USM football lost its coach last week as Jay Hopson resigned after his team had lost the previous week in the Golden Eagles’ season opener to South Alabama, 32-21. Co-offensive coordinator Scotty Walden replaced Hopson. Walden in his fourth year at the University of Southern Mississippi is now the youngest head coach in Division 1 football at 30. This Saturday, USM will hopefully host Louisiana Tech in the C-USA conference opener for each team. The La. Tech game against Baylor was postponed this past Saturday because Tech had 36 players test positive with COVID-19. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. SILENT SUNDAY The Battle of the Ages in New Orleans highlighted the NFL opening weekend. Two 40-year-old plus quarterbacks went head-to-head, and when the horn sounded, Drew Brees was the last man standing. Brees at 41 led the Saints over 43-year-old Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs, 34-23. Brees completed 18 passes for 160 yards and two scores. Brady completed 23 passes for 239 yards but had two interceptions, one that was returned for a TD. Brady set another NFL record becoming the oldest player to score a touchdown. The Saints are alone in first place in the NFC South after one game as Carolina and Atlanta also lost. Next Monday night, the Saints will be part of the first NFL game in Las Vegas as they tangle with the Raiders in their new 65,000 seat Allegiant Stadium. Hopefully, the Saints fans will be allowed inside the Dome on Sunday night, Sept. 27, when they host the Packers. The Saints have had the best record in the NFL over the previous three seasons with a 37-13 mark and also recorded a 100-60 record over the past decade. Since Sean Payton and Drew Brees arrived in New Orleans, the Saints have posted a 132-70 record and have one Super Bowl title. MINSHEW AND CAM Brandon native Gardner Minshew hit on 19-of-20 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns in leading Jacksonville past Indianapolis, 27-20. No Tom Brady, no problem. New England began its post-Brady era with a Cam Newton led 21-11 win over Miami. Newton, Brady’s replacement, rushed for two scores of 75 and 2 yards. The former Auburn star completed 15-of-19 passes for 155 yards. COMEBACK Former Laurel and USM quarterback Keon Howard led a fourth period comeback as his new team Tulane scored twice to edge South Alabama, 27-24. Howard ran for one score and passed for 191 yards. The game was played in the brand new Hancock-Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama. Tulane hosts Navy on ABC-TV on Saturday with an 11 a.m. kickoff. MLB NEWS — Former Mississippi State star Brett Rooker was called up to the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 4. This past Saturday night Rooker fractured his right forearm. He was impressive in his short stay, hitting ..316 in 21 plate appearances. — Anthony Alford has had the injury bug his whole MLB career. The Petal native was picked up by Pittsburgh on Aug.27 off waivers from Toronto. Alford fractured his elbow on Sept. 5. He was starting in centerfield and in five games was batting .250 with a home run in 13 plate appearances. — The Chicago Cubs picked up Taylorsville native Billy Hamilton last week. — Chicago Cubs pitcher Alec Mills threw a no-hitter in a 12-0 win over Milwaukee. He walked three and need 114 pitches to complete the game. Dale McKee is a native of Waynesboro and has been writing sports in Mississippi since 1973. His column appears in several weekly papers throughout the state. You may contact him at ddmckee18@yahoo.com
