This isn't the same kind of Southern Miss team that came to Kroger Field in 2016

Few Group of Five opponents elicit a reaction on the schedule quite like Southern Miss. That’s what happens when your program is responsible for one of the more jarring Kentucky football upsets of the last two decades.

Memories are still fresh for many Kentucky football fans from the 2016 season-opener. In a make-or-break season for Mark Stoops, the Wildcats surrendered 34 unanswered points to lose to the Golden Eagles. The Kentucky head coach admitted there are some scars that will forever remain from that game, but defensive coordinator Brad White isn’t using that game to provide fuel for his players ahead of Saturday night’s game at Kroger Field.

“For me personally, that was before I got here, before any of the players or really anybody else on the defensive side of the coaching staff,” he said on Wednesday. “We don’t need to look back like that to get motivation.”

Using the past to project the future isn’t the worst way to forecast a football game from the outside. Folks inside the program see it much differently because each team is different. In this case, the players who crafted the shocking upset fit a much different profile than the ones we’ll see Saturday night.

Southern Miss Then vs. Now

Kentucky was a 6-point favorite over the Golden Eagles in 2016. Today the line is Kentucky -24.5.

This Southern Miss team ranks No. 119 in the preseason SP+ power rankings. Last season they won three games, only two in conference play. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish sixth out of seven teams in the Sun Belt West.

When Southern Miss came to Lexington in 2016, they had a dynamic offense that was recruited to Hattiesburg by Todd Monken. He served as the head coach in the three years prior. Monken is the man credited with transforming Kirby Smart’s offense into a two-time National Championship winner. He also called plays for Lamar Jackson’s 2023 MVP season.

The 2016 Southern Miss offense was coached by Shannon Dawson, who was fired from his post at Kentucky just a few months prior. His quarterback was Nick Mullens, who has started in 20 NFL games over six seasons. Ito Smith had three 1,000+ rushing yard seasons before he became fourth round NFL Draft selection. There were also a couple of defensive backs on that team who were drafted.

Even though it felt like an Earth-shattering upset at the time, Southern Miss had some dudes. Not to completely discredit the team that’s taking the field tonight, but there is a significant difference in talent between the two teams. Comparing this Southern Miss team to that one is foolish. Kentucky should take care of business against a team that will spend most of its season likely ranked near the bottom of the FBS.