2020 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

2020 Georgia Southern Eagles football
New Orleans Bowl champion
New Orleans Bowl, W 38–3 vs. Louisiana Tech
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
Division	East Division
Record	8–5 (4–4 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Chad Lunsford (3rd full year as HC; 4th overall season)
Offensive coordinator	Bob DeBesse (3rd season; first 10 games) Doug Ruse (interim; final 3 games)
Defensive coordinator	Scot Sloan (3rd season)
Home stadium	Paulson Stadium
Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Sun Belt Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 14 Coastal Carolina xy+		8	–	0					11	–	1
Appalachian State		6	–	2					9	–	3
Georgia Southern		4	–	4					8	–	5
Georgia State		4	–	4					6	–	4
Troy		3	–	4					5	–	6
West Division
No. 15 Louisiana xy+		7	–	1					10	–	1
South Alabama		3	–	5					4	–	7
Arkansas State		2	–	6					4	–	7
Texas State		2	–	6					2	–	10
Louisiana–Monroe		0	–	7					0	–	10
Championship: Louisiana at Coastal Carolina (Canceled)
+ – Conference co-champions x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2020 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2020 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.

Preseason

Sun Belt coaches' poll

The Sun Belt coaches poll was released on August 25, 2020. Georgia Southern was picked to finish 2nd in the East Division with 36 total votes.^[1]

East Division

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Appalachian State	49 (9)
2	Georgia Southern	36
3	Troy	32 (1)
4	Georgia State	20
5	Coastal Carolina	13

West Division

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Louisiana	47 (7)
2	Arkansas State	40 (2)
3	South Alabama	22 (1)
4	Texas State	21
5	Louisiana–Monroe	20

Preseason All-Sun Belt teams

The Eagles had five players selected to the preseason All−Sun Belt teams; three from the defense and two from special teams.^[1]

Schedule

Georgia Southern had games against Boise State and Ole Miss, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2][3] They added a November game with Army on August 11.^[4] On October 7, the game against Appalachian State scheduled for October 14 was postponed to December 12 due to COVID-19 positive tests within the Mountaineers' football program.^[5]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 12	3:30 p.m.	Campbell*	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPNU	W 27–26	5,789
September 26	12:00 p.m.	at No. 19 Louisiana	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN2	L 18–20	5,585
October 3	7:00 p.m.	at Louisiana–Monroe	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA	ESPN+	W 35–30	6,338
October 17	4:00 p.m.	UMass*	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN2	W 41–0	4,856
October 24	12:00 p.m.	at No. 25 Coastal Carolina	Brooks Stadium Conway, SC	ESPNU	L 14–28	5,000
October 29	7:30 p.m.	South Alabama	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN	W 24–17	3,457
November 7	1:00 p.m.	Troy	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN3	W 20–13	5,012
November 14	3:00 p.m.	Texas State	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN3	W 40–38	4,478
November 21	12:00 p.m.	at Army*	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	CBSSN	L 27–28	5,078
November 28	12:00 p.m.	at Georgia State	Center Parc Stadium Atlanta, GA (Modern Day Hate)	ESPN3	L 24–30	4,523
December 5	6:00 p.m.	Florida Atlantic*	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN+	W 20–3	3,867
December 12	6:00 p.m.	Appalachian State	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA (rivalry)	ESPN3	L 26–34	6,228
December 23	3:30 p.m.	vs. Louisiana Tech*	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA (New Orleans Bowl)	ESPN	W 38–3	3,000
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 24 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[6][7]

Game summaries

Campbell

Campbell at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Fighting Camels 13 0 7 6 26 • Eagles 3 3 7 14 27 Date: September 12, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 4:14 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 35 minutes Game attendance: 5,789 Referee: T. Livingston Television network: ESPNU

