HATTIESBURG — The remaining few at Southern Miss’ M.M. Roberts Stadium were treated to a fantastic ending to an otherwise dreadful performance by the home team.

Stephen Reaves’ second fumble of the night — he also had four interceptions — fell into a Rice defender’s hands with 1:30 to play to deny the Golden Eagles the most improbable of comebacks as Rice won its first game of the year 31-29 in front of 25,656.

Southern Miss trailed 31-7 with 10:30 to play in the game before rallying to get within two points less than eight minutes later. A missed 2-point conversion and Reaves’ fumble ended the comeback bid.

In addition to seven turnovers, Southern Miss players dropped a sure touchdown pass, allowed a 54-yard touchdown run and 100 yards rushing to Rice’s backup tailback, Justin Hill, had 64 penalty yards and gave up four sacks.

Damion Fletcher led Southern Miss with 142 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but his third-quarter fumble set up Rice’s final touchdown.

“Seven turnovers, I don’t know how many dropped passes; you’re not going to beat any team playing like that,” Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower said. “I can’t remember ever being involved in a game with seven turnovers, not seven and winning.”

The loss marked the second straight debacle for Southern Miss (2-3, 1-1 C-USA) on national television. Playing in Conference USA, when Southern Miss has a chance for TV money, it jumps. The Eagles lost last Thursday night to Boise State in a game not as close as the final 38-16 score. On ESPN2 Wednesday, it was much the same only against a team much inferior to Boise.

“They were the better team tonight,” Southern Miss defensive back Brandon Sumrall said. “We made way too many mistakes and if we want to win ballgames, we cannot make that many mistakes.”

Things went from bad — trailing 21-7 at halftime to a winless team that lost to Nicholls State earlier in the year — to worse in the second half. Southern Miss won the opening coin toss, but instead of electing to defer to the second half, the Eagles elected, incorrectly, to kick off meaning the Owls had the choice to open the second half.

“It was a big-time miscommunication,” Bower said. “Our captain told the referee the wrong thing, but the ref never should have let it happen. No coach in the world would have done that.”

Despite all the problems, the Eagles had a chance to win. Southern Miss scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, the last on a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Shawn Nelson with 2:46 remaining. After converting two straight 2-point conversions, the Eagles were forced to go for two again, but this time Chris Johnson could not hold onto the pass attempt.

Rice recovered the ensuing onsides kick, but went three plays and out to give the ball back to Southern Miss. Starting at his own 28, Reaves threw an incomplete pass, then was hit from behind and fumbled away the last hope for Southern Miss.

“I take this loss all on me,” Reaves said. “I played like crap tonight. Those guys in the locker room should feel positive because they played their butts off. I didn’t get it done and with the number of interceptions I threw, you are not going to beat anyone.”

Reaves was forced into service with an injured oblique muscle after third-string quarterback Martevious Young broke his fibula on the first series of the game. Jeremy Young, the everyday starter, was injured in the Boise State game and was not available. Reaves said the sore muscle affected him slightly, but not enough to blame it for his poor performance.

Reaves’ four interceptions tied the school record set by 12 other Eagles, but last by Dustin Almond in 2005 against Tulsa. Southern Miss now has 10 days to lick its wounds before hosting Southern Methodist for homecoming on Oct. 13.

“I think it’s a good thing so we can go back, look at the things we didn’t do right and correct them,” USM defensive lineman Robert Henderson said. “We get to see what we need to do to get better.”