Monday, September 26, 2016 Volume 101 Issue 9
student printz SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
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Budget cuts amount to $1.58 million for USM GARRETT MINTA news editor
Ivan Pierre Aguirre | USA Today Sep. 24, 2016; El Paso, Texas. Southern Miss Golden Eagles wide receiver D.J. Thompson (5) battles for the ball with UTEP Miners defensive back at Sun Bowl Stadium.
USM halts Miner offense, 34-7 KYLE WILLIAMS printz reporter
Southern Miss (3-1, 1-0) traveled to El Paso, Texas to face conference opponent UTEP (13, 0-1). The 1,125-mile trip was nothing less than productive for Southern Miss, as it earned the win by a margin of 34-7. Southern Miss was the first team to put points on the board with an early field goal in the first quarter. UTEP answered with a 68-yard touchdown run by Aaron Jones. Jones was Conference USA’s leading rusher, entering the game and finishing with 101 yards at the half. Jones faced multiple setbacks throughout the game, sidelining him for the majority of the second half. While he added 26 more yards to his stats, another Miner would not find the end zone for the duration of the game. Jones’ effort was the only
positive showing for UTEP, as no other element of the offense or defense could prosper over the Golden Eagles. The Southern Miss defense had three Golden Eagles finish with five or more tackles. Defensive star Dylan Bradley finished the game with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Fellow defensive lineman D’Nerius Antoine was another defensive factor, contributing eight tackles as well. Bradley and Antoine were not the only players contributing to the effectiveness of Southern Miss’ defense. Curtis Mikell recorded both interceptions for the Golden Eagles, one being returned for a 100-yard touchdown. Mikell became the first Golden Eagle to record multiple interceptions in a game since Marquese Wheaton in 2011. Mikell’s interception came after
UTEP’s first possession of the second half. The touchdown tied the school record for the longest interception and extended USM’s lead by 31-7. Defense was not the only productive aspect of Southern Miss. Ito Smith rushed for 108 yards off of 16 carries. Smith’s 100 yard game pushed his streak to four consecutive games with 100 plus yards. Quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns. It was not the greatest night for the receiving core, but D.J. Thompson connected with Mullens four times for 48 yards and one touchdown. The one touchdown was the momentum switch Southern Miss needed. UTEP never saw the lead after that score. Southern Miss must stay aggressive as it plays host to Rice this Saturday, Oct. 1. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.
Mississippi’s legislature cut $1.58 million from The University of Southern Mississippi’s budget, and university officials are working to deflect the effects of the expenditure cuts now. Gov. Phil Bryant announced another round of budget cuts on Sep. 8 to fix an accounting error of $57 million. Across all departments – excluding K-12 education, the military and student financial education – Bryant ordered a 1.6 percent budget cut to account for the error, according to The Clarion Ledger. The IHL board announced to the universities that schools will lose 1.63 percent. USM has received more than $90 million this year through state appropriations and another $9 million in onetime funding that has specific usage requirements, including the Educational Enhancement Funds. “We are in the preliminary stages of planning for the reduction, but our priority, always, is to minimize impact to students,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Moser. “The reductions are spread across all divisions, and each vice president will work with their leadership team to determine the best way to manage the appropriation shortfall.” Moser said the option of raising student fees is not currently being discussed, but the university is considering other options. “What I usually do is ask all of my direct reports to take a look at their budgets,” Moser said.
“It may mean that we take open lines that haven’t been filled this year, and we just move those dollars into the reduction so it could be that it would have no impact this year on anything that touches students.” Moser said the university will address the changing state appropriations by increasing enrollment at the university. “What our focus is these days is in growing enrollment,” Moser said. “Through growing enrollment we grow revenue, and we have capacity at the university to do that. And as we try to address the changes in state appropriations, the path forward is through enrollment growth and the revenue that [it] will bring to us.” USM’s Vice President of Finance and Administration Douglas Vinzant said the options and way forward are not always clear, especially with this type of situation. “It’s not a case where when you receive that sort of notice, you turn around two weeks later [and] here’s the way you’re going to implement the cut,” Vinzant said. “We’re actually going through a process of planning, and this will just be part of that effort.” Vinzant said the university will continue to inform its constituents. “We have been, and we will continue to keep all of the campus constituencies apprised of any new developments,” Vinzant said. “All of those groups – deans, vice presidents, faculty senate, etc. – all of those people we’re keeping apprised of what we know, when we know it.”