Southern Miss ranks 20th in the country in total defense.
The Golden Eagles (5-4, 3-2 in CUSA) are giving up an average of 335.4 yards per game, also the top mark in the league.
But coaches and players aren’t naïve enough to believe that number isn’t an anomaly.
“I’m not really a stat guy,” said first-year coach Jay Hopson. “But you look at it and we’re a team that in total offense is No. 23 in the country and in total defense we are No. 20 in the country.
“You’d think you’d be feeling a little bit better about life with those types of deals.