Football Returns to the Road at Rival Furman
10/16/2012 3:32:43 PM | Football
Live Stats // Game Notes // Video Streaming // Georgia Southern Radio Network // Game Day Central
VIDEO: Preview interview with Coach Jeff Monken -- 10-17-2012
VIDEO: Preview interview with junior QB Jerick McKinnon -- 10-18-2012
VIDEO: Preview interview with senior DT Brent Russell -- 10-18-2012
VIDEO: Preview interview with senior S J.J. Wilcox -- 10-18-2012
STATESBORO, Ga. - After playing their lone home game in October last weekend, the Georgia Southern Eagles return to the road Saturday at Furman. Kickoff for the Paladins' homecoming is set for 1:30 p.m.
Third-ranked Georgia Southern (5-1, 4-1) has won four-straight games after an early season loss to The Citadel. The Eagles moved into first place in the Southern Conference standings after a 17-9 win over #4 Wofford last week. GSU used 137-yards and two touchdowns from SoCon Offensive Player of the Week, Dominique Swope (Buford, Ga.), to move on top of Wofford in the standings.
Georgia Southern has rushed for 300 or more yards in all but one game this season and ranks second in the FCS with 408.33 yards per game. Swope is tied for 15th in the country with 110.33 rushing yards per game and has 662 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. The Sophomore B-Back has scored a rushing touchdown in seven-straight games and has already surpassed his previous season-high total for touchdowns.
The Eagles' defense will have to once again transition from defending a rushing team to defending a balanced-passing attack this week. GSU's defense ranks second in the FCS in total defense with 266.50 yards allowed per game. John Stevenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) leads the team with 49 tackles and three pass breakups, while defensive end Javon Mention (Tampa, Fla.) has five sacks on the year.
Furman (2-5, 1-3) has dropped two-straight games after defeating Presbyterian and Western Carolina. The Paladins are coming off of a 31-10 loss to Chattanooga last week. Furman's offense is averaging 220.0 passing yards per game and nearly 400 yards of offense per contest; however, their defense is allowing 390.6 yards per game.
The Paladins have one of the top receiving threats in the SoCon in Will King and the second-leading rusher in the conference in Jerodis Williams. King has a third of Furman's 1,540 passing yards and has caught 34 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns, while Williams has 815 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Saturday's game can be heard across the state of Georgia on the Georgia Southern Radio Network and locally in Statesboro on the flagship Boomer 103.7 FM. For fans traveling to Greenville, S.C. the game can be heard on 102.1 FM.
Fans can download "Eagles GATA" to their android devices or iPhones and continue to follow their Eagles at GSEagles.com, facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics.
