HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss handled business in Week 1. Now, head coach Blake Anderson and the Golden Eagles are preparing for a major jump in speed, size, and talent against Auburn. Southern Miss did exactly what it needed to do in its season opener. The Golden Eagles won, avoided costly mistakes, and gave Anderson plenty to like against Alcorn State.
Now comes the jump. After reviewing the film, Coach A remained pleased with his team's clean and disciplined performance . However, once he turned his attention toward Auburn, one thing became clear: everything is about to move much faster. Here are the highlights from Anderson's weekly Monday press conference.
Southern Miss TE Preston Kilgore gaining a first down against Alcorn State. | Josh House
"We didn't have a lot of penalties," Anderson said. "We didn't have any of those huge 15-yard, undisciplined, out-of-character penalties. Those are easy to get, especially in the first game when guys are excited."
Southern Miss battled through a few early false starts and competitive holding penalties, but Coach A was pleased with how cleanly his team played. "It was a solid, clean game," Anderson said. "It was what we needed to do against the opponent we were playing. On paper, we were a better team. Don't take that for granted, because there were several teams this past weekend that were exposed for probably not being quite ready or respecting the opponent. We did, and we went out and did what we were supposed to do."
Defensively, Southern Miss finished the night with only eight missed tackles, a number Anderson was pleased to see in the first game of the season. "I don't remember the last time it's been single digits in the first game without having had a chance to tackle," Coach A said. "A lot of that has to do with the opponent you're playing and what it's going to mean this week. This film looks like it's on fast-forward. The challenge to get dudes on the ground is going to be real."
Southern Miss taking a moment before the game against Alcorn State. | Josh House
That was a theme throughout Monday's press conference. Southern Miss took care of business in Week 1, but Auburn will present an entirely different level of speed, size and talent.
"The talent level is about to be on warp speed for us," Anderson said. "We did what we were supposed to do, but physically, the talent level ahead of us, especially over the next few weeks, is going to be a huge challenge."
Auburn finished last season with one of the nation's top defenses, and much of that unit has returned. "Top-10 defense in the country last year, and most of them are back," Coach Anderson said. "They just look faster to me. The tape looks like it's on fast-forward, like it's not in real time. That's what we're fixing to see."
Coach Anderson did not try to hide the challenge facing his team. He also made it clear that Southern Miss is not traveling to Auburn in search of a moral victory. "Number one, we're going to try to win the game," Coach A said. "We're going to put together a plan to win it. We've been in these games in the past. We've won a few of these." Anderson pointed to previous stops where his teams defeated Kansas State, pushed Nebraska and Tennessee deep into games, and battled Kentucky to a two-point finish.
"The goal is to win," Anderson said. "We're going to put together a game plan that fits our strengths and attacks any weaknesses we can find in their roster, personnel, or plan. We're going to do everything we can to win the game."
To pull it off, Anderson knows the Golden Eagles will have to be at their best. "Do I know that we need to play near-perfect to do it and need them to make some mistakes? Yes," he said. "I'm not going to lie to our guys. Physically, this is a huge monster to tackle."
Still, Coach A believes his team must prepare with the expectation that it can win. "We're by no means going into this game for moral victories or anything less than playing our best," Coach Anderson said. "We'll let the chips fall where they do. That's all we can control, us."
Sep 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) scrambles past Baylor Bears safety Daniel Cobbs (14) in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A major part of the challenge will be containing Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown. "He's massive, for one," Coach Anderson said. "He's a big dude, and he's going to be very hard to bring down. It starts and ends with him. He makes it go. He is a big, physical specimen with a ton of confidence." Brown's ability to throw and run will force Southern Miss to defend the entire field.
"We've got to keep him in the pocket, and that's hard to do," Anderson said. "We've got to get him on the ground in some of those one-on-one situations. He can do everything. He can throw it, he can run it, and he makes the field really big."
Auburn's tempo will also test a Southern Miss defense that Anderson felt was not always lined up quickly enough against Alcorn State. "The speed of the people, the size of the people, the style of offense and the speed of the game are all fixing to speed up," Coach A said. "He'll present a ton of challenges for us."
Southern Miss Center Joe Rounds | Josh House
Offensively, Anderson praised center Joe Rounds, who earned the starting job after arriving from the Division II level. "Joe had a good game, and he's earned this position," Anderson said. "None of the guys we brought in were promised anything. When you come in, and you're 5-foot-10 and came from a Division II school, you don't assume anything. He didn't. He worked really, really hard."
