2012 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East Division
Record	0–12 (0–8 C-USA)
Head coach	Ellis Johnson (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Steve Buckley (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Tommy West (1st season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	M. M. Roberts Stadium
Seasons ← 2011 2013 →

2012 Conference USA football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
UCF xy		7	–	1					10	–	4
East Carolina x		7	–	1					8	–	5
Marshall		4	–	4					5	–	7
Memphis		4	–	4					4	–	8
UAB		2	–	6					3	–	9
Southern Miss		0	–	8					0	–	12
West Division
Tulsa xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
SMU		5	–	3					7	–	6
Rice		4	–	4					7	–	6
Houston		4	–	4					5	–	7
UTEP		2	–	6					3	–	9
Tulane		2	–	6					2	–	10
Championship: Tulsa 33, UCF 27
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2012 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the East Division of Conference USA. They were led by first-year head coach Ellis Johnson and played their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The 2012 squad finished the season winless with a final record of 0–12^[1] one year after finishing 12–2 and winning the conference championship. The biggest single season decline in FBS history, ^[2]and after only one year at the helm, Johnson along with his entire staff were fired.^[3]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	2:30 pm	at No. 16 Nebraska*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, Nebraska	ABC	L 20–49	85,425
September 15	2:30 pm	East Carolina	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, Mississippi	CBSSN	L 14–24	34,140
September 22	6:00 pm	at Western Kentucky*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, Kentucky	ESPN3	L 17–42	23,252
September 29	7:00 pm	No. 17 Louisville*	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, Mississippi	CBSSN	L 17–21	23,492
October 6	11:00 am	No. 25 Boise State*	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, Mississippi	FSN	L 14–40	25,337
October 13	7:00 pm	at UCF	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, Florida	CBSSN	L 31–38 2OT	34,514
October 20	6:00 pm	Marshall	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, Mississippi	CBSSN	L 24–59	24,093
October 27	12:00 pm	at Rice	Rice Stadium Houston, Texas	CSS/CSNH	L 17–44	14,927
November 3	6:30 pm	UAB	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, Mississippi	CSS/CSNH	L 19–27	22,874
November 10	2:30 pm	at SMU	Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, Texas	FSN	L 6–34	16,343
November 17	7:00 pm	UTEP	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, Mississippi	CBSSN	L 33–34	23,757
November 24	2:30 pm	at Memphis	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee (Black and Blue Bowl)	CSS/CSNH	L 24–42	21,305
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	7	10	0	3	20
#16 Cornhuskers	14	14	14	7	49

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	3	21	0	24
Golden Eagles	7	0	0	7	14

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	0	3	7	7	17
Hilltoppers	14	7	21	0	42

	1	2	3	4	Total
#17 Cardinals	6	6	3	6	21
Golden Eagles	10	7	0	0	17

Last meeting was in the 2010 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl.

	1	2	3	4	Total
#25 Broncos	7	16	7	10	40
Golden Eagles	0	0	7	7	14

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Golden Eagles	0	7	7	10	7	0	31
Knights	7	10	0	7	7	7	38

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	10	21	14	14	59
Golden Eagles	3	14	0	7	24

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	3	7	7	0	17
Owls	7	14	17	6	44

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	0	0	14	13	27
Golden Eagles	0	16	3	0	19

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	0	6	0	0	6
Mustangs	10	17	0	7	34

	1	2	3	4	Total
Miners	3	17	0	14	34
Golden Eagles	10	7	3	13	33

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	3	7	0	14	24
Tigers	0	21	21	0	42