By Robert Wilson
Southern Miss senior defensive back Josh Moten’s performance Saturday – a three interception day in a 27-21 Sun Belt Conference victory over Arkansas State – was so impressive it gained national attention when ESPN’s College Football Final show and broadcaster Joey Galloway recognized Moten and the Southern Miss defense with a helmet sticker and showed Moten and his stats – 6 tackles, 3 interceptions and 1 pass breakup.
Moten also earned the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week.
It was the first time a Southern Miss player had intercepted three passes in a game since Etric Pruitt against Army in 2002.
Interceptions are nothing new for Moten.
One of 21 transfers from Marshall to follow head coach Charles Huff to Southern Miss, Moten had five interceptions, tied for third best in the country, and helped Marshall to the Sun Belt championship last season. One of his highlight games was against national champion Ohio State and All-American receiver Jeremiah Smith with five tackles and an interception.
With his outstanding game Saturday, the 6-foot-1, 164-pound Moten has five interceptions this season is tied with Marshall’s Boogie Trotter with the Sun Belt lead.
“It is amazing how good God is. Josh was kind of down earlier this week and felt like he should have a better season,” Huff said in an interview with Jason Baker on the Southern Miss’ locker room radio show. “Obviously he has played a long time and wants to have a good season. I sent him a Bible verse Thursday night and he just texted back, Coach, I love you.’ I told him, ‘ just keep the faith, man. Trust God in everything you do.’ For him to have a big day like that, I couldn’t be more proud of him. It is amazing what God is doing with these young men. I knew we were going to win the game Wednesday at 1:20. We start our football day at 2 o’clock with a team meeting and that rolls into practice. I looked out my window and the entire defense was outside having a walk through on their own. No coaches, no GAs (graduate assistants). Just player led, just walking through getting ready to practice. We talk about are you waiting for practice to start or are you preparing for practifce to start. I said then, we are going to win the game. A little closer than I would have liked, but Josh is one of those guys that just works. He could have gone any where in the country. And made a lot of money. But he wanted to be where he had relationships. I couldn’t be more appreciative of his trust in me, this staff, this university, He’s going to make that money because he’s got the right mentality, right attitude. So for him to have a day like today, obviously his teammates did a great job of being supportive because if we don’t pressure the quarterback and get him to put it up fast it helped out.”
Moten went up against Arkansas State’s Corey Rucker, a Yazoo County alumnus who also played at South Carolina and is considered one of the top wide receivers in the Sun Belt.
“I was very motivated, especially playing two years ago at Marshall,” Moten said in an interview with Jason Baker on the Southern Miss’ locker room radio show. “There was some familiarity and we have talked to each other before so it was real cool to go up against him. He’s a great guy and a competitor. You want to be more intentional with your craft during the week going against Corey. One of the biggest things this summer was handing adversity. No matter if we give up a touchdown on the first play, however it may go, it’s the next play mentality. (Defensive coordinator) Coach (Jason) Semore and Coach Huff do a great job with that, being able to respond to adversity. This is football. You can’t be perfect in this game, but you have to be ready to deal with the ups and downs. This was was great, keeping on top of the Sun Belt West. Besides winning the championship last year, one of my best experiences. The defense played great.”
Moten had offers from national programs like Michigan, Oregon, and Oklahoma coming out of National Christian Academy in Maryland, but signed with Texas A&M and played three seasons before transferring to Marshall after the 2022 season where he started all 13 games in 2023 and then had his breakout season a year ago. Moten was named G5 first team preseason All-American by Hero Sports and preseason first-team Sun Belt going into this season.
The Maxwell Football Club has named Moten as one of 90 players to watch for the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award, which honors the nation’s best defensive player.
NFLdraftbuzz.com rates Moten as the 38th best defensive back in the country.
Southern Miss, which created six turnovers against Arkansas State, ranks first in the country in interceptions (20) and turnover margin (1.78).
Moten’s three interceptions helped Southern Miss win its fifth straight game for the first time since 2015 and improve to 7-2 this season, its best start since 8-1 in 2011. The Golden Eagles are now 5-0 in the Sun Belt, their best conference record since a 5-0 start in Conference USA in 2003.
Huff is now tied for third most victories by a first-year Southern Miss coach, tying Reed Green in 1937 and Pie Vann in 1949. He only trails Curley Hallman, 11 wins in 1988, and Bobby Colins, eight wins in 1975.
