Georgia Southern Announces 2009 Football Schedule
2/6/2009 5:16:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. ? A season-opening game at Paulson Stadium and the program's first-ever game against Atlantic Coast Conference member University of North Carolina highlights Georgia Southern University's 2009 Football schedule. Director of Athletics Sam Baker announced the schedule Friday (Feb. 6).
The Eagles open the season at Paulson Stadium on September 5th against Albany (N.Y.), undefeated champion of the Northeast Conference. After starting the season 1-3, the Great Danes won their final eight games, including a 28-0 win over Jacksonville in the Gridiron Classic game (Northeast Conference vs. Pioneer Football League).
Georgia Southern renews its series with South Dakota State, traveling to Brookings, South Dakota on September 12. The two teams will meet for the fourth time in six years, the last a Georgia Southern 41-38 win thanks to a 54-yard field goal as time expired in 2007. The Jackrabbits are coming off a 7-5 campaign.
Southern Conference play begins the following week (Sept. 19) at home against Western Carolina. The Eagles travel to Elon (Sept. 26) and Wofford (Oct. 3) before their first-ever game against an ACC member.
On October 10 the Eagles travel to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels, who finished 8-5 last year and played in the Meineke Car Care Bowl (31-30 loss to West Virginia).
The Eagles are at Paulson Stadium on October 17 to play host to Chattanooga. They return to North Carolina the following weekend to square off against defending league champion Appalachian State (Oct. 24) before a bye week on Halloween.
Georgia Southern travels to Samford on November 7th before consecutive home games to close out the season. Homecoming highlights the Eagles' game against Furman on November 14th. The Eagles face The Citadel in the regular season finale on the 21st.
“We are excited to be able to announce our 2009 schedule. Our non-conference schedule will be a challenging one. We know North Carolina will be a very good team. Albany went undefeated in Northeast Conference play, and the series with South Dakota State has developed into a friendly rivalry,” said Baker. “The Southern Conference is always tough and this fall will be no different.”
According to head football coach Chris Hatcher, “Our non-conference schedule will be a challenge. We are excited about the opportunity to play a BCS member for the second year in a row. North Carolina turned things around last year, qualifying for a bowl game. I think we play in the toughest conference in the country. It doesn't matter who you play in the Southern Conference, week in and week out you have to bring your A-game if you want to have a chance at winning.”
