GAME PREVIEW: Eagles Look to Stay Hot at Home

STATESBORO - After an exhilarating win over Marshall, the Georgia Southern football team returns home for a conference matchup with James Madison on Saturday at Allen E. Paulson Stadium/Evans Family Field. Kickoff is set for 4:02 p.m. and will be carried by ESPN+ and streamed on the ESPN app. The game will also be available via radio on the Georgia Southern Sports Network. Here's all you need to know about the game:

GAME PROMOTION
Homecoming

IMPORTANT LINKS
Tickets
Game Day Guide (PDF) - includes stadium and parking maps
Clear Bag Policy (PDF)

Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 • 4 PM   
Location: Statesboro, Ga. (Allen E. Paulson Stadium/Evans Family Field; 25,000)

Records:
James Madison: 5-1, 1-1 SBC
Georgia Southern: 4-2, 2-0 SBC

Broadcast Information
Broadcast: ESPN+
PBP: Danny Waugh; Analyst: Jayson Foster; Sidelines: Whitney Haworth

Radio: Georgia Southern Sports Network
PBP: Danny Reed (@GSEaglesVoice); Analyst: Terry Harvin (@TerryHarvin); Sidelines: Frank Sulkowski and Anthony Beck II

Radio Affiliates (PDF)

GS: GAME NOTES (PDF)

Inside The Series
Overall Record: GS leads, 8-2
In Statesboro: GS leads, 5-0
In Harrisonburg: GS leads, 3-2

Chesney vs. GS: Never Met
Helton vs. JMU: 1-1
Helton vs. Chesney: Never Met

Current Streak: JMU, won one (2023-)
Last Meeting: JMU 41, GS 13 (2023)
Longest GS Streak: Eight (1986-2022)
Longest JMU Streak: One (1985 & 2023)

Largest GS Win: 19 points (1987 in Statesboro)
Largest JMU Win: 28 points (2023 in Harrisonburg)

GS vs. current Sun Belt Members: 72-70-1
GS vs. teams from Virginia: 25-5
GS in state of Georgia: 233-67-1

GS at Allen E. Paulson Stadium: 216-50
Helton at Paulson Stadium: 11-4

Of Note:

• Southern and JMU played eight straight seasons from 1985 to 1992. After dropping the first game 21-6 at Bridgeforth Stadium, the Eagles rolled off eight straight wins. JMU cut into the series lead with a 41-13 win in Harrisonburg last season.
• In the last game played at Paulson Stadium, the two teams combined to score 24 points in the final seven minutes of the game, and there were two lead changes in the final three minutes of the contest. Each team trailed by double digits in the game, and the teams combined for 1,265 total yards, including 1,046 through the air with the Eagles finally knocking off the 25th-ranked Dukes 45-38 at Paulson Stadium.
• Senior offensive analyst Bryan Schor was a Walter Payton Award finalist and All-American as a quarterback at James Madison, leading the Dukes to the 2016 FCS national title.
• Georgia Southern is 32-9 on Homecoming in the modern era after beating ULM last year.
• The Eagles are 25-5 all-time against teams from Virginia, but have dropped their past two such contests.

Countdown to Kickoff
10: Georgia Southern has won seven of the 10 times under head coach Clay Helton when scoring eight or more points in the fourth quarter. The Eagles scored 21 against Marshall in the final frame last week.
9: The Eagles have won nine times when playing in front of the 10-largest crowds in Paulson Stadium history. Last week's total of 24,048 ranks as the eight-largest crowd in stadium history.
8: After dropping the opener in 1985, Georgia Southern won the next eight games against James Madison.
7: In the 2022 game at Paulson Stadium, the two teams combined to score 24 points in the final seven minutes of the game, and there were two lead changes in the final three minutes of the contest.
6: Marques Watson-Trent forced two fumbles late in the win last week to bring his career total up to six. That number is tied for the second-most in program history.
5: Georgia Southern's kickoff defense is ranked fifth in the FBS, allowing just an average of 11.11 yards per return.
4: Reid Dedman became the fourth player in Georgia Southern history to play in 60 or more career games when he took the field last week against Marshall. The school record for games played is 64 by Khaleb Hood.
3: Last week's last-minute win over Marshall marked the third time under Helton in his two-plus seasons the Eagles have won a game when trailing with 2:00 left on the clock (Nebraska, 2022 and JMU, 2022).
2: Running back Jalen White's seven total touchdowns on the season are ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference.
1: Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent's four forced fumbles on the season is ranked No. 1 the FBS. 

Up Next:
Oct. 24 at Old Dominion - Norfolk, Va. - 7 pm (ESPN2)
 

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