Football Travels to Texas State for Sun Belt Showdown Saturday
11/4/2014 12:28:00 PM | Football
Kickoff set for 4 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium as two Pittsburg State alumni meet
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GAME INFORMATION
Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) at Texas State (Sun Belt)
Site: Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium, Sam Marcos, Texas (capacity 30,000)
Date/Time: Saturday, November 8 // 4 p.m. ET
Tickets: Georgia Southern's ticket allotment is SOLD OUT. Tickets are at txstatebobcats.com.
Radio: Georgia Southern Radio Network
Radio Flagship/Local: 103.7 FM & 102.1 WZAT
Georgia Southern Radio Network Affiliates
Audio Streaming: GSEagles.com
Radio Talent: Chris Blair (pbp); Terry Harvin '91 (analyst); Ryan Chambers (sideline)
Live Stats: TxStateBobcats.com
Social Media: Twitter @GSAthletics_FB // Facebook.com/GSAthletics
Gameday Gear: Georgia Southern adidas Fan Zone // Shop Georgia Southern
TEAM INFORMATION
Coaches: Texas State Coach Dennis Franchione (208-124-2, 29th year) / Coach Willie Fritz (183-69-1, 22nd year)
Statistics: Texas State // Georgia Southern
Rosters: Texas State // Georgia Southern
Media Guides: Texas State // Georgia Southern
Game Notes: Texas State // Georgia Southern
Conference Release: Sun Belt
SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: Texas State leads the series 1-0
Last Meeting: A 50-35 Bobcat win in San Marcos in a 2005 NCAA first-round playoff game.
HASHTAG TRUE BLUE
Eagle fans are encouraged to use the following #hashtags on social media when watching and listening to their Eagles play this season:
#BASHtheBobcats
#JOINTHEJOURNEY
#TRUEBLUE
#HAILSOUTHERN
#EAGLENATION
#GATA
ALUMNI WATCH PARTIES
GEORGIA:
Atlanta -- The Smoke Ring // Red Door Tavern in Buckhead
Pooler -- Spanky's
Savannah -- Coach's Corner // Dub's a Public House // Flip Flop Tiki Bar & Grill
Statesboro -- Bigshow's Burgers // Chops on Main // The Clubhouse // Locos
Suwanee -- Twisted Taco
SERIES RECORD VS. TEXAS STATE
In the only meeting between the two teams, No. 6 Georgia Southern traveled to No. 4 Texas State for NCAA first-round playoff game in 2005, with the Bobcats rallying to win 50-35. Eagle quarterback Jayson Foster ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more to Teddy Craft in the first half, but the furious comeback with five-straight scoring drives by the Bobcats in the second half propelled them to the win.
AUDIO BROADCAST OF GEORGIA SOUTHERN-TEXAS STATE
An audio broadcast of Saturday's game is 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. The pre-game show begins two hours before kickoff. A complete listing of affiliates is available in the left column of these notes.
QUICK HITS
Head Coach Willie Fritz and Coach Dennis Franchione are both natives of Kansas and graduates of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas... The two Gorilla alumni met as head coaches previously in 2011 with Willie Fritz's Sam Houston State Bearkats taking a 36-14 victory in San Marcos, Texas … This is the second trip to Texas for the Eagles this season (flew into El Paso for the New Mexico State game Oct. 4), but the first time they'll play in a game in the Lone Star State since 2005… Stephen F. Austin is the only other team from the state of Texas the Eagles have faced in its history, but both games were played at Paulson Stadium (1988 NCAA playoff game; 1989 National Championship)... With the seven-win milestone met, the 2014 season becomes the 18th time in the program's modern era it has reached that mark in the first nine games... Four Eagles on the roster hail from Texas, LB Ken Butler (La Marque), WR Randy Knightner (Georgetown), CB Darrius White (Belton) and CB Caleb Williams (Tyler)... Junior transfer Caleb Williams was evacuated with members of his family to Texas before Hurricane Katrina hit his hometown of New Orleans in 2005... Bobcat Offensive Coordinator Jeff Conway and Coach Fritz were graduate assistant coaches together at Sam Houston State for the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
THE COACHES
Georgia Southern Head Coach Willie Fritz began his 22nd year as a head coach and his first as the leader of the Eagle Football program as it makes its FBS debut. The Shawnee Mission, Kansas, native has developed winning programs and cultivated success at each of his head coaching stops. He won two national championships at Blinn College, guided Central Missouri to 11 winning seasons and led Sam Houston State to back-to-back national championship appearances. He was selected as the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year at the FCS level in 2012 and was recognized nationally in 2011 as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year. His 97-47 mark in 13 seasons as the Mules' head coach ranked Fritz as the winningest coach in the program's 118-year history where he was the only coach to ever win seven or more games in eight consecutive seasons.
