The losing was going to stop.

After being a part of one- and three-win teams in his first two

seasons at Southern Mississippi, Dylan Bradley promised himself he was going to do everything in his power to help the Golden Eagles fly again.

The former Noxubee County standout wasn’t alone. Armed with a new resolve and a belief that the 2015 season was going to be different, Bradley and his teammates set out to re-make Southern Miss into a championship program.

Southern Miss (9-3) will have its chance at 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPN2) when it plays Western Kentucky (10-2) in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the Conference USA championship.

“It feels great,” said Bradley, a 6-foot-1, 265-pound defensive end. “I can’t put the feeling into words that we actually are Western Division champions and playing for the conference championship. As a team and as a university, I think we have worked our tail off and we deserve this, but the job is not done. We don’t want only to be bowl eligible and win the west. We want to put this university back where belongs at the top of Conference USA.”

The desire to restore the luster to Southern Miss football has been a powerful motivator. In 2011, Southern Miss upset Houston to win its first C-USA championship since 2003. It went on to defeat Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl to finish 12-2. Less than a week later, coach Larry Fedora left the program to become the head football coach at North Carolina.

An 0-12 season followed in 2012 that led to the firing of coach Ellis Johnson. Todd Monken arrived in December 2012 to begin the reclamation project. Bradley, who helped lead Noxubee County to a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A state title in 2012, arrived for the 2013 season, but he wasn’t accustomed to losing and didn’t know how to handle a 1-11 season in 2013 and a 3-9 season in 2014.

The only thing Bradley knew to do was to work harder. Fortunately, he had teammates who had the same mind-set.

“Everyone worked their tail off and believed in each other,” Bradley said when asked about the Golden Eagles’ attitude following the 2014 season. “We were tired of losing and seeing this program at the bottom when we knew we should be at the top.”

Bradley credits Monken for setting the tone with confidence. He said Monken also brought in assistant coaches who had the same approach and were going to push the Golden Eagles back to their perch atop C-USA.

Bradley is doing his part. In 12 games (11 starts), he is fifth on the team with 41 tackles (26 solo), and first among defensive linemen. He is second on the team with 11 1/2 tackles for loss, and he leads the squad with six-and-a-half sacks and five quarterback hurries.

Bradley played in eight games as a sophomore (four starts). An injury sidelined him after the first three games. He returned to start against Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Marshall, and UTSA before an injury forced him to miss the last game of the season. He finished with 29 tackles (12 solo), five tackles for loss, and three sacks.

Southern Miss first-year defensive line coach Justin Roberts said Bradley has been a vocal leader and someone who speaks with his actions. The combination has played an integral role in helping Southern Miss rank second in C-USA in scoring defense (22.4 points per game) and first in total defense (351 yards per game).

“I think it holds more weight when guys who make as many plays as Dylan does voice their concerns and opinions,” Roberts said. “He has been tremendously productive.”

Bradley’s mental strength has been only part of his success. Roberts said Bradley makes up for what he might lack in height with strength and great leverage. He said Bradley’s great speed off the ball works with well with his technique.

“He has really mastered playing with that leverage and using that strength,” Roberts said.

Roberts said Bradley has raised his level of play thanks to a better understanding of the tempo that best suits him. He said he realizes he has to bring his maximum effort every play and every game to be successful.

Bradley said that mind-set is true for everyone the team. He said the Golden Eagles have been so successful because everyone has focused on doing their jobs and has trusted in their teammates to make plays.

“Your freshman and sophomore year it is still moving fast,” Bradley said. “As you get older, it brings wisdom and knowledge of the game. I have learned to study film more and to study my guys’ steps to see where he puts his hands, how he gets down when he does a run block or a pass block. The first two years I feel like I was learning the game.”

Bradley credits defensive linemates Michael Smith, Andrew Bolton, Darian Yancey, and Naim Mustafaa for making his job easier. He said all of the defensive linemen have embraced the notion “the success of the mission depends on me.” He said all of the defenders try to give their best every play for as long as they can. When they’re tired, they know one of their teammates is ready to come in and won’t let anything slip.

After winning only four games in his first two years in the program, Bradley takes pride in playing his role and helping Southern Miss get back to the top. He hopes Saturday will be the first of many championship appearances for the program.

“It is wonderful to see us put all this work in and love pay off,” Bradley said.

Saturday’s game will be Southern Miss’ third C-USA Championship game since its inception in 2005. The Golden Eagles will battle for their sixth overall league crown.

Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor

Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.