2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

Last updated

2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football
Georgia Southern Eagles wordmark.svg
Camellia Bowl champion
Conference Sun Belt Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record10–3 (6–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse (1st season)
Offensive scheme Pistol
Defensive coordinatorScot Sloan (1st season)
Base defense 3–4
Home stadium Paulson Stadium
Seasons
  2017
2019  
2018 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Appalachian State xy$  7 1   11 2  
Troy x  7 1   10 3  
Georgia Southern  6 2   10 3  
Coastal Carolina  2 6   5 7  
Georgia State  1 7   2 10  
West Division
Louisiana xy  5 3   7 7  
Arkansas State x  5 3   8 5  
Louisiana–Monroe  4 4   6 6  
South Alabama  2 6   3 9  
Texas State  1 7   3 9  
Championship: Appalachian State 30, Louisiana 19
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant

The 2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Chad Lunsford. They finished the season 10–3, 6–2 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place in the East Division. They were invited to the Camellia Bowl where they defeated Eastern Michigan.

Contents

The Eagles had the biggest turnaround in FBS in 2018, going from a 2–10 record in 2017 to 10–3. They also set a new FBS record by losing only five turnovers during the season. The previous record of eight had been achieved by six teams, most recently by LSU in 2017. [1]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 16:00 p.m. South Carolina State * ESPN+ W 37–615,260
September 86:00 p.m. UMass *
  • Paulson Stadium
  • Statesboro, GA
ESPN+W 34–1315,071
September 1512:00 p.m.at No. 2 Clemson * ESPNU L 7–3879,844
September 296:00 p.m. Arkansas State
  • Paulson Stadium
  • Statesboro, GA
ESPN+W 28–2117,320
October 63:30 p.m. South Alabama Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Paulson Stadium
  • Statesboro, GA
ESPN3 W 48–1317,622
October 117:30 p.m.at Texas State ESPNUW 15–139,545
October 206:00 p.m.at New Mexico State *W 48–317,300
October 257:30 p.m.No. 25 Appalachian State
  • Paulson Stadium
  • Statesboro, GA (rivalry)
ESPNUW 34–1419,252
November 33:00 p.m.at Louisiana–Monroe ESPN3L 25–4413,787
November 101:00 p.m. Troy
  • Paulson Stadium
  • Statesboro, GA
ESPN+L 21–3516,289
November 175:00 p.m.at Coastal Carolina ESPN+W 41–179,886
November 242:00 p.m.at Georgia State ESPN+W 35–1420,011
December 155:30 p.m.vs. Eastern Michigan * ESPN W 23–2117,710
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[2]

Game summaries

South Carolina State

1234Total
Bulldogs00606
Eagles13371437

UMass

1234Total
Minutemen373013
Eagles01710734

At Clemson

1234Total
Eagles00077
No. 2 Tigers02131438

Arkansas State

1234Total
Red Wolves0311721
Eagles0771428

South Alabama

1234Total
Jaguars060713
Eagles710102148

At Texas State

1234Total
Eagles0105015
Bobcats007613

At New Mexico State

1234Total
Eagles101421348
Aggies1437731

Appalachian State

1234Total
No. 25 Mountaineers070714
Eagles01710734

At Louisiana–Monroe

Week Ten: Georgia Southern Eagles at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Eagles0108725
Warhawks131414344

at Malone StadiumMonroe, LA

  • Date: November 3
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 74° · Sunny · SW – 11 mph.
  • Game attendance: 13,787
  • Referee: Jeremy Parker
  • TV: ESPN3
Game information

Troy

1234Total
Trojans31411735
Eagles1400721

At Coastal Carolina

1234Total
Eagles31021741
Chanticleers730717

At Georgia State

1234Total
Eagles01315735
Panthers0001414

Vs. Eastern Michigan (Camellia Bowl)

1234Total
EMU Eagles077721
GASO Eagles7100623
Georgia Southern taking the field before the 2018 Camellia Bowl 2018 Camellia Bowl 23 (Georgia Southern entrance).jpg
Georgia Southern taking the field before the 2018 Camellia Bowl

Awards and honors

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

AwardPlayerPositionYear
Rimington Trophy [3] Curtis RaineyCSR
Doak Walker Award [4] Wesley FieldsRBSR
John Mackey Award [5] Ellis RichardsonTESR
Lou Groza Award [6] Tyler Bass KJR
Wuerffel Trophy [7] Wesley FieldsRBSR

Sun Belt coaches poll

On July 19, 2018, the Sun Belt released their preseason coaches poll with the Eagles predicted to finish in fourth place in the East Division. [8]

Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams

The Eagles had six players selected to the preseason all-Sun Belt teams. [9]

Post-season finalists and winners

All-Sun Belt Selections

Twelve Georgia Southern football players were honored by the league coaches and members of the media as the Sun Belt Conference announced the selections for its all-conference teams.

  • Offensive Selection
Curtis Rainey - OL (First team)
Wesley Fields - RB (Second team)
Jeremiah Culbreth - OL (Second team)
Wesley Kennedy III - RB (Honorable mention)
Shai Werts - QB (Honorable mention)
  • Defensive Selection
Kindle Vildor - DB (First team)
Raymond Johnson- DL (Second team)
Monquavion Brinson - DB (Second team)
Logan Hunt - DL (Third team)
Rashad Byrd - LB (Honorable mention)
Ty Phillips - DL (Honorable mention)
  • Special Teams Selection
Tyler Bass - PK (First team)

per Sun Belt Conference [10]

References

  1. "Georgia Southern tops Eastern Michigan 23-21 on Bass' FG". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  2. "2018 Georgia Southern Eagles Football Schedule". Georgia Southern Athletics. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  3. "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  4. "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  5. "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  6. "Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Announces 2018 Preseason Watch List". July 25, 2018. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  7. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  8. "Mountaineers, Red Wolves Selected as Division Favorites in 2018 Sun Belt Football Coaches' Preseason Poll".
  9. "Sun Belt Announces 2018 Preseason All-Conference Football Teams".
  10. "Sun Belt Announces 2018 Football Postseason All-Conference, Individual Awards". Sun Belt Conference. Retrieved November 29, 2018.