Coaching
This feels a little overly simplistic as a key but the reality is that this team is coming off a big time win and they are heading into a hostile environment. The staff can impact this game in a big way and it will be critical.
- How does this team handle success. They are still the underdog in this one, but was the staff able to keep the team from getting too high following a big win over tech?
- How does the staff manage it's first road trip. Hattiesburg won't be an easy place to play, they are looking forward to a chance at a BCS school and if Kansas comes out sluggish it could end quickly.
- Gameplanning. This one will be completely different. USM has athletes but they also have a tendency to play slightly undisciplined. A good gameplan by the staff along with execution by the team can capitalize.
- A short week. It's one less day to prepare and Larry Fedora has been quoted as saying that USM has been preparing for Kansas for two weeks, ignoring last weeks game with Prairie View. They want to win, did Kansas prepare as efficiently as possible.
It's tough to measure these but I think at the end of the game we'll have a sense as to how good a job this staff did. After last week it's tough not to have confidence in them but so far the season has been the lowest of lows followed by a pretty big high.