Southern Miss edges Georgia Southern 38-35 in Sun Belt

STATESBORO, Ga. — Southern Miss rallied to a 38-35 Sun Belt Conference victory over Georgia Southern on Thursday night, holding off a late comeback attempt at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. The Golden Eagles built a commanding first-half lead and withstood a late surge to secure the road win.

Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton passed for 237 yards and two touchdowns, connecting on a 50-yard strike to Tychaun Chapman in the first quarter and a 30-yard touchdown to Carl Chester in the second. Running back Jeffery Pittman carried 31 times for 140 yards and two short-yardage touchdowns, including a 2-yard run that delivered Southern Miss a 21-point advantage at halftime after four consecutive touchdowns.

Georgia Southern rallied in the second half and mounted a pair of late scores in a little over four minutes, the final touchdown coming with 2 minutes 14 seconds remaining. A last-ditch onside kick attempt failed, allowing Southern Miss to run out the clock. Creighton Wilbanks added a 42-yard field goal with 10:24 left in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 38-21, a margin Georgia Southern would narrow but not erase.

Georgia Southern quarterback J.C. French IV completed 24 of...