The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

September 17, 2008

Quarterback Davis solid for Southern Mississippi

By Gary Fauber

So far, this college football thing is no problem for Austin Davis.

Southern Mississippi’s freshman quarterback has been solid for the 2-1 Golden Eagles, who host Marshall (2-1, 1-0) at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time Saturday. Davis has completed 65 of 102 passes for 693 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

Davis is thriving in the new system implemented by first-year head coach Larry Fedora.

“It’s been good,” Davis said in a phone interview earlier this week. “I’m learning from every play and just getting out there and trying to play the game.”

Davis, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound Meridian, Miss., native, has done something not even Brett Favre did at Southern Miss — open the season with three 200-yard passing games. He threw for 206 in a 51-21 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, 268 in a 27-13 loss to then-No. 9 Auburn and 219 in last Saturday’s 27-24 victory over Arkansas State.

Both his 33 completions and 50 attempts against Auburn established school records, and his three 200-yard games have already tied the school’s freshman mark set by Heath Graham in 1994.

“Think of how many balls we have had dropped (this season),” Fedora said. “We had five in the Auburn game, two (against Arkansas State) and two or three in the Louisiana-Lafayette game. He can definitely be in the 70 percent (completion) range. With this style of offense there is no reason why he can’t be. We will get better and he will get better.”

“He impresses me because he keeps plays alive,” Marshall coach Mark Snyder said.

Adapting to Fedora’s system was beneficial to every Southern Miss player, Davis said.

“Everybody got a chance to prove themselves,” said Davis, who comes from the same hometown as Marshall center Brian Leggett, although the two never met.

“We all had to work hard and push ourselves to show the coaches what we can do.”

With each passing week, that’s what Davis continues to do.

— E-mail:

gfauber@register-herald.com

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