Football | 9/22/2016 12:35:00 PM

WEEK 4 NOTES
• This is GS's best defensive start since 2001 when the Eagles yielded just 20 points in their first three games en route to a 12-2 season. The Eagles have allowed just 30 points in three games thus far.

• Georgia Southern is fourth in the country and leading the Sun Belt giving up just 58.0 yards per game on the ground. They've yet to allow an opponent gain 75 yards rushing in a game this season.

• The Eagles are also fourth in the nation in yards per carry against (2.1) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns against (1). 

• GS has held the ball on average 37:02 per game this season which ranks fifth in FBS. 

• The Eagles have held the ball for 34:32 over the last two seasons, which is the third-best rate in the nation. The national leader is this week's opponent, Western Michigan at 34:53.

• The Eagles' defense leads the Sun Belt in the following categories:
- 3rd Down Percentage Against (22.2%)
- First Downs allowed (42)
- Rushing Defense (58.0/game)
- Scoring Defense (10.0/game)
- Tackles For Loss (8.3/game)
- Total Defense (272/game)

• GS also leads Phil Steele's Special Team rankings amongst Sun Belt teams checking in at 16th in the country. This is greatly aided by only yielding an FBS-leading 9.0 yards per kickoff return.

VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN
• Western Michigan is the only MAC opponent Georgia Southern has ever faced in the regular season. The Eagles also faced MAC team Bowling Green in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl.

• GS beat Western Michigan 43-17 last year, holding the Broncos to a season-low 252 yards.

• The Eagles went 2-0 against their MAC foes last year, amassing 101 points greatly aided by 865 yards rushing.

• This will be the first game ever for Georgia Southern in Michigan.

• The Eagles have gone 0-5 against non-conference teams on the road since joining FBS in 2014.

• GS's last road non-conference win was 2013 at Florida as a transitioning FBS school (November 23, W 26-20).
 

(MORE) SUN BELT RUSHING NOTES
• The Eagles had the five best in-conference rushing totals of 2015. That included a 455 yard performance against UL Monroe in last year's 51-31 victory.

• Only seven times has a Sun Belt team ran for over 440 yards since the start of the 2015 season. The Eagles own all seven of those instances. That figure also leads the country.

THE DYNAMIC DUO
• Kevin Ellison is just 15 yards away from gaining 2,000 FBS yards rushing, joining Taysom Hill of BYU as the only active QBs to rush for that many yards. His freshman year he ran for 886 yards while the Eagles were still in the FCS.

• Ellison was joined Week 1 by Favian Upshaw in the 1,000 yard club. They're the only active quarterback teammates to both rush for over 1,000 yards in their career.

• Ellison (2,871) and Upshaw (1,184) have combined to run for 4,055 yards in their career. This leads FBS QB duos.

SUN BELT'S BEST
• Since joining the Sun Belt in 2014, Georgia Southern has accumulated a league best 15-2 record, although one win was vacated due to NCAA sanctions to make the Eagles officially 14-2. Arkansas State and Appalachian State are tied for the second-best record at 13-3 during that span.

• That ties the best start in a new league since Boise State went 14-2 in their first two years in the Mountain West (2011-12). 

RUNNING TOWARD SUCCESS
• Since joining the FBS in 2014, the Eagles are 21-3 when outrushing their opponents, 0-4 when being outrushed and 0-0 when the rushing total is even. 

• Since 2014, GS is 21-1 when rushing for 300 yards or more. The Eagles are 13-0 when rushing for 400 yards or more, 4-0 when rushing for 500 yards or more and 1-0 when rushing for 600 yards or more.

• The Eagles are 19-2 when rushing 50 times or more in a game under over the past two-plus seasons.

• Additionally, GS is 18-3 when holding the time of possession battle advantage in that span.

RECORDS WATCH
• Kevin Ellison is eighth at GS in career passing yards (2,441) and 10th in rushing yards (2,871). He passed Chaz Williams for 10th place all-time at GS in the South Alabama game and now joins Tracy Ham, Greg Hill and Jayson Foster as the only players in the top 10 for both.

• Kevin Ellison is eighth in school history in career passing yards (2,441). He's 94 yards from passing Chaz Williams for seventh place, 121 from passing Lee Chapple for sixth place and 269 from passing Jaybo Shaw for fifth place.

• Kevin Ellison has the sixth-most passing completions in GS history with 159.

• Matt Breida has 14 games with 100+ rush yards, which is the ninth most in Georgia Southern history. He's two games from Chaz Williams (eighth) and three from Jerick McKinnon (seventh).