Photo by: Frank Fortune - Georgia Southern Athletics
Eagle Football Returns to Paulson Stadium Saturday
10/8/2013 9:45:00 PM | Football
Georgia Southern honors members of Armed Services at Military Appreciation Day
THE CITADEL BULLDOGS (2-4, 2-2)
at
#22 GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES (3-2, 1-2)
Saturday, October 12, 2013, 1 p.m. ET
Allen E. Paulson Stadium (Grass) // Statesboro, Ga.
Tickets: Tickets available at GSEagles.com and by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS.
Fans who wish to donate tickets of the military, please call the Athletics Ticket Office to pledge tickets.
Radio: Georgia Southern Radio Network and online at GSEagles.com
Live Stats: GSEagles.com
Social Media: Twitter @GSAthletics Facebook.com/GSAthletics
Eagles' Streaks Lost 1
Last Win: 9-28-13 vs. Chattanooga (23-21)
Last Loss: 10-5-13 at Samford (34-44)
Home: Won 4
Last Win: 9-28-13 vs. Chattanooga (23-21)
Last Loss: 11-3-12 vs. App. State (28-31)
Road: Lost 3
Last Win: 12-8-12 at Old Dominion (49-35)
Last Loss: 10-5-13 at Samford (34-44)
Last 5: 3-2 Last 10: 6-4
Coaches
Georgia Southern Jeff Monken (Millikin '89)
Record at GS: 34-14 (70.8), Fourth Year
Career Record: Same
Record vs. The Citadel: 2-1
The Citadel Kevin Higgins (West Chester '77)
Record at The Citadel: 40-55, (42.1) Ninth Year
Career Record: 98-80-1,(54.5) 16th Year
Record vs. GS: 2-6
Georgia Southern-The Citadel Series: Georgia Southern leads 17-5
MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
Georgia Southern celebrates Military Appreciation Day today with pre-game and in-game activities, presentations and a halftime musical salute by the Southern Pride Marching Band. Georgia Southern's ROTC Eagle Battalion will march from the RAC into Paulson Stadium and between the first and second quarters, Eagle Battalion Commander LTC Gary Morea will swear in 35 Troops into the Army. Domino's and Krystal have partnered with Nelligan Sports to provide pre-game food to any military personnel and their families at the RAC Pavilion beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
CHEERLEADER FOR A DAY
Seventy children will help cheer on the Eagle Football team as it enters the field for today's game. The up-and-coming cheerleaders will spend the morning with Georgia Southern's national champion cheerleaders at Hanner Fieldhouse to learn cheers and chants before heading over to Paulson Stadium. Online registration is open athttp://tinyurl.com/cfad2013
#TRUEBLUE CAMPOUT
Boy Scouts in the Coastal Empire who register with the Ogeechee District Camporee will line the tunnel for the Eagle Football team's pre-game entrance and will camp out at Eagle Field after the game. For more information on the #TrueBlue campout, contact jehewitt@bsamail.org.
WATCH AND LISTEN
Audio and video broadcasts of Saturday's game are available as part of GS All-Access on GSEagles.com with packages varying from a day to a full year. A single-day pass is $5.95 and content can be accessed on all Windows, OSX, iOS and Android devices. Eagle Football fans can catch all the action, as well as pre-game and post-game shows on the Georgia Southern Radio Network. A complete listing of affiliates is available HERE.
QUICK HITS
On Thursday, Col. Randall V. Simmons, Jr., and Command Sergeant Major Lewis will reveal the helmet decals the Eagles will wear to represent the Georgia National Guard... Eagle defensive end Lennie Richardson served in the U.S. Army for three and a half years as a gunner on the M1A1 tanks... Director of Player Development Cliff Yoshida attained the rank of captain in the U.S. Marines and was a platoon and company commander during his five years of military service... Georgia Southern Offensive Coordinator Brent Davis played two years at The Citadel under Charlie Taaffe... Bulldogs' Offensive Coordinator/O-Line coach Bob Bodine served on the Georgia Southern coaching staff under Coach Paul Johnson from 1997-2002 and then was the offensive line coach at VMI where Davis was the Offensive Coordinator... A decal to recognize the passing of Athletic Trainer Tom "Doc" Smith will be added to the Eagles' helmets... Smith was a valued, longtime member of the Georgia Southern Athletics family who served from 1971-1994.
