Georgia Southern Football Notes – June 13, 2014
6/13/2014 2:58:00 PM | Football
Three Eagles change positions as program prepares for first FBS season
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STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern opens the 2014 season with Atlantic Coast Conference opponent N.C. State on August 30th with the game set for a 12:30 p.m. start at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack is one of two ACC teams on the Eagle schedule this year with a contest at Georgia Tech two weeks later on September 13th.
Coach Willie Fritz, who was hired at Georgia Southern on January 10th this year, has an 18-3 record in season openers. That total includes an 11-1 mark in games played in the month of August.
SEVEN IN STATE
The Eagles play seven games in the state of Georgia this season, five at home with two on the road in Atlanta against first-time opponents. Three of those games in the Peach State will take place in September with Georgia Southern welcoming Eagle fans to a newly expanded Paulson Stadium for the home opener on Saturday, September 6th with the game at Georgia Tech the following week. The Sun Belt home opener, also the first Thursday night game at Paulson Stadium since the 1989 Hugo Bowl, brings longtime rival Appalachian State to Statesboro for a nationally broadcast ESPNU game on September 25th.
With three of their four games in Georgia in October, the Eagles play host to Idaho for Homecoming on October 11th followed with a bye week and then a trip back to Atlanta to play Georgia State. Georgia Southern's second Thursday night game on ESPNU is set for Halloween eve October 30th vs. Troy.
DOME SWEET DOME
Georgia Southern is 1-0 in games played at the Georgia Dome, defeating Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 9, 1995, as the designated home team. Coach Fritz is 3-1 in games played in NFL stadiums with all four games played at Houston's Reliant Stadium, now NRG Stadium, during his Sam Houston State tenure.
EXPERIENCED O-LINE
According to statistical calculations by Phil Steele Publications, Georgia Southern has the one of the most experienced offensive line units in the nation. Ranked 24th nationally in this category, the Eagles return veterans Logan Daves, Garrett Frye (25), Trevor McBurnett (23) and Manrey Saint-Amour (23) along with upperclassmen Darien Foreman (13), Maurice Hunt, Jr., Raymond Klugey and Jeff Ward, all who have at least two starts under their belt.
LEADING IN THE LAST YEAR
For the first time since 2007, when Jayson Foster led the league in rushing, Jerick McKinnon led the Southern Conference in that statistical category. In a similar pattern, safety Deion Stanley had three interceptions to rank at the top of the SoCon list, the first time an Eagle had done so since 2007. Carson Hill had three interceptions that year as the conference leader.
In the team statistics, Georgia Southern maintained its spot at the top of four offensive categories, ranking number one in total offense and rushing offense in back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013, and for the third straight season in scoring offense (2011, 2012 and 2013) and third-down conversions. The Eagles also returned to the top of the rushing defense category in 2013.
THIRTY-FIVE EAGLES POST 3.0 GPA IN SPRING
Thirty-five Eagle Football student-athletes finished the spring 2014 semester with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. Of that total, 16 were named to the Dean's List for GPAs of 3.5 and above and two recorded perfect 4.0 GPAs. Twenty-three maintained at least a 3.0 grade point average for the entire 2013-14 academic year and were recognized as members of the Eagle Honor Roll.
POSITION CHANGES
Ezayi Youyoute returns to his original quarterback position this preseason after injuries kept him off the field for the last year. L.A. Ramsby will bolster the running back position after spending the spring at quarterback. James Dean, who has played both running back and linebacker, will continue at tight end after moving to that spot in late spring. Vegas Harley, who scored a 31-yard touchdown on his first collegiate carry last year, moves to the defensive side of the ball as a member of the Eagle secondary.
ROSTER TRANSACTION
Running back Ken Thomas, a mid-year transfer, did not maintain his academic eligibility and will not return to the team this fall.
UNIFORM NUMBER CHANGES
Wide receiver B.J. Johnson moves to number 12 for fall 2014 after wearing 81 last year. Safety Zander Yost, who wore a duplicate number during his mandated NCAA transfer year, will wear 41. Other number changes in the 40s include senior running back Dennis Pritchard to 43 and cornerback Clifford Saggus to number 45.
FAMILY PLAN SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
Eagle fans can select their season tickets for Georgia Southern's upcoming 2014 campaign, and experience the historical first year in the FBS and the Sun Belt. The Eagle Family Plan offers a pair of reserved seat season tickets for all five games for only $145 with each additional ticket at $75 each. Family Plan seating is available in the grass seating area and in Sections JJ and KK in the new mid-deck. Donations to the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation are not required to purchase these ticket plans for either the grass hill or mid-deck areas.
Eagle Family plan season tickets in mid-deck Sections JJ and KK may be purchased online at GSEagles.com/fbtix, by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or at the Athletics Ticket Office at 203 Lanier Drive. Phone and on-campus weekday hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
CONNECT WITH THE EAGLES
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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