Rounds' size has not stopped him from becoming a player his teammates and coaches trust. "He packs a punch," Coach A said. "He plays with great leverage. He's twitchy and gets to the second level. He's proven to everybody in the locker room that he's a guy we can count on. That's why he went out there as a captain."
Southern Miss RB Steven Robinson moments before scoring his second touchdown of the season. | Josh House
Anderson was also encouraged by the production of his running backs. Robert Briggs looked explosive before leaving the game banged up, while Steven Robinson and Jamarice Wilder provided physical, dependable carries behind him. "They both played ball," Anderson said. "They didn't end up on the ground. They did a great job when they needed to protect, ran the ball physically through contact, made guys miss and finished falling forward."
The performance gave Coach Anderson confidence that Southern Miss can run the football more effectively than it did a year ago. "When you consider people who look like us, it gave me a tremendous amount of encouragement," Anderson said. "Between the offensive line, tight ends and running back room, we're moving in the right direction to be able to run the ball at a level that can affect the game in ways we couldn't a year ago."
Southern Miss QB Ethan Hampton throws a pass during the 2026 home opener against Alcorn State. | Josh House
There are still areas that must improve. Southern Miss recorded 10 quarterback hits against Alcorn State, but Anderson wants the defensive front to create more pressure. He also wants his receivers to become more aggressive when the ball is in the air.
"We've got to create more pressure up front," Anderson said. "Offensively, we've got to attack the ball better at wideout. Those were probably the two most glaring things."
Quarterback play also needs to be taken up a notch this week if the Golden Eagles are going to pull off an upset. Ethan Hampton got the starting nod on Saturday and overcame a slow start to finish with 180 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception on 13 of 23 completed passes. On Southern Miss' Week 2 depth chart, Hampton is not listed as the for-sure starter, as it shows "Ethan Hampton -OR- Landry Lyddy."
"I missed a couple easy throws, which is frustrating," Hampton said . "Just finishing out to the edge. Threw a few on the ground, and that's where I've got to get better. And throwing a little high across the middle, and we end up throwing a pick. Those are things that I got to sharpen up, and I got to sharpen it up fast, and I will. And I think I just got to get to our playmakers' hands, right? And I did that a few times today."
Beyond the action on the field, Saturday was also an important day for recruiting. Southern Miss hosted well over 100 prospects, and Coach A called Eagle Walk one of the day's biggest highlights. "Eagle Walk was phenomenal," Anderson said. "We had well over 100 guys here. The first opportunity in front of a home crowd with a win; it went about as well as it could go."
Coach Blake Anderson wearing the "Christ Is King" shirt with his wife before the start of Alcorn State. | Josh House
Anderson also addressed the attention surrounding the "Christ Is King" shirt he wore during Eagle Walk. Pictures quickly spread across social media, but Coach A said the message behind the shirt mattered more than the attention it received.
"The whole point of wearing it was for Christ to be glorified and noticed," Anderson said. "I'm super grateful for my bosses who allowed me to use my platform to share my faith." "I'm saved by grace, and I'm in the position I'm in because of God and because I've been blessed," he continued. "If it makes one person think, then it was worth it."
The shirt showed what Coach A believes and lives his life by. Anderson has shown tremendous resilience throughout his career and has overcome significant tragedy. His faith is what has helped him through it.
Jamarice Wilder celebrates a touchdown in Southern Miss' 49-3 season-opening win against Alcorn State on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, at Renasant Stadium | Josh House
Finally, Monday also showed what Anderson expects from his football team as it makes the trip to Auburn later this week.
Southern Miss understands the challenge waiting at Auburn. The Tigers will be bigger, faster, and more physical. The environment will be loud, and the Golden Eagles' margin for error will be small. The opponent is stronger. The game will be faster. The challenge is greater. The goal remains the same.
"Right now, let's go find a way to win it at all costs," Coach A said. "How do we win it? Let's see what happens from there."
Anderson and his coaching staff hope to find those answers through this week's practice and film sessions. Stay tuned for more game week coverage at Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/southernmiss as 'The Goal Is To Win': Blake Anderson Sets the Tone for Southern Miss Ahead of Auburn .
