STATESBORO, Ga. – Eight Georgia Southern football student-athletes have been named Preseason All-Sun Belt by Athlon Sports, and the Eagles have been picked second in the conference by the publication.
Matt Breida (RB, Jr.),
Darien Foreman (OL, Sr.) and
Derek Keaton (KR/WR, Sr.) were named to the first-team offense and specialist team.
Kevin Ellison (QB, Jr.),
Jay Ellison (DL, Jr.) and
Matt Dobson (S, Sr.) were named to the second team.
Bernard Dawson (DE, Jr.) and
Antwione Williams (LB, Sr.) were named to the third team.
A Doak Walker Award semifinalist, Breida led both the nation and Sun Belt in rushing yards per carry at 8.7 and ranked at the top of the Sun Belt rushing chart at 123.8 yards per game. He had more rushing touchdowns of 50-yards or more than anyone in the nation (7) and had the second-highest rushing touchdowns in the league with 17. He finished with 1,485 yards en route to earning first-team All-Sun Belt accolades.
Foreman started all 12 games on the offensive line and helped pave the way for the nation's most potent rushing offense, which racked up 381.1 yards per game and two of the top four single-game rushing totals in FBS in 2014. Georgia Southern also set a Sun Belt Conference record for rushing TDs with 55 and added 1,409 yards to the league's previous single-season rushing record with 4,573 in 2014. Keaton was named to the team as a kick returner after averaging 27.81 yards a return.Â
A second-team All-Sun Belt selection a season ago,
Kevin Ellison, twice named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week, registered 1,096 rushing yards to go along with 1,001 passing yards.
Dobson helped the Eagles preserve the win and Sun Belt title with a pass break up inside the one-yard line the final seconds against ULM. He also had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, one of two pick-6s on the year, to set a Sun Belt Conference mark for longest return and tie the mark for the longest play in Georgia Southern history. He finished with 62 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups to earn second-team All-Sun Belt honors.
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Jay Ellison led the Eagles' defensive line with 36 tackles (24 solo) in 12 games, including four tackles for loss and two sacks, to earn All-Sun Belt honorable mention honors. Dawson tallied 35 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and broke up two passes in 12 contests. Williams was second on the team with 66 tackles, including 45 solo hits, and led the Eagles with eight tackles for loss and three sacks, earning All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention accolades.
Georgia Southern was picked second in the league behind Arkansas State. UL Lafayette was picked third, followed by Appalachian State and Texas State.
The Eagles won the 2014 Sun Belt title in their first season in the league, finishing 8-0 in the conference and 9-3 overall. Georgia Southern returns 58 lettermen and 13 starters to the 2015 squad.
Fans can purchase 2015 season tickets and select their seats online, by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting the ticket office in the Cowart Building adjacent to Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Drive). Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Season tickets prices start as low as $75 for all six games, and seats that do not require a donation are available from $135-145 per seat.
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. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
