A season that’s shaping up to be the worst in Southern Miss history has taken yet another downward turn.
First-year head coach Ellis Johnson announced Wednesday that running back Desmond Johnson and quarterback Arsenio Favor have been suspended for this weekend’s game against SMU. The two were suspended for unrelated incidents, although the Johnson stood by the standard “violation of unspecified team rules” as the reason behind the punitive measures.
Johnson currently leads USM in rushing with 460 yards, although a pulled groin muscle was expected to keep him out of the game for which he was suspended anyway.
Favor has played in three games this season, starting one. He was listed as the backup QB on the depth chart heading into the SMU game.
Southern Miss is one of two teams winless on the season along with UMass, in its first year at the FBS level. The worst season in the school’s 50-year history is two wins, accomplished in both 1976 and 1993; the Eagles would need to win their last three games in order to avoid matching those twin low points.