Scoring summary 1 13:03 CAM Bryant Barr 10-yard rush (Robert Brown kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:57) CAM 7–0 08:37 GASO Alex Raynor 41-yard field goal (9 plays, 41 yards, 4:26) CAM 7–3 06:31 CAM Jai Williams 40-yard pass from Hajj-Malik Williams (Robert Brown PAT failed) (4 plays, 75 yards, 2:06) CAM 13–3 2 04:50 GASO Alex Raynor 39-yard field goal (13 plays, 77 yards, 5:59) CAM 13–6 3 13:38 CAM Hajj-Malik Williams 8-yard rush (Robert Brown kick) (4 plays, 26 yards, 1:15) CAM 20–6 07:32 GASO D. J. Butler 1-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 6:06) CAM 20–13 4 13:50 GASO J. D. King 4-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (2 plays, 9 yards, 0:47) TIE 20–20 06:42 GASO Shai Werts 41-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (6 plays, 95 yards, 3:27) GASO 27–20 00:15 CAM Jalen Kelsey 20-yard pass from Hajj-Malik Williams (Hajj-Malik Williams two-point conversion pass attempt failed) (8 plays, 64 yards, 1:44) GASO 27–26

Pregame line	Over/under
GASO −34.5	58.5[8]

Statistics	Campbell	Georgia Southern
First downs	17	20
Total yards	380	346
Rushing yards	143	284
Passing yards	237	62
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	26:04	33:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Campbell	Passing	Hajj-Malik Williams	17/27, 237 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Hajj-Malik Williams	11 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jai Williams	4 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	7/13, 53 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Shai Werts	14 carries, 155 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	D. J. Butler	3 receptions, 22 yards, 1 TD

At Louisiana

Georgia Southern at Louisiana

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 7 3 8 18 • No. 19 Ragin' Cajuns 0 7 3 10 20 Date: September 26, 2020 Location: Cajun Field Lafayette, LA Game start: 11:01 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes Game attendance: 5,585 Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Sunny, Humid • Wind: Calm Referee: Wayne Winkler TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play–by–play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), and Dawn Davenport (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 2 14:53 GASO J. D. King 2-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (5 plays, 85 yards, 2:49) GASO 7–0 09:25 LA Trey Ragas 10-yard rush (Nate Snyder kick) (9 plays, 83 yards, 5:22) TIE 7–7 3 05:49 GASO Alex Raynor 27-yard field goal (13 plays, 66 yards, 7:34) GASO 10–7 00:30 LA Nate Snyder 25-yard field goal (12 plays, 67 yards, 5:19) TIE 10–10 4 10:34 LA Errol Rogers Jr. 27-yard pass from Levi Lewis (Nate Snyder kick) (5 plays, 58 yards, 2:46) LA 17–10 00:54 GASO Khaleb Hood 28-yard pass from Shai Werts (Shai Werts two-point converison pass to Darion Anderson) (5 plays, 61 yards, 0:40) GASO 18–17 00:00 LA Nate Snyder 53-yard field goal (7 plays, 39 yards, 0:54) LA 20–18

Pregame line	Over/under
LA −13.5	52.5[9]

Statistics	Georgia Southern	Louisiana
First downs	21	18
Total yards	447	438
Rushing yards	192	148
Passing yards	255	290
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	35:14	24:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	11/18, 255 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	J. D. King	24 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Wesley Kennedy III	2 receptions, 105 yards
Louisiana	Passing	Levi Lewis	18/32, 290 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Chris Smith	4 carries, 54 yards
	Receiving	Peter LeBlanc	3 receptions, 64 yards

