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	Monday, August 14 Southern Miss still the team to beat
	By Eric Crawford Special to ESPN.com Southern Miss Golden Eagles 1999 record: 9-3 (6-0 C-USA) Coach: Jeff Bower Returning starters: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense) Outlook Former Nevada offensive coordinator Chris Klenakis and former Louisville quarterbacks coach Paul Petrino will put their stamp on things, which means QB Jeff Kelly will take shorter drops and make more use of running backs and tight ends in the passing attack. Kelly finished ninth in the nation in passing efficiency last season. Top WRs Todd Pinkston and Sherrod Gideon are gone, but FL Dannye Fowler is a returning starter whom Bower can build around. RB Derrick Nix is the Eagles' first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since 1977. With five of six starters returning on the offensive line, the Eagles will put points on the board. The defense lost four of 11 starters, but among those was DE Adalius Thomas, a two-time C-USA defensive player of the year. Returning DE Cedric Scott, however, may take over Thomas' spot as the top defensive player in the league, while T Daleory Stewart and NT DeQuincy Scott give the line strength up the middle. Safeties Chad Williams and Leo Barnes both return after piling up more than 100 tackles each last season. Raymond Walls returns at one CB spot, with Keon Moore looking to move in at the other. Linebacker is a concern. OLB Roy Magee is the only returning starter. The new faces on defense haven't worried pollsters, who have Southern Miss in the preseason Top 25. A brutal early schedule should have the team ready to maintain its supremacy in C-USA. Keep an eye on ... DE Cedric Scott. After two years in the shadow of Adalius Thomas, the 6-5, 255-pound Scott is ready to move into the spotlight. It's a good season if ... The Eagles win two of their first three, then climb up the polls with a steady stream of conference wins. After finishing ranked 13th last season, a top-10 finish would continue the program's momentum.		AROUND CONFERENCE USA Army Cincinnati East Carolina Houston Louisville Memphis Southern Miss Tulane UAB ALSO SEE C-USA not happy with just being good