It was the second consecutive victory for UTEP (2–3, 2–0 Conference USA) and the second straight loss for the Golden Eagles (2–3, 0–2). Southern Miss is 0–2 in league play for the first time in the 13-year history of Conference USA. The loss overshadowed a career-high effort by Damion Fletcher, who had 34 carries for 260 yards, becoming the program's all-time leading rusher in the third quarter. He has 3,654 career yards, passing Ben Garry, who finished with 3,595. The 260-yard effort was also the second highest single-game mark in school history. Vittatoe was 24 of 41 for 263 yards and four scores. The Miners led 17–14 at halftime, thanks to a 37-yard field goal by Jose Martinez with 1:25 to go in the second quarter. Fletcher gave USM an early lead on a 1-yard scoring run five minutes into the game. Justin Estes missed a pair of short field goals for the Golden Eagles in the first half, one after Fletcher ran 56 yards to the Miners' 13. Tory Harrison also had a 1-yard scoring run for USM in the second quarter. The Miners responded with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Vittatoe to Adams and an 11-yard touchdown run by Donald Buckram in the first half. Martinez made the score 20–14 with a 34-yard field goal at the 11:33 mark of the third quarter. UTEP tried an onside kick that USM recovered at midfield. The Golden Eagles took advantage of it to take the lead with a 10-yard scoring pass from Austin Davis to Shawn Nelson. The Miners came back with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Vittatoe to Tufick Shadrawy on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 27–21 lead. But Barefoot replaced Estes in the second half, and despite missing his first attempt, kicked a pair of short field goals in the fourth quarter. The second, from 22 yards out on the final play of regulation, sent the game into overtime. The teams traded 4-yard scoring passes in the first overtime, as Vittatoe hit Terrell Jackson and USM's Austin Davis found DeAndre Brown. Trevor Vittatoe threw three touchdown passes as UTEP came back for a 24–21 win over Tulane on Saturday night. Vittatoe finished 21-of-32 passing for 296 yards.