At Louisiana–Monroe

Georgia Southern at Louisiana–Monroe

1 2 3 4 Total • Eagles 7 14 14 0 35 Warhawks 3 14 6 7 30 Date: October 3, 2020 Location: Malone Stadium Monroe, LA Game start: 7:05 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 15 hours Game attendance: 6,338 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: 4 ESE MPH Referee: Tre. Livingston TV announcers (ESPN+): Chris Harris (play–by–play) and Mike Hammett (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 11:25 GASO J. D. King 3-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, 68 yards, 1:27) GASO 7–0 03:21 ULM Davis Hughes 34-yard field goal (9 plays, 40 yards, 4:14) GASO 7–3 2 12:47 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 4-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (11 plays, 81 yards, 5:34) GASO 14–3 10:04 ULM Josh Johnson 26-yard rush (Davis Hughes kick) (6 plays, 72 yards, 2:43) GASO 14–10 01:37 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 5-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (15 plays, 75 yards, 8:27) GASO 21–10 00:00 ULM Malik Jackson 2-yard pass from Colby Suits (Davis Hughes kick) (11 plays, 75 yards, 1:37) GASO 21–17 3 10:19 GASO Logan Wright 17-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:41) GASO 28–17 05:30 GASO Rashad Byrd 7-yard blocked punt returned (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, 0 yards, 0:55) GASO 35–17 00:29 ULM Josh Johnson 2-yard pass from Colby Suits (Davis Hughes PAT failed) (13 plays, 73 yards, 5:01) GASO 35–23 4 04:59 ULM Josh Johnson 2-yard rush (Davis Hughes kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:13) GASO 35–30

Pregame line	Over/under
GASO −19.5	49.5[10]

Statistics	Georgia Southern	Louisiana–Monroe
First downs	19	24
Total yards	369	426
Rushing yards	340	92
Passing yards	29	334
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	34:53	25:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	3/7, 29 yards
	Rushing	J. D. King	21 carries, 196 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Beau Johnson	1 reception, 17 yards
Louisiana–Monroe	Passing	Colby Suits	31/54, 334 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Colby Suits	7 carries, 51 yards
	Receiving	Tyler Lamm	5 receptions, 66 yards

UMass

Massachusetts at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Minutemen 0 0 0 0 0 • Eagles 14 14 10 3 41 Date: October 17, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 4:07 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 12 minutes Game attendance: 4,856 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) Referee: Wayne Winkler TV announcers (ESPN2): Bill Roth (play–by–play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 12:18 GASO Malik Murray 47-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 2:42) GASO 7–0 08:14 GASO Beau Johnson 8-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor kick) (7 plays, 39 yards, 1:57) GASO 14–0 2 09:12 GASO Beau Johnson 10-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor kick) (7 plays, 50 yards, 4:13) GASO 21–0 01:39 GASO Shai Werts 4-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (8 plays, 60 yards, 5:01) GASO 28–0 3 13:08 GASO Alex Raynor 27-yard field goal (5 plays, 10 yards, 1:25) GASO 31–0 06:40 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 56-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (2 plays, 60 yards, 0:55) GASO 38–0 4 02:34 GASO Alex Raynor 31-yard field goal (4 plays, 8 yards, 2:18) GASO 41–0

Pregame line	Over/under
GASO −31	62[11]

Statistics	UMass	Georgia Southern
First downs	10	20
Total yards	191	436
Rushing yards	111	308
Passing yards	80	128
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	29:09	30:51

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing	Mike Fallon	7/12, 41 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Will Koch	4 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	Samuel Emilus	4 receptions, 28 yards
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	11/16, 128 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Wesley Kennedy III	6 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Malik Murray	4 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

At Coastal Carolina

Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 7 7 0 0 14 • No. 25 Chanticleers 7 7 0 14 28 Date: October 24, 2020 Location: Brooks Stadium Conway, SC Game start: 12:02 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes Game attendance: 5,000 Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Fair • Wind: N 2 MPH Referee: T. Livingston TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play–by–play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 07:10 CCU Sam Denmark 72-yard pass from Fred Payton (Massimo Biscardi kick) (2 plays, 71 yards, 0:46) CCU 7–0 00:57 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 60-yard punt returned (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, −7 yards, 2:14) TIE 7–7 2 08:57 CCU Kameron Brown 2-yard pass from Fred Payton (Massimo Biscardi kick) (4 plays, 59 yards, 2:00) CCU 14–7 00:24 GASO J. D. King 5-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (7 plays, 54 yards, 1:07) TIE 14–14 4 08:53 CCU C. J. Marable 24-yard pass from Fred Payton (Massimo Biscardi kick) (5 plays, 63 yards, 2:34) CCU 21–14 06:58 CCU Reese White 20-yard rush (Massimo Biscardi kick) (1 play, 20 yards, 0:11) CCU 28–14

Pregame line	Over/under
CCU −1	49[12]

