart eventually (similar to what is happening at VaTech with Beamer now). Granted, Fedora wasn't really any better than Bower with the exception of the 2011 season.

 

[patdog]

USM is always going to be a stepping stone job, I accepted that a long time ago.

There's a lot worse things than being a stepping stone job. If you're a stepping stone, you're winning games. By far the heyday of USM football was the 1980s when Bobby Collins and Curley Hallman both used it as a stepping stone to a major job.

 

[patdog]

Eh, I think the Bower thing would have fallen apart eventually (similar to what is happening at VaTech with Beamer now). Granted, Fedora wasn't really any better than Bower with the exception of the 2011 season.

Agree. With Bower you weren't going to get any better. You were going to get 7 or 8 wins pretty much every year. But you weren't ever going to make any real noise. I think Fedora is pretty overrated, but he did almost get you into a major bowl game. Worth the risk in my book.

 

[mstateglfr]

Very happy with the job that Monken has done thus far. I don't think that he'll make the jump to P5 after this year (still a losing record overall), but I don't think it's that far off. IMO, the guy has Big 12 head coach written all over him. I could easily see him at a program like Oklahoma State or Texas Tech, if jobs like that became available. Love his swagger, his aggressive offensive mindset, and his general outlook on USM's program. The guy doesn't believe in excuses and he has openly called out our fan base, our players, and our coaching staff. I wish him luck when he eventually moves on.

Over the last decade, OSU has been a perennially ranked team who consistently lands top 25 recruiting classes. This year will mark the 7th they are in the top3 in the conference. They won a BCS game a few years ago.

Point is- thatd be a hell of a job to land.

 

[Arthur2478]

Is their resurgence due in part to their transfers?

The biggest factor in their "resurgence" is their schedule. The 6 teams they've beaten are a combined 9-39:

Austin Peay 0-9
Texas State 2-5
North Texas 1-7
UTSA 1-7
Charlotee 2-6
UTEP 3-5
-----------------
Totals 9-39

Of those 9 combined wins: 3 are against FCS teams. 3 are against Sunbelt teams. 2 are versus other teams on the list and 1 is versus a 2-6 FAU team.
That has to be the worst bowl resume in the history of college football. State & Marshall are the only teams they've played with pulse and they got handled in each of those games. Don't get me wrong, USM is improved over the past few years but they still aren't very good.

If Monken can get any other job offer based on that resume, then he should jump on it and give his agent a giant bonus.