Nevada running back Lampford Mark shredded Southern Mississippi in the first half, to the tune of 158 yards and two touchdowns, but the Golden Eagles took a 17-14 lead into the break. Mark scored on a five-yard rush midway through the second quarter to tie the score at seven, then ripped off a 45-yard run to give the Wolfpack a 14-7 lead three minutes later, gashing the Golden Eagles’ defense up the middle.
Hawaii Bowl Score Update: Southern Miss Leads Nevada At The Half, 17-14
Southern Miss. got on the board first, thanks to a blocked punt recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Later, the Eagles added a fourth down conversion on a fake punt from its own goalline, spicing up the early goings in a mostly silent Aloha Stadium.
But the special teams also proved to be a downfall for the Golden Eagles at times, with a long return wiped away as Jeremy Hester was chased down from behind and stripped of the ball. The return would’ve set Southern Miss up in excellent position following Mark’s second touchdown, though the Golden Eagles did get the ball back near midfield after Nevada turned it over on downs a short time later.
Southern Miss settled for a field goal, then forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, capping a wild sequence of events that included a long touchdown run, two fumbles on kickoffs and a turnover on downs. This time, the Golden Eagles were able to punch it in to take a 17-14 lead with 12 seconds to go in the half.
And then a fight/shoving match broke out in the end zone! The tensions continued to boil on the ensuing kickoff as two Southern Miss players leveled the returner, leading to a bit of jawing from each side. Tune-in to find out what happens next!
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