Southern Miss blanks winless Texas-El-Paso, posts 24-0 win
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Ito Smith ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns as Southern Miss captured its second straight Homecoming and recorded its first Conference-USA shutout since 2001, blanking Texas-El Paso 24-0 Saturday.
But it was the Eagles' defense that shone brightest. Southern Miss (4-2, 2-1) held the Miners to just 147 total yards, including just 17 net yards on the ground.
Keon Howard completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 221 yards and a touchdown, but he was picked off twice by UTEP (0-7, 0-3). Howard found Jaylond Adams with a 52-yard scoring pass midway through the first quarter to get the Eagles on the board and Smith found the end zone just before halftime to make it 14-0.
Smith scored from 20-yards out in the fourth quarter to make it 21-0 and Parker Shaunfield kicked a 38-yard field goal late to account for the game's scoring.
Game Information
2023 Conference USA Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 8-0 | 13-1 |
| New Mexico State | 7-1 | 10-5 |
| Jacksonville State | 6-2 | 9-4 |
| Western Kentucky | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Middle Tennessee | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Sam Houston | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| UTEP | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Florida International | 1-7 | 4-8 |
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