PHOTO GALLERY

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Tyler Bass hit three field goals, including a 40-yarder as time expired to lift the Georgia Southern football team to a dramatic 23-21 victory over Eastern Michigan in the 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl Saturday evening at Cramton Bowl.

Setting the Scene: Eastern Michigan took its first lead of the game when Mike Glass connected with Arthur Jackson on fourth and 4 from the GS 5-yard line with 3:33 left. The Eagles looked to be in trouble as time ran down, but on fourth and 10 from his own 41-yard line, quarterback Shai Werts dropped back to pass, didn't see anyone open, made a defender miss and somehow scrambled for 29 yards and a key first down. Wesley Fields carried the ball twice for 7 yards to get the ball to the 23-yard line and set up Bass' dramatic kick.

The win marked the first time since 2008 that Georgia Southern won a game on the final offensive play of the game, when Adam Urbano scored on a 3-yard run in the third overtime to lift the Eagles to a 44-41 in over The Citadel. The last game to end on a made field goal was in 2007 when Jesse Hartley hit a 54-yard field goal as time expired to win 31-28 over South Dakota State.

Of Note: Wesley Fields became the 25th member of the 1,000-yard rushing club when he picked up his 42nd yard on the night in the second quarter and finished his career with just over 3,000 rushing yards … Tyler Bass tied the school record for 40-yard field goals in a season with 10 and finished the season 19-for-21 on fields goals and made all 45 of his PATs … Shai Werts was named MVP of the game after rushing for two touchdowns and leading the game-winning drive … Werts set a new school record for consecutive passes without an interception, a streak of 118 that he will take into next season … Georgia Southern became the first team in FBS history to not throw an interception all season and also set a new NCAA and school record with just five turnovers all season … With the win, Georgia Southern recorded its 15th 10-win season in program history, but its first at the FBS level … The Eagles are now 2-0 in bowl games after winning the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl … With the win, GS became the fourth team in Division I-A/FBS history to make a one-year turnaround from double-digit losses on the field to double digit-wins the next season … The Eagles had a 7 1/2 margin in games improved, tied for the seventh-best in NCAA Division I-A/FBS history … Georgia Southern set a new Sun Belt record for season turnover margin at +22, topping the +18 set by Florida Atlantic in 2007 and tied the Georgia Southern mark, set in 1989 … Wesley Fields became the first player in Georgia Southern history to lead the team in rushing (1,050) and receiving (237) yards in the same season.

Scoring Plays:
• Shai Werts had a masterful run from 26 yards out on third and short late in the first quarter to cap a 15-play, 95-yard, 9:01 drive that all marked season highs for the Eagles. It was also the longest scoring drive in Camellia Bowl history. GS 7-0    
• Eastern Michigan capitalized on a blocked punt and went 50 yards for a touchdown when Tyler Lyle caught a 1-yard scoring pass. Tied 7-7
• Werts kept the ball around the right side on the option, scoring from 5 yards out late in the first half. GS 14-7
• Tyler Bass ended the first half with a bang as he bombed a 50-yard field goal that easily cleared the crossbar. GS 17-7
• On the first play of the second half, Arthur Jackson went 75 yards for a score after Joshua Moon slipped on the wet turf. GS 17-14
• Bass hit a 35-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter. GS 20-14
• EMU took its first lead with just over 3 minutes left in the game with a fourth-down pass to the back of the end zone. EMU 21-20
• Bass. 40. Good. Ballgame. Celebrate. GS 23-21

Up Next: The Eagles (10-3) finished the season with three straight wins and will open the 2019 season on Aug. 31 at LSU.