Statistics	Georgia Southern	Coastal Carolina
First downs	12	20
Total yards	218	382
Rushing yards	119	130
Passing yards	99	252
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	27:43	32:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	7/20, 94 yards, 2 INTs
	Rushing	J. D. King	15 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Malik Murray	2 receptions, 46 yards
Coastal Carolina	Passing	Fred Payton	15/28, 252 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Shermari Jones	5 carries, 44 yards
	Receiving	Jaivon Heiligh	5 receptions, 107 yards

South Alabama

South Alabama at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Jaguars 3 7 7 0 17 • Eagles 0 10 0 14 24 Date: October 29, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 7:32 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 13 minutes Game attendance: 3,457 Referee: Kyle Olsen TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play–by–play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst), and Lericia Harris (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 10:07 USA Diego Guajardo 54-yard field goal (10 plays, 40 yards, 4:53) USA 3–0 2 10:09 GASO Alex Raynor 29-yard field goal (11 plays, 81 yards, 5:56) TIE 3–3 06:05 GASO J. D. King 13-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (6 plays, 52 yards, 3:00) GASO 10–3 02:50 USA Brandon Crum 3-yard pass from Desmond Trotter (Diego Guajardo kick) (8 plays, 70 yards, 3:15) TIE 10–10 3 01:39 USA Jalen Tolbert 12-yard pass from Desmond Trotter (Diego Guajardo kick) (6 plays, 52 yards, 2:28) USA 17–10 4 12:57 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 14-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 3:42) TIE 17–17 08:02 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 15-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (5 plays, 47 yards, 2:45) GASO 24–17

Pregame line	Over/under
GASO −3.5	52[13]

Statistics	South Alabama	Georgia Southern
First downs	16	15
Total yards	264	345
Rushing yards	64	250
Passing yards	200	95
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	28:19	31:41

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Alabama	Passing	Desmond Trotter	20/27, 200 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Carlos Davis	20 carries, 70 yards
	Receiving	Kawaan Baker	5 receptions, 65 yards
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	5/9, 95 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Wesley Kennedy III	13 carries, 91 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Malik Murray	1 reception, 38 yards

Troy

Troy at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Trojans 0 10 3 0 13 • Eagles 0 6 14 0 20 Date: November 7, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 1:05 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 15 minutes Game attendance: 5,012 Referee: Jeremy Parker TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Stewart (play–by–play) and Danny Waugh (analyst)

Scoring summary 2 10:18 GASO Alex Raynor 23-yard field goal (18 plays, 87 yards, 10:53) GASO 3–0 09:25 TROY Dell Pettus 44-yard interception returned (Evan Legassey kick) (1 play, 0 yards, 0:16) TROY 7–3 02:28 GASO Alex Raynor 35-yard field goal (12 play, 57 yards, 6:57) TROY 7–6 01:05 TROY Evan Legassey 35-yard field goal (8 play, 48 yards, 1:18) TROY 10–6 4 08:26 TROY Evan Legassey 20-yard field goal (8 play, 35 yards, 2:31) TROY 13–6 07:37 GASO Gerald Green 69-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (2 play, 75 yards, 0:49) TIE 13–13 02:18 GASO Shai Werts 5-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (8 play, 85 yards, 4:19) GASO 20–13

Pregame line	Over/under
TROY −3	52[14]

Statistics	Troy	Georgia Southern
First downs	14	20
Total yards	235	411
Rushing yards	34	326
Passing yards	201	85
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	17:13	42:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Troy	Passing	Jacob Free	21/47, 201 yards, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Jamontez Woods	3 carries, 23 yards
	Receiving	Kaylon Geiger	6 receptions, 49 yards
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	12/13, 85 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Gerald Green	10 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	NaJee Thompson	1 reception, 35 yards

