Oklahoma State University Athletics
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Cowboys Fall To Southern Miss In Season Opener, 17-9
September 01, 2001 | Cowboy Football
Sept 1, 2001
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Jeff Kelly passed for 277 yards and a touchdown as Southern Mississippi beat Oklahoma State 17-9 on Saturday, spoiling Les Miles' coaching debut with the Cowboys.
Kelly was 22-of-36 in the season-opening game for both teams.
Southern Miss, a member of Conference USA, has won nine of 10 non-conference games since the conference's inception.
The win also gave coach Jeff Bower a second victory over his former team. Bower was an assistant at Oklahoma State in 1990 before taking the head coaching job at his alma mater.
Oklahoma State failed to score a touchdown against Southern Miss for the second year in a row.
The win wasn't exactly academic. The Cowboys managed to drive to the Southern Miss 26 with 1:04 left, but Aso Pogi's fourth-down pass fell short. Pogi was throwing to Rashaun Woods, who led the team with 10 catches for 139 yards.
The Cowboys moved the ball well against Southern Miss, which had the second-toughest defense nationally last year, but couldn't get into the end zone. Kicker Luke Phillips accounted for all the Cowboys' points, with field goals of 41, 25, and 32 yards.
The Cowboys took the lead on an early field goal. On a subsequent drive, Paul Terrell blindsided Pogi, causing a fumble that led to the only score of the first quarter for the Eagles. Kelly found freshman receiver Chris Johnson on a crossing pattern for a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Brant Hanna added a late second-quarter field goal, and the Eagles led 17-6 at the half.
