LAFAYETTE, La.?The final score showed 31-19 in favor of the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss when the clock struck 0:00, but the final score didn't do justice to the Arkansas State team and the effort of the Indians on the night.

            A decided in underdog in the first bowl game since the 1970 Pecan Bowl as a member of the Small College Division, the Indians kept the outcome in doubt until late in the fourth quarter.

            ASU (6-6) took over at the 8:22 mark of the fourth quarter after USM punched in a touchdown to make the score 31-19.  Quarterback Nick Noce then began engineering a drive that began at the ASU 30.  Noce scrambled for 30 yards on the first two plays from scrimmage to get the ball into USM territory.

            Later, facing a third-and-four, Noce rolled out to buy his receivers some time but was dropped for a sack back at the USM 42, leaving ASU staring at a fourth-and-15 with just over six minutes remaining and all three timeouts.

            Electing to punt, Eric Neihouse squeezed off a short but effective 25 yard punt that pinned the Golden Eagles down inside their own 17.  ASU's defense was asked to hold to give the offense another crack at narrowing the gap.

            Cody Hull was limited to minus-two yards on his first two carries of the drive before USM quarterback Dustin Almond found a streaking Shawn Nelson for a 17 yard completion that seemed to deflate the Indians.  The possession eventually ended in a turnover on downs, but the drive consumed 5:04 off the clock.  Leaving little time for ASU, the first two plays netted just six yards before Noce's final collegiate pass floated into the hands of USM defender John Eubanks.  USM took a knee and ran off the final 24 seconds to seal the victory.

            The ASU ground game came screeching to a halt when the vaunted USM defense made it a point to take Antonio Warren and Shermar Bracey out of the equation.  That left the right arm of Noce and his ability to scramble to make plays for the Indian offense, and he did all he could.

            Noce passed for 213 yards and a touchdown on the night while rushing for 55 yards and another score.  The Golden Eagles rode the surprising ground attack of Hull and his 161 yard effort and Almond's 253 yards and two scores to the win.

            The game featured the bowl's first safety when USM punter Luke Johnson had a ball snapped over his head from the USM 24.  Johnson fielded the ball in the endzone and pushed it out of bounds to keep a swarm of ASU defenders from recovering it for a touchdown to knot the score at 24 just prior to the end of the third quarter.

            ASU showed determination in the second quarter after USM took a 10-3 lead on a Cole Mason touchdown run.  But the Indians took the ball on the very next possession and methodically drove 80 yards on eight plays to knot the score at 10.  Noce took the ball in from four yards out, but actually accounted for all but eight yards on the drive by either throwing or rushing on the play.

            It appeared as if fortune would smile on the Indians in the game when, on the very first possession, USM was driving the ball at will on ASU.  With the nose of the ball resting mere inches from the goal line, Almond took the snap and was nailed at the line and fumbled the ball.  Myron Anderson pounced on the loose football as the defense held USM out of the endzone.

            With the ball resting on the ASU two, Noce and company started an impressive drive of their own.  A facemask penalty against USM on the second play gave the Tribe a little breathing room to operate.  Slowly the ASU offense moved down the field, reaching as far as the USM 38 before stalling.  Eric Neihouse came out to try a 41 yard field goal attempt, but the ball sailed in the cool and windy conditions.

            Stars of the game for the Indians were numerous, but Myron Anderson's nine-tackle effort was easily the defensive effort on the night.  Anderson set a career high in tackles in a game in his final collegiate contest as well while being credited with three tackles for loss.  Safety Tyrell Johnson had another solid night, registering nine tackles and defensive end Brandon Rollins chipped in a career high seven tackles and a forced fumble.

            Offensively it may have been the Noce show, but the ASU running backs kept the USM defense honest, allowing Noce to throw for the second-best passing performance of the season for the Indians.  Noce completed passes to seven different receivers with his favorite target being Gary Vincent.  Vincent ended with three receptions for 53 yards.

            The loss caused a lot of tears in the post-game locker room, especially from the seniors and head coach Steve Roberts.  Roberts tearfully addressed his squad and praised the efforts of a team that was picked sixth in the preseason Sun Belt Conference poll and had just one player as a preseason all-conference selection. He brought up how the seniors should take pride in what was accomplished under their leadership and that the underclassmen have a tough act to follow.

            But the game wasn't about a loss as much as it was the heart and effort that it took for the Indians to reach the game.  Overcoming a frightening number of injuries, the loss of a star linebacker during the summer, the loss of a punter during the season and all the off field distractions didn't deter ASU from making it all the way to a bowl and pushing a heavily favored USM team to the edge.

            ASU fell tonight to USM in the New Orleans Bowl, 31-19, and moral victories were never part of the reason for showing up at the game.  But the Indians played to win, played well for the most part and perhaps gained a little more confidence and a lot more respect nationally for it.