Texas State

Texas State at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Bobcats 7 14 7 10 38 • Eagles 17 10 3 10 40 Date: November 14, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 3:35 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 11 minutes Game attendance: 4,478 Referee: T. Livingston TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Stewart (play–by–play) and Danny Waugh (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 12:59 GASO Shai Werts 1-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (2 plays, 7 yards, 0:42) GASO 7–0 12:44 TXST Jeremiah Haydel 97-yard kickoff returned (Seth Keller kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00) TIE 7–7 08:25 GASO Shai Werts 29-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 4:19) GASO 14–7 06:05 GASO Alex Raynor 34-yard field goal (4 plays, −5 yards, 2:13) GASO 17–7 2 12:09 GASO Alex Raynor 41-yard field goal (5 plays, 42 yards, 2:44) GASO 20–7 07:30 TXST Calvin Hill 11-yard rush (Seth Keller kick) (11 plays, 75 yards, 4:39) GASO 20–14 07:13 TXST Marcell Barbee 43-yard pass from Tyler Vitt (Seth Keller kick) (1 play, 43 yards, 0:07) TXST 21–20 01:08 GASO Shai Werts 2-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (5 plays, 41 yards, 2:30) GASO 27–21 3 07:09 GASO Alex Raynor 39-yard field goal (14 plays, 53 yards, 7:51) GASO 30–21 06:09 TXST Javen Banks 59-yard pass from Brady McBride (Seth Keller kick) (3 plays, 65 yards, 1:06) GASO 30–28 4 14:22 GASO Wesley Kennedy III 6-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (12 plays, 75 yards, 6:41) GASO 37–28 10:18 TXST Seth Keller 27-yard field goal (10 plays, 57 yards, 3:58) GASO 37–31 04:15 GASO Alex Raynor 20-yard field goal (10 plays, 76 yards, 5:57) GASO 40–31 02:50 TXST Jah'Marae Sheread 24-yard pass from Brady McBride (Seth Keller kick) (4 plays, 79 yards, 1:19) GASO 40–38

Pregame line	Over/under
GASO −12	49.5[15]

Statistics	Texas State	Georgia Southern
First downs	18	20
Total yards	299	437
Rushing yards	30	386
Passing yards	269	51
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	18:41	41:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Texas State	Passing	Brady McBride	7/13, 155 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Brock Sturges	6 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	Marcell Barbee	5 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	6/9, 51 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shai Werts	21 carries, 120 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Wesley Kennedy III	1 reception, 23 yards

At Army

Georgia Southern at Army

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 14 7 6 0 27 • Black Knights 0 7 14 7 28 Date: November 21, 2020 Location: Michie Stadium West Point, NY Game start: 12:02 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 17 minutes Game attendance: 5,078 Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: W 10 MPH Referee: Mike Roche TV announcers (CBSSN): Bem Holden (play–by–play), Ross Tucker (analyst), and Tina Cervasio (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 06:55 GASO Shai Werts 1-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (2 plays, 1 yard, 0:45) GASO 7–0 06:45 GASO Derrick Canteen 22-yard fumble returned (Alex Raynor kick) (1 play, -3 yards, 0:10) GASO 14–0 2 06:55 ARMY Sandon McCoy 1-yard rush (Quinn Maretzki kick) (15 plays, 75 yards, 8:00) GASO 14–7 09:24 GASO Cam Brown 24-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor kick) (8 plays, 86 yards, 4:14) GASO 21–7 3 08:22 ARMY Braheam Murphy 12-yard rush (Quinn Maretzki kick) (11 plays, 52 yards, 6:31) GASO 21–14 06:18 ARMY Sandon McCoy 2-yard rush (Quinn Maretzki kick) (1 play, 17 yards, 0:04) TIE 21–21 04:17 GASO Logan Wright 39-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor PAT blocked) (4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01) GASO 27–21 4 08:16 ARMY Jakobi Buchanan 2-yard rush (Quinn Maretzki kick) (18 plays, 71 yards, 10:50) ARMY 28–27

Pregame line	Over/under
ARMY –3	38.5[16]

Statistics	Georgia Southern	Army
First downs	12	20
Total yards	311	268
Rushing yards	175	243
Passing yards	126	25
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	21:36	38:24

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	6/7, 80 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Wesley Kennedy III	8 carries, 71 yards
	Receiving	Malik Murray	3 receptions, 41 yards
Army	Passing	Tyhier Tyler	1/1, 25 yards
	Rushing	Tyhier Taylor	35 carries, 121 yards
	Receiving	Chris Cameron	1 reception, 25 yards