In a head coaching career that has spanned tenures at six institutions and nearly three decades, Bobcat Head Coach Dennis Franchione is his fourth season at Texas State, and second tour in San Marcos. He took the reins of the Southwest Texas State program for the first time in 1990 for two years and returned in 2011 to guide the program through its transition to FBS. A Kansas native, he is one of only four active head coaches with 200 or more wins and his 29-year career has witnessed nine bowl games, nine conference championships and NAIA postseason appearances. Last season, he led Texas State to a 6-6 mark in 2013 as the Bobcats became bowl eligible in their second season in FBS and first in the Sun Belt.
BEST CONFERENCE START SINCE 2004
With a 6-0 mark in the Sun Belt Conference, Georgia Southern is off to its best start in league play since 2004 when the Eagles started 6-0 and finished with a 6-1 mark and a Southern Conference title. For Coach Willie Fritz, 2011 was also a good year. His Sam Houston State team went undefeated (7-0) and unchallenged in the Southland Conference en route to the league's crown. To date, the Eagles have won a conference championship in every season in which they have won six or more league games.
SOLID START WITH SEVEN WINS
Only seven times previously has Georgia Southern had a better record than the current 7-2 ledger after nine games. With the seven-win total, the Eagles have recorded at least that number for the 27th time in its 33-year modern history.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Georgia Southern broke into the nation's top 10 list in scoring margin following last Thursday's win, moving into the number six spot at +23.5 (400 PF-188 PA) through nine games. Marshall leads the pack at +29.4 with Baylor (+28.5), Ohio State (+25.7), TCU (+25.4) and Michigan State (+25.2) ahead of the Eagles.
ON THE ROAD, AGAIN
Georgia Southern's 2014 five-game home schedule did not feature any back-to-back home games this season, a first since the 1999 regular season. The Eagles had back-to-back road trips to Georgia Tech and South Alabama in September and play at Texas State and Navy in back to back weeks this month before a final home game vs. UL Monroe on November 29th.
UNDEFEATED IN OCTOBER
The Eagles had a perfect 4-0 mark in the month of October, the eighth time in their 33-year history they went undefeated in the 10th month of the year. In 13 seasons, including 2014, Georgia Southern has posted at least four wins in October. Here's a rundown of the Eagles' top historical records for October:
STILL NUMBER ONE IN THE RUN
Georgia Southern maintained its season rushing average above the 400-yard per game mark at 404.2 and holds onto the nation's top average for the sixth-straight week. Two of the Eagles' opponents, Navy (Nov. 15 at Annapolis, Md.) are ranked in the top five with the Midshipmen checking in at No. 2 with a 350.4 average while Georgia Tech is fourth (319.7 ypg).
RUN, RUN, RUN
The Eagles have rushed for more than 400 yards in five games in 2014 with a game each above the 500- and 600-yard mark, including the Sun Belt Conference single-game record of 613 set at Georgia State. The 613-yard total ranks second on the NCAA single-game list this season and is fifth all-time at Georgia Southern.
AND SCORES FOR GOOD MEASURE
In addition to claiming the Sun Belt Conference's single-game rushing yards record, the Eagles broke the league's season rushing touchdowns record (previously 34) after only 8 games (40) and added six more to the total Thursday night. The 46 ranks eighth on Georgia Southern's single-season touchdown list with 50 (2011 and 2005) the totals just above it.
"INSIDE GEORGIA SOUTHERN FOOTBALL WITH WILLIE FRITZ" ON THURSDAY NIGHTS AT BIGSHOW'S
This week's edition of the radio show "Inside Georgia Southern Football" with Coach Willie Fritz returns to its normal Thursday night schedule from 7-8 p.m. Eastern Time from Big Show's Bar and Burgers on Lanier Drive across from Paulson Stadium. "Voice of the Eagles" Chris Blair and Coach Fritz will preview the Georgia State game, discuss the Eagles' win over Idaho and answer questions from the Eagle Nation. Fans can call 1-855-478-4040 or tweet to @GaSouthernRadio.com. The broadcast will be aired on affiliates of the Georgia Southern Radio Network with on-demand listening available on GSEagles.com.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA.
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