Southern Miss beats Troy in OT

NEW ORLEANS – Michael McGee blocked a potential game-tying field goal attempt in overtime, lifting Southern Mississippi to a 30-27 comeback victory over Troy in the New Orleans Bowl on Sunday night.

Troy held Southern Miss to Britt Barefoot’s 39-yard field goal on the first possession of OT, but that wound up being enough for the Golden Eagles to win their third New Orleans Bowl in as many appearances.

The Trojans, winners of the Sun Belt Conference, led 27-17 after Jerrel Jernigan’s 6-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

Southern Miss responded with Austin Davis’ 35-yard touchdown to Jonathan Massey on fourth-and-2 with 7:20 left in regulation. Barefoot tied it with his 46-yard field goal with 2:50 to go.

Southern Miss (7-6) was forced to play most of the game without leading receiver DeAndre Brown, who broke his left leg on an awkward landing in the end zone after his attempt at a leaping catch was batten down in the first quarter. Only one series earlier, Brown had set a single-season school record for receptions with 67 on a 9-yard catch.

Without his top target, Davis completed 20 of 34 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard scoring pass to New Orleans native Gerald Baptiste on a flea flicker in the first quarter.