At Georgia State

Georgia Southern at Georgia State

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 14 3 7 24 • Panthers 3 10 0 17 30 Date: November 28, 2020 Location: Center Parc Stadium Atlanta, GA Game start: 12:05 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 2 hours and 55 minutes Game attendance: 4,523 Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SSE 8 MPH Referee: Wayne Winkler TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Stewart (play–by–play) and Sam Crenshaw (analyst)

\   Scoring summary 1 05:55 GSU Noel Ruiz 35-yard field goal (5 plays, 36 yards, 2:26) GSU 3–0 2 14:56 GASO Shai Werts 7-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (13 plays, 75 yards, 5:59) GASO 7–3 12:00 GASO Logan Wright 63-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, 69 yards, 1:30) GASO 14–3 05:35 GSU Noel Ruiz 29-yard field goal (8 plays, 76 yards, 2:40) GASO 14–6 00:46 GSU Cornelius McCoy 45-yard pass from Cornelious Brown IV (Noel Ruiz kick) (7 plays, 65 yards, 1:59) GASO 14–13 3 12:08 GASO Alex Raynor 29-yard field goal (5 plays, 56 yards, 2:52) GASO 17–13 4 14:56 GASO Logan Wright 5-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, 37 yards, 1:01) GASO 24–13 12:13 GSU Destin Coates 4-yard rush (two-point conversion pass failed) (8 plays, 75 yards, 2:43) GASO 24–19 02:54 GSU Cornelious Brown IV 1-yard rush (Cornelious Brown IV two-point conversion pass to Sam Pinckney) (10 plays, 69 yards, 4:48) GSU 27–24 01:53 GSU Noel Ruiz 35-yard field goal (4 plays, 4 yards, 0:18) GSU 30–24

Pregame line	Over/under
GSU –3	51[17]

Statistics	Georgia Southern	Georgia State
First downs	13	22
Total yards	370	427
Rushing yards	296	55
Passing yards	74	372
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	30:48	29:12

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	4/7, 67 yards
	Rushing	Logan Wright	8 carries, 143 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Khaleb Hood	1 reception, 44 yards
Georgia State	Passing	Cornelious Brown IV	28/39, 372 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Destin Coates	15 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Sam Pinckney	10 receptions, 126 yards

Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total Owls 0 0 3 0 3 • Eagles 0 10 0 10 20 Date: December 5, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 6:05 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 55 minutes Game attendance: 3,867 Referee: T. Livingston TV announcers (ESPN+): Matt Stewart (play–by–play) and Danny Waugh (analyst)

Scoring summary 2 13:29 GASO Khaleb Hood 49-yard punt returned (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, 7 yards, 1:25) GASO 7–0 03:30 GASO Alex Raynor 30-yard field goal (10 plays, 34 yards, 4:18) GASO 10–0 3 02:26 FAU Vladimir Rivas 26-yard field goal (10 plays, 67 yards, 3:20) GASO 10–3 4 12:39 GASO Logan Wright 2-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 4:39) GASO 17–3 04:51 GASO Alex Raynor37-yard field goal (10 plays, 23 yards, 5:36) GASO 20–3

Pregame line	Over/under
FAU –2.5	40.5[18]

Statistics	Florida Atlantic	Georgia Southern
First downs	16	18
Total yards	322	339
Rushing yards	133	269
Passing yards	189	70
Turnovers	4	0
Time of possession	23:15	36:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Florida Atlantic	Passing	Javion Posey	7/15, 107 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Javion Posey	8 carries, 61 yards
	Receiving	Jordan Merrell	3 receptions, 67 yards
Georgia Southern	Passing	Justin Tomlin	3/12, 70 yards
	Rushing	Justin Tomlin	20 carries, 78 yards
	Receiving	Logan Wright	2 receptions, 65 yards

