STATESBORO, Ga. - For the second time in program history, the Georgia Southern Football program is headed to a bowl game as the team will face off against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 15 in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. EMU finished the season with a 7-5 record and a 5-3 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
 
MAC ATTACK
The Eastern Michigan Eagles began the season on a two game winning streak beating Purdue 20-19 on the road in West Lafayette, Indiana. Following the win over Purdue the Eagles dropped four straight contests including an overtime loss to San Diego State and a triple overtime defeat to Northern Illinois. The Eagles got back on track winning five of the last six games to get to 7-5 on the season. The first meeting between both of the Eagle programs will come on Dec. 15 at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. Both programs are returning to postseason play after missing the bowl season in 2017.

The 2015 bowl matchup of Georgia Southern and Bowling Green was the first for Eagle Nation at the FBS level. The Eagles would defeat the Falcons 58-27 in Mobile, Alabama, to earn their first bowl victory in program history. The meeting with Eastern Michigan will be the second consecutive bowl meeting between the Eagles and a MAC opponent.
 
CHANGING NAMES
On May 22, 1991 the Eastern Michigan Eagles adopted the nickname of "Eagles", after previously being named the "Hurons." EMU originally went by the nicknames of "Normalites" and "Men from Ypsi" before "Hurons" was adopted in 1929. The name was submitted by two students who used to work at the Huron Hotel at the time of the contest and felt that the Huron Indian Tribe had influenced the community the most at the time. The runner-up name in the contest was the "Pioneers."

Swoop is the mascot for EMU. Even though the school adopted the name "Eagles" it was not until 1994 when "Swoop" was adopted as the official mascot for the university. Swoop is depicted as an American bald eagle wearing an Eastern Michigan University jersey, displaying the numbers "00" on the front and "Swoop" on the back.
 
GREEN, WHITE AND YELLOW?
Eastern Michigan's primary colors are green and white, but the track and cross country teams both feature yellow on their uniforms. The reason for adding yellow to their uniforms goes back to 1967. EMU Hall of Fame Head Coach Bob Parks added the yellow on the uniforms after a meet at Western Michigan ended with EMU catching the short end of the standings. The Eagles were finishing with a group of Michigan State athletes and the finish was announced incorrectly to the Spartans.
 
EMU ATHLETICS
EMU has produced 15 national championships between the NAIA and NCAA levels since 1966. The total is the most of any Mid-American Conference institution. Since 1932, Eastern Michigan has produced 55 individual national champions with the men's track and field team leading the way with 37. Since joining the MAC, Eastern Michigan has racked up 144 team championships in 17 sports.

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