List of Georgia Southern Eagles football seasons

Last updated

The Georgia Southern Eagles college football team competes as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS, representing Georgia Southern University in the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia Southern has played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia since 1984. [1]

Georgia Southern hosts rival, Appalachian State, in Paulson Stadium before a crowd of 24.535 Expanded Paulson Stadium.jpg
Georgia Southern hosts rival, Appalachian State, in Paulson Stadium before a crowd of 24.535

The inaugural season of Georgia Southern, then known as Georgia Normal School and subsequently South Georgia Teachers College and Georgia Teachers College, football was in 1924. However, the program was shut down in 1942 because of World War II and was not revived until 1981. The Eagles are 368-177-9 all time and have claimed a record six Div. I FCS national championships. The program has also produced two Walter Payton Award winners. [2]

Georgia Southern was a member of the FCS conference SoCon between 1992 and 2013. In 2014 the program, after years of speculation, became an official member of college football's FBS level. The Eagles now compete as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. [2]

Seasons

National ChampionsConference Champions *FCS Playoff BerthBowl Game Berth ^
SeasonHead coachSeason resultsPlayoff or Bowl result<Final ranking
Conference finishDivision finishWinsLossesTies [3] NCAA/TSN Poll [4] Coaches Poll [5]
Georgia Normal/South Georgia Teachers/Georgia Teachers Blue Tide
1924 E. G. Cromartie Independent130
1925 130
1926 531
1927 Hugh A. Woodle 611
1928 550
1929 Crook Smith 332
1930 341
1931 360
1932 720
1933 540
1934 460
1935 332
1936 290
1937 290
1938 351
1939 550
1940 350
1941 280
Georgia Teachers College/Georgia Southern College did not field a football team for the 1942–81 seasons
Georgia Southern Eagles
1982 Erk Russell Independent 731
1983 650
1984 830
1985  *1320Won FCS National Championship Game against Furman Paladins, 44–42 ^
1986  *1320Won FCS National Championship Game against Arkansas State Indians, 48–21 ^
1987 940Lost in FCS Quarterfinals against Appalachian State Mountaineers, 19–0 ^
1988 1230Lost FCS National Championship Game against Furman Paladins, 17–12 ^
1989  *1500Won FCS National Championship Game against Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, 37–34 ^
1990  * Tim Stowers 1230Won FCS National Championship Game against Nevada Wolfpack, 36–13 
1991 740
1992 Southern Conference 740
1993 1st *1030Lost in FCS Quarterfinals against Youngstown State Penguins, 34–14 
1994 3rd650
1995 3rd940Lost in FCS Quarterfinals against Montana Grizzlies, 45–0 
1996 Frank Ellwood 6th47
1997 Paul Johnson 1st *103Lost in FCS Quarterfinals against Delaware Blue Hens, 16–7 
1998 1st *141Lost FCS National Championship Game against UMass Minutemen, 55–43 
1999  *1st *132Won FCS National Championship Game against Youngstown State Penguins, 59–24 
2000  *1st *132Won FCS National Championship Game against Montana Grizzlies, 27–25 
2001 1st *122Lost in FCS Semifinals against Furman Paladins, 24–17 
2002 Mike Sewak 1st *113Lost in FCS Semifinals against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 31–28 
2003 3rd74
2004 1st *93Lost in FCS 1st Round against New Hampshire Wildcats, 27–23 
2005 2nd84Lost in FCS 1st Round against Texas State Bobcats, 50–35 
2006 Brian VanGorder 5th38
2007 Chris Hatcher 3rd74
2008 4th65
2009 4th56
2010 Jeff Monken 3rd105Lost in FCS Semifinals against Delaware Blue Hens, 27–10 
2011 1st *113Lost in FCS Semifinals against North Dakota State Bison, 35–7 ^
2012 1st *104Lost in FCS Semifinals against North Dakota State Bison, 23–20 ^
2013 4th74Ineligible
2014 Willie Fritz Sun Belt Conference 1st *93Ineligible
2015 3rd ^94Won GoDaddy Bowl against Bowling Green Falcons, 58–27
2016 Tyson Summers

(fired Oct. 22, 2017) Chad Lunsford (Interim, 2–4)

6th57
2017 10th210
2018 Chad Lunsford

(fired Sep. 26, 2021) Kevin Whitley (Interim, 2–6)

3rd, East103Won Camellia Bowl against Eastern Michigan Eagles, 23–21
2019 2nd, East76Lost Cure Bowl against Liberty Flames, 16–23
2020 4th, East85Won New Orleans Bowl against Louisiana Tech, 38-3
2021 5th, East39
2022 Clay Helton 4th, East67Lost Camellia Bowl against Buffalo, 21–23
2023 Clay Helton T5th, East67Lost Myrtle Beach Bowl against Ohio, 41-21
Total3692389(regular season games)
000(conference championship games; 0 appearances)
4513(playoff games; 58 appearances)
33(bowl games; 6 appearances)
4222609(all games)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Southern Eagles</span> Sports program at Georgia Southern University

The Georgia Southern Eagles are the athletic team(s) of Georgia Southern University (GS). The Eagles compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. Prior to joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, the Eagles were members of the Trans America Athletic Conference and the Southern Conference (SoCon). During their time at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS/I-AA) level, the Eagles have won six national championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulson Stadium</span> Football stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, U.S.