Appalachian State

Appalachian State at Georgia Southern

1 2 3 4 Total • Mountaineers 0 7 10 17 34 Eagles 7 10 0 9 26 Date: December 12, 2020 Location: Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA Game start: 6:05 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 17 minutes Game attendance: 6,228 Referee: Kyle Olson TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Stewart (play–by–play) and Danny Waugh (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 01:59 GASO David Spaulding 28-yard interception returned (Alex Raynor kick) (2 plays, 3 yards, 0:40) GASO 7–0 2 09:22 GASO Justin Tomlin 14-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (11 plays, 72 yards, 5:38) GASO 14–0 01:55 APP Jalen Virgil 16-yard pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick) (17 plays, 65 yards, 7:27) GASO 14–7 00:00 GASO Alex Raynor 33-yard field goal (7 plays, 50 yards, 1:10) GASO 17–7 3 10:44 APP Thomas Hennigan 9-yard pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick) (10 plays, 72 yards, 4:10) GASO 17–14 04:20 APP Chandler Staton 33-yard field goal (8 plays, 41 yards, 4:07) TIE 17–17 4 14:51 GASO Alex Raynor 47-yard field goal (10 plays, 46 yards, 4:29) GASO 20–17 14:36 APP Jalen Virgil 100-yard kickoff returned (Chandler Staton kick) 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00) APP 24–20 12:51 APP Nate Noel 70-yard rush (Chandler Staton kick) (1 play, 70 yards, 0:12) APP 31–20 05:23 GASO Dexter Carter Jr. 78-yard pass from Miller Mosley (two-point pass conversion attempt failed) (2 plays, 85 yards, 0:34) APP 31–26 02:44 APP Chandler Staton 37-yard field goal (7 plays, 55 yards, 2:39) APP 34–26

Pregame line	Over/under
APP –9	45[19]

Statistics	Appalachian State	Georgia Southern
First downs	17	16
Total yards	381	349
Rushing yards	173	204
Passing yards	208	145
Turnovers	2	4
Time of possession	34:52	25:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Appalachian State	Passing	Zac Thomas	18/29, 208 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Nate Noel	13 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Thomas Hennigan	8 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD
Georgia Southern	Passing	Miller Mosley	5/14, 122 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Justin Tomlin	6 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dexter Carter Jr.	1 reception, 78 yards, 1 TD

Louisiana Tech (New Orleans Bowl)

Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana Tech

1 2 3 4 Total • Eagles 7 14 7 10 38 Bulldogs 0 3 0 0 3 Date: December 23, 2020 Location: Mercedes–Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA Game start: 3:04 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 8 minutes Game attendance: 3,000 Game weather: Weather: N/A (Indoors)• Wind: None Referee: C. Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play–by–play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst), and Dawn Davenport (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 09:52 GASO Shai Werts 1-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (10 plays, 65 yards, 5:08) GASO 7–0 2 14:51 GASO Khaleb Hood 65-yard pass from Shai Werts (Alex Raynor kick) (5 plays, 72 yards, 1:41) GASO 14–0 06:26 GASO Shai Werts 37-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (3 plays, 0 yards, 1:20) GASO 21–0 00:09 LT Jacob Barnes 45-yard field goal (4 plays, -7 yards, 0:22) GASO 21–3 3 05:54 GASO Shai Werts 1-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (4 plays, 47 yards, 1:29) GASO 28–3 4 13:28 GASO Alex Raynor 25-yard field goal (10 plays, 38 yards, 4:58) GASO 31–3 03:07 GASO Gerald Green 4-yard rush (Alex Raynor kick) (7 plays, 80 yards, 4:40) GASO 38–3

Pregame line	Over/under
GASO –4.5	51[20]

Statistics	Louisiana Tech	Georgia Southern
First downs	15	17
Total yards	232	448
Rushing yards	113	322
Passing yards	119	126
Turnovers	4	0
Time of possession	25:33	34:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Louisiana Tech	Passing	JD Head	9/14, 78 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Israel Tucker	20 carries, 123 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Graham	3 receptions, 26 yards
Georgia Southern	Passing	Shai Werts	7/12, 126 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Gerald Green	16 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Khaleb Hood	1 reception, 65 yards, 1 TD

References