​Sitting at the halfway point of its 2026 season, Southern Miss football has only one victory to its name and is searching for any spark that may put an end to its losing streak.The Golden Eagles (1-5, 0-2 Sun Belt) has a chance to snap their five-game skid against Louisiana (5-2, 2-1) at Renasant Stadium on Oct. 24 (4 p.m. CT, ESPN+).Southern Miss has endured a difficult start to conference play, falling 55-34 to Troy and 23-13 to Arkansas State. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who sit second in the Sun Belt West standings, defeated both teams earlier this season, topping Arkansas State 23-20 and Troy 33-6.Southern Miss is a 10-point underdog against Louisiana and will need to pull off an upset to earn its first win since defeating Alcorn State in the season opener on Sept. 5.Here is the Hattiesburg American’s scouting report and prediction for the game.Southern Miss vs. Louisiana prediction Finding a way to stop Louisiana junior Lunch Winfield, one of the most versatile quarterbacks in the Sun Belt, has to be priority No. 1 for Southern Miss. Through seven games, Winfield has 1,153 yards and four touchdowns passing, and 463 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.In Week 2, the Ragin’ Cajuns traveled to Los Angeles to play No. 14 USC, and despite his team’s 49-30 loss, Winfield was still productive, throwing for 212 yards and one touchdown and running for 91 yards and two more scores. The Golden Eagles’ defense has plenty of weaknesses, but none is bigger than its struggle to contain dual-threat quarterbacks. Auburn’s Byrum Brown, UConn’s Kalieb Osborne and Troy’s Goose Crowder all hurt Southern Miss with their legs. Crowder did the most damage, passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns.Southern Miss vs. Louisiana scouting reportWhy Southern Miss has an advantage: The offense fell flat against Arkansas State, but junior running back Steven Robinson was a bright spot. Robinson finished with 84 yards, his second-highest rushing output of the season, and one touchdown on 21 carries. The junior also caught a season-high five passes for 33 yards. He played hard throughout the game despite the Golden Eagles’ struggles. Southern Miss quarterback Landry Lyddy has three interceptions in the past two games, so as he tries to find a rhythm, it may be Robinson who does the heavy lifting early on.Why Louisiana has an advantage: Winfield commands much of the attention, but Louisiana’s defense has been playing like one of the best in the country. The Ragin’ Cajuns rank 25th nationally in total defense, allowing just 298.3 yards per game, and are tied for seventh in the country with 14 turnovers forced. Sophomore cornerback Brent Gordon Jr. is responsible for four of those, with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He also has 12 passes defended.Southern Miss, on the other hand, is tied for 114th in the country with 10 turnovers lost. The Golden Eagles will have their hands full against the Ragin’ Cajuns stout defense. South