2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

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2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football
Camellia Bowl champion
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record10–3 (6–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBob DeBesse (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorScot Sloan (1st season)
Home stadiumPaulson 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.

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[edit]

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*
ESPNUL 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 Alabamadagger
  • Paulson Stadium
  • Statesboro, GA
ESPN3W 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*
ESPNW 23–2117,710
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[2]

Game summaries[edit]

South Carolina State[edit]

See also: 2018 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 0 0 6 0 6
Eagles 13 3 7 14 37

UMass[edit]

See also: 2018 UMass Minutemen football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Minutemen 3 7 3 0 13
Eagles 0 17 10 7 34

At Clemson[edit]

See also: 2018 Clemson Tigers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 0 0 7 7
No. 2 Tigers 0 21 3 14 38

Arkansas State[edit]

See also: 2018 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Red Wolves 0 3 11 7 21
Eagles 0 7 7 14 28

South Alabama[edit]

See also: 2018 South Alabama Jaguars football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Jaguars 0 6 0 7 13
Eagles 7 10 10 21 48

At Texas State[edit]

See also: 2018 Texas State Bobcats football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 10 5 0 15
Bobcats 0 0 7 6 13

At New Mexico State[edit]

See also: 2018 New Mexico State Aggies football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 10 14 21 3 48
Aggies 14 3 7 7 31

Appalachian State[edit]

See also: 2018 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
No. 25 Mountaineers 0 7 0 7 14
Eagles 0 17 10 7 34

At Louisiana–Monroe[edit]

See also: 2018 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team
Week Ten: Georgia Southern Eagles at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 10 8725
Warhawks 13 14 14344

at Malone Stadium • Monroe, 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
  • [1]
Game information

Troy[edit]

See also: 2018 Troy Trojans football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Trojans 3 14 11 7 35
Eagles 14 0 0 7 21

At Coastal Carolina[edit]

See also: 2018 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 3 10 21 7 41
Chanticleers 7 3 0 7 17

At Georgia State[edit]

See also: 2018 Georgia State Panthers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 13 15 7 35
Panthers 0 0 0 14 14

Vs. Eastern Michigan (Camellia Bowl)[edit]

See also: 2018 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team and 2018 Camellia Bowl
1 2 3 4 Total
EMU Eagles 0 7 7 7 21
GASO Eagles 7 10 0 6 23
Georgia Southern taking the field before the 2018 Camellia Bowl

Awards and honors[edit]

Preseason[edit]

Award watch lists[edit]

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year
Rimington Trophy[3] Curtis Rainey C SR
Doak Walker Award[4] Wesley Fields RB SR
John Mackey Award[5] Ellis Richardson TE SR
Lou Groza Award[6] Tyler Bass K JR
Wuerffel Trophy[7] Wesley Fields RB SR

Sun Belt coaches poll[edit]

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]

East Division
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Appalachian State 46 (6)
2 Troy 44 (4)
3 Georgia State 26
4 Georgia Southern 22
5 Coastal Carolina 12

Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams[edit]

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

Post-season finalists and winners[edit]

All-Sun Belt Selections[edit]

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[edit]

  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.
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