In one of our myriad previews ahead of the start of the 2016 season, I made the case for Mark Stoops to be included on this year’s Coaching Hot Seat. Saturday night, Stoops’ Kentucky squad validated that argument.
At home in Lexington, Kentucky had no second-half answer for Southern Miss’ offense as the Golden Eagles came back and held on for a 44-35 win. Adding embarrassing insult to the won/loss injury is the fact that USM’s offense is coordinated by Shannon Dawson, fired from the same position by Stoops in mid-December.
USM trailed UK 35-17 at halftime. In the last two quarters, the Eagles outscored the Wildcats 27-0 to give Jay Hopson his first win as the football program’s head coach.
It was also the program’s first win over an SEC in 13 tries, with the last coming in 2000. The also loss put the finishing touches on what proved to be a craptastic Week 1 for the SEC.
While top-ranked Alabama laid waste to No. 20 USC, No 5 LSU was dropped by unranked Wisconsin; Mississippi State lost to South Alabama at home; and Missouri was a double-digit loser to West Virginia. Additionally, Arkansas pulled out a one-point win over Louisiana Tech and Tennessee survived Appalachian State in overtime -- both of those were home games for the SEC teams.