So is it too late to schedule more D-IAA teams?

I'm thinking it is, but it can't hurt to place a few phone calls, right?

Anyway...

According to the Hattiesburg American, USM will face a stout NC State defense on Saturday, though the author of the piece has an interesting way of justifying his assertion:

The University of Southern Mississippi football team will have its hands full on the offensive end as it faces a stout North Carolina State defense.

The Wolfpack defense ranks No. 6 in total defense (323 yards per game) in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Their rushing defense is No. 9 (135) and their pass defense is No. 5 (188) in conference play.

In that light, the defense looks like it's a lot closer to mediocre than to stout.

The bad news entering this weekend is John McCargo's status. McCargo has been wearing a protective boot this week (maybe the offense shot someone else in the foot for a change) and has officially been ruled out of the Southern Miss game. "Foot surgery" sounds rather ominous. We've been bad enough against the run with a healthy John McCargo; how we deal with his absense is a signficant concern, to say the least.

Always a terrible sign for the gift-giving Wolfpack: Southern Mississippi ranks 5th in the country in turnover margin, in large part because they've been forcing more than 3 turnovers per game.

(Check out TCU. Twenty-eight takeaways in 8 games!)