MILITARY TIES
Several members of Coach Monken's family have served in the armed forces and he will wear four patches Saturday in their honor:
Gordon Johnson (grandfather)
served in U.S. Navy, WWII, U.S.S. Zeilen (patch)
Art Abegg (uncle)
served in U.S. Navy (Vietnam), U.S.S. Kittyhawk (patch)
Ron Slack (uncle)
Lt. Col. in Army Reserve
Evan Mahan (brother-in-law, sister Susan's husband), served in U.S. Army in Iraq (patch)
Bob Adelmann (great uncle)
1st Marine Corps Division Guadalcanal (patch)
Bud Anderson (uncle)
U.S. Army, WWII
GEORGIA SOUTHERN-THE CITADEL SERIES
Georgia Southern and The Citadel have met 22 previous times with the Eagles holding a 17-5 advantage in the series and an 11-1 mark at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. Ten contests have been decided by 10 points or less, including the last two meetings in which Georgia Southern won 14-12 in 2011 and the Bulldogs 23-21 at Johnson Hagood Stadium in 2012.
THE COACHES
A 2012 finalist and 2013 candidate for Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year honors, Jeff Monken is in his fourth year as head coach of the Georgia Southern Football program with a 34-14 record for a 70.8 winning percentage. Monken is one of only two coaches in Eagle Football history, the other his mentor Paul Johnson, to record 10 or more wins in each of the first three years of his tenure. With 24 years of coaching experience, including five years as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern during one of its most successful periods, Monken is prepared to navigate the present and the future for this Eagle Football program.
Kevin Higgins, who brought the triple option offense back to The Citadel in 2010, is in his ninth year as head coach. The Bulldogs posted a 7-4 record in 2012 for the program's first winning season since 2007, marking only the second time that total was reached since 1992, both campaigns under Higgins. Higgins was named the SoCon Coach of the Year in 2012 based on the performance of his squad. Prior to his appointment at The Citadel, Higgins spent the 2001-04 seasons with the Detroit Lions. He joined the Lions after a seven-year tenure at Lehigh.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
GSU CIT
Overall Record 3-2 2-4
Scoring Avg. 42.6 28.8
First Downs 119 120
Total Offense Avg. 490.2 377.5
Rushing Yards Avg. 371.6 283.8
Passing Yards Avg. 118.6 93.7
Kickoff Return Avg. 15.2 18.4
Punt Return Avg. 10.2 7.1
Net Punting 34.3 35.9
Time of Possession 30:28 31:17
Third-Down Conversions 32/65 34/80
Fourth-Down Conversions 4/6 10/17
Points Allowed Avg. 121 185
Total Yards Allowed Avg. 381.6 381.5
Rushing Yards Allowed Avg. 189.2 177.8
Passing Yards Allowed Avg. 118.6 203.7
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
A Citadel field goal with 35.5 seconds left in the game lifted the Bulldogs to a 23-21 win at Johnson Hagood Stadium in the 2012 Southern Conference opener. A final field goal attempt by the Eagles was unsuccessful as time ran off the clock.
Two Eagles, Dominique Swope (129) and Ezayi Youyoute (101) ran for more than 100 yards each with each scoring a touchdown. The Citadel's Thomas Warren hit three field goals while quarterback Ben Dupree led the Bulldogs with 92 yards rushing and passed for a score. Aaron Miller threw for nearly half his 59-yard game total on the final scoring drive for the Bulldog win.
EASY FOR ELLISON
Ellison was a perfect 7-7 passing for 140 yards against Samford last Saturday, connecting with junior Tray Butler for two touchdowns, his first career TD pass for 24 yards and his career long on the next Eagle possession for 58 yards. The redshirt freshman from Cornelia, Ga., is averaging 19.27 yards per completion. The last time an Eagle posted perfect passing numbers was in 2007 when Jayson Foster was 10-10 for 147 yards and a touchdown against Western Carolina.
STILL TOP OF THE HEAP
Georgia Southern has maintained the top ranking in average team rushing yards per game since the start of the 2013 season -- for both FBS and FCS. The Eagles are averaging 371.6 yards per game ahead of New Mexico (FBS, 367.8) and Sam Houston State (FCS, 331.8).
MOVING ON UP
Jerick McKinnon continued his assault on the Georgia Southern record books, passing both Greg Hill and Roderick Russell for fifth on the career rushing list with 181 yards last Saturday for a career total 3,445.
1. 6,559 Adrian Peterson* 1998-01
2. 5,411 Jermaine Austin 2002-05
3. 3,876 Joe Ross 1987-90
4. 3,835 Jayson Foster 2004-07
*NCAA Division I career rushing record
MORE McKINNON
With his two rushing touchdowns against against Samford, Jerick McKinnon put his name in the top 10 of another Georgia Southern career list now with 36 career rushing scores to tie Kenny Robinson (1994-97) and Joe Ross (1987-90) for eighth.
Career Rushing Touchdowns
1. 84 Adrian Peterson 1998-2001
2. 62 Chaz Williams 2001-04
3. 54 Jayson Foster 2004-07
4. 53 Gerald Harris 1983-86
5. 49 Greg Hill 1996-99
6. 42 Ernest Thompson 1985-89
36 Kenny Robinson 1994-97
36 Joe Ross 1987-90
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website,GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/
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