NATCHEZ &045; The line in the sand for Southern Miss head football coach Jeff Bower came at the halfway point in a 12-game season last October.

A rebuilding Alabama thumped the Golden Eagles, 17-3, rather convincingly to drop them to 3-3 with a full plate of a half-dozen Conference USA contests remaining.

USM could hang its helmet on the fact it was 2-0 in league play, yet Bower looked beyond the trees and noticed the forest inside wasn’t going to be Walden.

He and his staff reverted to drills they used during spring practices.

Low and behold, more than a month later the Eagles were demolishing East Carolina, 38-21, to finish a perfect 8-0 C-USA schedule and wrapping up their fourth league title.

&uot;Last season was very gratifying, especially to go undefeated in the conference,&uot; Bower said at a luncheon for the southwest chapter of the USM Alumni Association held at the Natchez Eola Hotel Wednesday. &uot;It didn’t look good for a while Š but the work paid off because we won our last six games. I think it’s the best coaching job we’ve done at Southern Miss. We went from an offense that wasn’t effective to one that averaged 35 points and 400 yards during our last six games.&uot;

While last season’s final chorus wasn’t memorable &045; USM was shut out 17-0 to Utah in the Liberty Bowl &045; Bower once again led his alma mater to a winning season (9-4) for the 10th consecutive year, a feat only 10 other schools can claim.

Gone are seven stalwart starters from a vicious defense, five of which hope to play on Sundays this fall.

Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix must replace the likes of linebacker and Conerly Trophy finalist Rod Davis and defensive backs Greg Brooks and Etric Pruitt, all three of who were chosen in last month’s NFL Draft.

&uot;We’ve been good defensively for a long time,&uot; said Bower, who begins his 14th season as head coach in the fall. &uot;I’m not going to say we won’t be good on defense, but experience is a big factor and we’ve got a lot of youth.&uot;

Since 1999, Southern Miss ranks above all 117 Division I schools in fewest touchdowns allowed. Yet again, with youth being a concern, Bower doesn’t hesitated putting the impetus on his offense, which will be led by junior Dustin Almond.

Almond separated himself from backups Damion Carter and Jeremy Young during the spring workouts, Bower said.

&uot;The turning point for Dustin was that Nebraska game,&uot; he said, making reference to the Eagles’ 38-14 loss in Hattiesburg where Almond was a putrid 4 of 24 for 68 yards and two interceptions.

&uot;He played poorly and he knew it. It embarrassed him I think. After that he started doing the things you have to do to become a No. 1, like watching tape. His performance the rest of the season showed that.&uot;

Tim Blackwell, a familiar but sometimes estranged face in the backfield, is expected to receive his share of the rushing duties.

While Bower would love to have him suited up, former Eagle running back Derrick Nix joins the coaching staff in full capacity, overseeing the tight ends after spending a year as a graduate assistant with the USM defense.

&uot;This is going to give him an opportunity to learn on the front plays,&uot; Bower said of Nix. &uot;He was a little nervous getting started in the spring, but he’s worked hard to learn the position.&uot;

Of the 856 alumni in southwest Mississippi, only 40 bought season tickets to the Eagles home games in 2003.

Bower knows the mid-week games that The Rock has become accustomed to in recent years puts a strain on Eagle fans traveling to and fro’ the Hattiesburg area.

However, the athletic department finds itself in a catch-22 since schools that play in nationally-televised weekday games gain an extra $100,000 from the networks.

&uot;I think we need to be fan-friendly and I’m in favor of playing more on Saturday,&uot; Bower said. &uot;That gives opportunities to fans that live a distance from campus to come down and watch some games.&uot;