Southern Mississippi showcased its defensive prowess in the second half of a 31-13 victory over host Texas-El Paso on Saturday.

The No. 25 Golden Eagles (7-1, 3-1 Conference USA), who won their sixth straight game, held the Miners (4-4, 1-3) to three points after halftime and their lowest total output of the season.

Southern Miss didn’t look sharp in the first half with 95 yards, but turned it on after the break. Austin Davis completed two of his three touchdown passes during the second half, and a 68-yard touchdown run by Jamal Woodyard with 8:32 remaining helped the Golden Eagles pull away.

Less than a minute later, Deron Wilson’s interception - the 11th of the season by Southern Miss - snuffed UTEP’s ensuing drive and dealt a serious blow to the Miners’ comeback hopes.

Ryan Balentine, Quentin Pierce and Dominique Sullivan were on the receiving end of Davis’ touchdown passes.

The Miners fell into a 10-0 hole but rallied on a 1-yard touchdown run by Leilyon Myers and a Dakota Warren field goal to enter the half in a deadlock. However, UTEP came up short in its bid for its first three-game winning streak since 2005.