Allen E. Paulson Stadium at Evans Family Field is a 25,000-seat on-campus football stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. It is home to the Georgia Southern Eagles football team and the focal point of Erk Russell Athletic Park.

The Georgia Southern Eagles football program represents Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Sun Belt Conference. The current head coach is Clay Helton. The Eagles have won six FCS (I-AA) national championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award winners. Georgia Southern first continuously fielded a football team in 1924, but play was suspended for World War II and did not return until 1981. The Eagles competed as an FCS independent from 1984 to 1992 and as a member of the Southern Conference from 1993 to 2013, winning 10 SoCon championships. In 2014, Georgia Southern moved to the FBS level and joined the Sun Belt Conference, winning the conference championship outright in its first year. Georgia Southern's main Sun Belt rivals are Appalachian State and Georgia State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian State Mountaineers football</span> College football program for Appalachian State University

The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team is the intercollegiate American football team representing Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Sun Belt Conference since 2014. Appalachian plays its home games in Kidd Brewer Stadium, named after former head coach Kidd Brewer, whose 1937 squad was unbeaten and unscored upon during the regular season, outscoring opponents 206–0.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision</span> Top level of college football in the U.S.

The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes football</span> Virginian college American football team

The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennesaw State Owls football</span> NCAA Division I college football team

The Kennesaw State Owls football program represents Kennesaw State University in college football. The Owls team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of Conference USA (CUSA). The team began play in 2015 as a member of the Big South Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. In 2022, KSU's full-time home of the Atlantic Sun Conference launched an FCS football league, with KSU as one of its initial six members. After the 2022 season, KSU started the transition to the FBS, in advance of the school's 2024 move to CUSA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football</span> Football team of Coastal Carolina University

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team represents Coastal Carolina University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Chanticleers are members of the Sun Belt Conference, fielding its teams at the FBS level since 2017. The Chanticleers play their home games at James C. Benton Field at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Monken</span> American football player and coach (born 1967)

Jeffrey Michael Monken is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at the United States Military Academy, a position he has held since 2014. Monken previously served as the head football coach of Georgia Southern University from 2010 to 2013. Prior to that, he worked under Paul Johnson as a running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Georgia Southern, the United States Naval Academy, and Georgia Tech.

The 2012 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Jeff Monken and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 10–4, 6–2 in SoCon play to claim a share of the conference championship with Appalachian State and Wofford. They received the SoCon's automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Central Arkansas in the second round and Old Dominion in the quarterfinals before falling to North Dakota State in the semifinals. That would turn out to be Georgia Southern's final FCS playoff game, as they announced they were moving to FBS and the Sun Belt Conference in 2014.

The 2013 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Jeff Monken and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference. This was Georgia Southern's final year in the Southern Conference and the FCS. They joined the FBS and the Sun Belt Conference for the 2014 season. They finished the season 7–4, 4–4 in SoCon play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season</span> American college football season

The 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The 2014 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Willie Fritz and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were first year members of the Sun Belt Conference. In their second year of the FCS to FBS transition, the Eagles were eligible for the conference championship; however, they were not bowl-eligible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season</span> American college football season

The 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2017. The regular season began on August 26, 2017, and ended on December 9, 2017.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season</span> American college football season

The 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 152nd season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision. The regular season began on August 28, 2021, and ended on December 11, 2021. The postseason began on December 17, with the main games ending on January 10, 2022, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the all-star portion of the post-season concluding with the inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 19, 2022. It was the eighth season of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system. It was the first time since 2016 that no major team finished the season undefeated as the Cincinnati Bearcats, the season's last undefeated team, were defeated in the 2021 Cotton Bowl Classic. The season's Heisman Trophy winner was Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young.

The 2021 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2021 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 third-year head coach Chad Lunsford until he was dismissed mid-season following his third consecutive loss within the first four games of the season. Cornerbacks coach Kevin Whitley was tapped to serve as interim coach until a new head coach was hired by the university. Whitley was in his third year as cornerbacks coach and previously played for Georgia Southern as a four year starter from 1988 to 1991, helping to win two national titles for the Eagles. On November 2, 2021, Clay Helton, former head coach of the USC Trojans, was hired to become the next head coach for Georgia Southern, starting in the 2022 season.

The 2022 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2022 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. The team was coached by Clay Helton, former head coach of the USC Trojans. Helton was hired on November 2, 2021, and this was his first season in Statesboro.

References

  1. "Allen E. Paulson Stadium". gseagles.com.
  2. 1 2 "Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Idaho and New Mexico State Officially Join Sun Belt Conference". Sun Belt Sports. June 30, 2014.
  3. Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today . Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  4. Since the 1978 split in divisions, the NCAA, or more recently, The Sports Network Archived 2011-05-03 at the Wayback Machine Poll has been the major poll at the FCS level. No polls for Georgia Southern are available prior to 1984 when the Eagles began I-AA play. Polls are released prior to the playoffs.
  5. The FCS Coaches Poll Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine was introduced in 2007. Therefore, polls for prior seasons do not exist. Polls are released prior to the playoffs