Southern Miss losing steam

Eight Conference USA teams currently rank among the nation's top 53 offenses in yards per game.

Originally Published: November 16, 2004

By Adam Rittenberg | Special to ESPN.com

Sometimes it takes 10 weeks of helmet mashing for a league to define itself. Other times it happens before the first whistle blows.

Anyone who doesn't know that offense drives Conference USA needs to be introduced to a box score. Southern Miss might have won the league title last year with strong defensive play, but this season has been a showcase of big plays and star skill players.

Eight Conference USA teams currently rank among the nation's top 53 offenses in yards per game (four squads are in the top 30). The league has six players ranked among the nation's top 14 scorers.

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