NEW ORLEANS - Southern Miss running back Ito Smith scored three touchdowns and wide receiver Allenzee Staggers set a pair of single-game receiving records as the Golden Eagles defeated Louisiana 28-21 in the 16th Annual R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Saturday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Smith rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns and had a 6-yard TD reception, while Staggers, who was voted the game's Most Valuable Player, got the first two Southern Miss scoring drives in motion with long receptions before finishing the night with New Orleans Bowl records for catches (11) and yards (230).
The victory capped off a 7-6 season for first-year Southern Miss head coach Jay Hopson.
"It was just a hard-fought football game," Hopson said. "Our guys stuck to it. Give (Louisiana) credit; they're well coached. I thought our guys played physical. We pride ourselves on playing physical football, and that's what we did."
Southern Miss jumped to a 14-0 lead after scoring on its first two possessions - on an 11-yard run and a 6-yard catch by Smith - before the Ragin' Cajuns (6-7) rallied to tie the game 14-all at halftime on runs by Anthony Jennings and Dion Ray.
USM responded with a 5-yard pass from Nick Mullens to Staggers on the first possession of the third quarter, and the Golden Eagles never trailed again.
Smith's third touchdown of the night, a 1-yard run with 12:26 remaining, gave Southern Miss a 28-14 lead.
The Ragin' Cajuns pulled within a touchdown on Jennings' second touchdown, a 3-yard run with 5:10 left. Louisiana had one final chance when it got the ball back at its 18-yard line with 2:02 left. The Golden Eagles stopped the Cajuns on fourth down near midfield with 12 seconds remaining.
Southern Miss outgained Louisiana 481-252. The Ragin' Cajuns scored 14 of their 21 points off two Golden Eagle turnovers.
The Southern Miss defense had a New Orleans Bowl-record six sacks, including a bowl record 3.0 by Ja'Boree Poole.
Southern Miss is now 4-1 all-time in five New Orleans Bowl appearances. It was Louisiana's (4-1) first-ever loss in the event.