Quarterback's mom arrested for altercation during game

Southern Mississippi is having an awful year. Just a terrible, horrible, awful, disheartening, disappointing, aggravatingly horrendous year.

Last season, Southern Miss won a school-record 12 games and a Conference USA championship behind the offensive fireworks of head coach Larry Fedora and offensive coordinator Blake Anderson. Fedora is now the head at North Carolina; Anderson remains his offensive coordinator.

Rather than hiring Anderson as Fedora's successor – a good call then, a great call now – Southern Miss went for South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. Johnson's ledger as the Golden Eagles' head coach: zero wins, seven losses.

Saturday's loss included more than just the usual buffoonery from Southern Miss. During a 59-24 loss to Marshall, the mother of quarterback Anthony Alford, Lawanda Ann Alford, was arrested by local police and charged with a pair of misdemeanors after getting into a verbal altercation with another fan.

The reason behind the alercation? The fan was "berating her son's play," reported the Hattiesburg American. Watch a video of the incident:

According to the Hattiesburg American's report, this is not the first time Lawanda Ann Alford has been removed from one of her son's athletic events:

"This past spring, she came out of stands and onto the field of play at Petal High School's baseball stadium after her son was ejected for arguing a called third strike during the first game of the South State playoffs against Harrison Central. After showing her displeasure by screaming at the umpire, she was escorted from the stadium by school officials."

Alford, a major recruit for Southern Miss during this past winter's recruiting cycle, completed 9-of-21 attempts for 65 yards in his team's loss to the Thundering Herd. On the year, he's completing .438 percent of his attempts for 438 yards and 3 interceptions.

Alford's struggles are simply another confusing aspect of Southern Miss' utterly confusing season. Alford would have fit into Fedora and Anderson's offensive like a glove; instead, he's just one of three quarterbacks, joining Chris Campbell and Ricky Lloyd, struggling to find his footing under new offensive coordinator Steve Buckley.

(Buckley was Alford's high school coach – and, one could say, a primary reason why Alford decided to sign with Southern Miss. Buckley, thrust into the coordinator position after Rickey Bustle had to step down due to health issues, has not been up to the task.)

But you know who could help this team? Alford's mother. After watching the Golden Eagles roll over in the second half against Marshall, it's clear that Johnson's team could use her jolt of energy.

Thanks to Jason Kirk and SB Nation for the video.