HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss did not wait until the last minute this time to postpone a football game because of COVID-19 concerns.

Southern Miss announced Sunday night that its road game at UTEP has been canceled because of a suspension in team actitivies related to a recent COVID-19 outbreak within the program.

The game had been scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4. It will not be rescheduled.

It marks the second consecutive cancellation for the Golden Eagles, who saw their road game at UAB on Nov. 27 called off due to COVID-19. It is also the second time the game against UTEP has been affected by the virus.

Southern Miss was originally scheduled to travel to El Paso, Texas, to play the Miners on Oct. 17 but postponed it until December because of an earlier outbreak.

Southern Miss also postponed a game against Florida Atlantic in October. That game was rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in Hattiesburg, and will be the Golden Eagles’ 2020 season finale.