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FACTS & STATS: Site: Roberts Stadium (36,000) -- Hattiesburg, Mississippi Television: FSN. Home Record: Southern Miss 0-0, Louisiana Tech 0-0. Away Record: Southern Miss 0-0, Louisiana Tech 0-0. Neutral Record: Southern Miss 0-0, Louisiana Tech 0-0. Conference Record: Southern Miss 0-0, Louisiana Tech 0-0. Series Record: Southern Miss leads, 30-13.

GAME NOTES: Louisiana Tech will be looking for a second consecutive upset over Southern Miss this weekend in Hattiesburg, as both schools open their 2011 campaigns.

Louisiana Tech was on the outside looking in on the bowl picture last season, finishing 5-7 and failing to make the postseason in head coach Sonny Dykes' first season at the helm, which was previously held by now Tennessee skipper Derek Dooley. The Bulldogs were never settled at quarterback in 2010, rotating three players during a 1-4 start and struggling against the upper-level WAC teams, with the only wins coming against the likes of Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State and San Jose State. That was still four league wins however, and the Bulldogs are looking to build on that base in 2011.

They will face a veteran laden Southern Miss squad that has become somewhat of a darling in Conference USA preseason chatter, returning 14 starters from a team that went 7-1 in conference play and lost four games by a combined eight points, not to mention a three-point loss to Louisville in the Beef 'O' Brady bowl. Head coach Larry Fedora has been preaching maturity and finishing heading into 2011, as his 8-5 squad blew several large leads a year ago, including an early 20-point lead over East Carolina and a 14-0 advantage over Louisville in the bowl.

Southern Miss leads the series 30-13, which includes last years nail-biting 13-12 win over the Bulldogs in Ruston.

A product of a newly installed spread offense by offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, Louisiana Tech's offense struggled to adjust at times in 2010, especially in the first five games while playing musical chairs with the quarterbacks. Ross Jenkins became the eventual starter, but now Jenkins is gone and Dykes is turning to true freshman Nick Isham to start against Southern Miss. Isham beat out junior Colby Cameron for the job, and if he can translate the intangibles that made him the 2010 Old Spice National High School Player of the Year to the college level, Louisiana Tech should have a gem for the future.

Nonetheless, with a rookie quarterback, the Bulldog offense will look for standout senior tailback Lennon Creer for stability. Creer had a solid 2010, rushing for 1,181 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and 10 TDs on his way to earning all conference accolades.

The top two receivers are also back to guide Isham. Senior receiver Taulib Ikharo and junior Richie Casey are identically sized targets (5-11, 185) and had identical numbers in 2010, with Ikharo catching 50 balls for 530 yards and four TDs and Casey hauling in 42 catches for 432 yards and three scores.

Louisiana Tech finished 116th in total defense a year ago, so if this team is to make strides in 2011, improved production at all three tiers will be paramount. The Bulldog defense has seven starters back, including five in the back seven.

Middle linebacker Adrien Cole is the anchor (six starts, 80 tackles, 4.5 TFLs in 2010) and he earned all-league honors a year ago, as did senior outside linebacker Jay Dudley (12 starts, 94 tackles, two TFLs). Both are NFL prospects, and they will play in front of a defensive line that has four players back from last year's rotation, including senior Matt Broha, who registered nine sacks.

Southern Miss has 45 returning lettermen, including seven on offense. The spread attack will once again be led by one of the league's more prolific signal callers in senior Austin Davis, who threw for 3,103 yards and 20 TDs in 2010. Davis needs 299 yards to pass Brett Favre as the school's all time passing leader, and he'll have plenty of weapons around to get at it.

Sophomore running back Kendrick Hardy picked up 903 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and earned third team all league honors in 2010. Two of the top three receivers are back, including senior Kelvin Bolden (46 receptions, 722 yards, six TDs in 2010).

First year co-defensive coordinators Dan Disch and David Duggan will install a new 4-2-5 scheme in 2011, and they should have plenty of talented personnel to work with. The defense boasts seven returners from a unit that finished 13th in the country in run defense a year ago. A big reason why was senior end Cadarro Law, who produced 11.5 TFLs and six sacks, not to mention forcing four fumbles (two recoveries) for the opportunistic Golden Eagles, who have forced turnovers in 36 of Fedora's 39 games played.

Korey Williams is an important playmaker at linebacker, where he has led the team in tackles the past two seasons, including 126 in 2009 and 92 last season. Senior Kendrick Presley is an all conference performer at safety, and the new scheme will allow hybrid linebacker Jamie Collins to get pressure off the edge. The Golden Eagles will feature Collins (12.5 sacks and two INTs in 2010) in a number of different looks as both a lineman and linebacker.

Louisiana Tech hasn't won in Hattiesburg since 1982 and this year the underdog Bulldogs aren't likely to pull off an upset. Southern Miss is comprised of veterans who came close to leading the program to an 11-1 season a year ago, but didn't finish some games off. Look for the Golden Eagles to be motivated and explosive in the home opener, and to be feasting on the Bulldogs' true freshman quarterback, Nick Isham.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Southern Miss 31, Louisiana Tech 10