Western Kentucky heads into Tuesday’s showdown with Southern Miss carrying both history and momentum on its side. The Hilltoppers are a perfect 4-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles and now draw a Southern Miss squad dealing with transition after recently losing its head coach to Memphis.
Representing Conference USA, Western Kentucky wrapped up the regular season at 8-4, though it stumbled at the finish with a narrow 37-34 loss to Jacksonville State. Even with that setback, the Hilltoppers put together a solid body of work over the course of the year.
Southern Miss, meanwhile, arrives as a Sun Belt representative with a 7-5 record, but the Golden Eagles limped into bowl season after dropping three straight games to close the campaign, capped by a 28-18 defeat against Troy. With momentum pointing in opposite directions, this matchup sets up as a fascinating test of stability versus adversity.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the Southern Miss vs Western Kentucky NCAAF game, plus plenty more.
Southern Miss vs Western Kentucky: Date and tip-off time
Southern Miss Golden Eagles will face off against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in an exciting NCAAF game on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at 5:30 pm ET or 2:30 pm PT at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
| Date | Tuesday, December 23, 2025 |
| Tip-off Time | 5:30 pm ET or 2:30 pm PT |
| Venue | Caesars Superdome |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
How to watch Southern Miss vs Western Kentucky on TV & stream live online
Fans in the USA can catch all the action between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers live on ESPN nationally. Streaming options are available on Fubo, which offers a FREE trial to new subscribers.
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Southern Miss vs Western Kentucky team news & key performers
Southern Miss Golden Eagles team news
Southern Miss will lean on quarterback Braylon Braxton, who put together a strong season by throwing for 2,796 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Jeffery Pittman led the Golden Eagles on the ground with 640 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, while Elijah Metcalf topped the receiving corps with 677 yards and two scores. Southern Miss showcased depth at wide receiver, with five different players surpassing the 305-yard mark. On defense, linebacker Chris Jones anchored the unit with a team-high 127 tackles, while the Golden Eagles’ defense made its presence felt with 26 sacks and a whopping 21 interceptions.
Southern Miss will be shorthanded heading into this matchup, as tackle Blake Bustard is out and cornerback Josh Moten has entered the transfer portal. The Golden Eagles will also be navigating bowl season without head coach Charles Huff, who departed for Memphis, leaving offensive coordinator Blake Anderson to take over as interim head coach for the game.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers team news
Western Kentucky counters with a proven signal-caller of its own in Rodney Tisdale Jr., who closed out the regular season as the Hilltoppers’ starter after throwing for 1,367 yards with nine touchdowns against six interceptions. The ground game was paced by Marvis Parrish, who led the team with 511 rushing yards, while La’Vell Wright finished second with 460 yards and an impressive 10 scores before opting out of this matchup. In the passing game, Matthew Henry emerged as the top target, hauling in 762 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, linebacker Jaylen Wester was everywhere, leading the team with 94 tackles, as the Hilltoppers’ defense tallied 16 sacks and picked off eight passes on the year.
From a personnel standpoint, Western Kentucky enters the game relatively healthy but will be without cornerback Dylan Flowers and running back La’Vell Wright, both of whom have entered the transfer portal.