The Georgia Southern football team returns to action this Saturday when it hosts UMass in non-conference action. The game was added to the Eagles' schedule last week after the Appalachian State game was postponed until December. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU. The game will also be available via radio on the Georgia Southern Sports Network. Here's all you need to know about the game:

Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • 4 PM   
Location: Statesboro, Ga. (Allen E. Paulson Stadium; 25,000 - 6,200 COVID Capacity)

Records:
UMass: 0-0
Georgia Southern: 2-1

Broadcast Information
Broadcast: ESPNU
PBP: Bill Roth (@BillRoth_); Analyst: Dustin Fox (@DustinFox37)

Radio: Georgia Southern Sports Network
PBP: Danny Reed (@GSEaglesVoice); Analyst: Terry Harvin (@TerryHarvin); Sidelines: Russ Brown

GS: GAME NOTES

Inside The Series
Overall: Fifth Meeting (Tied, 2-2 • 2-0 Home; 0-1 Road; 0-1 Neutral)
Current Streak: GS, Won 1
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 2018 (W, 34-13) - Allen E. Paulson Stadium | Statesboro, Ga.
Nuggets You Might Want To Consume: This will be the fifth meeting between the Eagles and the Minutemen with the series tied, 2-2 … The two teams played in 2018 at Paulson Stadium with the Eagles winning 34-13 … In the 1999 I-AA quarterfinals, the Eagles won 38-21 behind five touchdowns and 333 yards rushing from Adrian Peterson at Paulson Stadium en route to a national title … The Minutemen beat GS 55-43 in the 1998 national championship game in Chattanooga … The 670 yards of total offense allowed to UMass in 2017 is the most given up by the Eagles since joining the FBS in 2014 … In the modern era, Georgia Southern is 4-2 all-time against teams from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts … The Eagles are 2-2 against UMass and 2-0 against Northeastern … GS has won 25 straight games at home against non-conference opponents (including vacated wins and FCS Playoff games) dating back to a Nov. 18, 2006 overtime loss to end the season against Central Arkansas … Georgia Southern has won nine straight games in the month of October dating back to 2018 with the last loss coming to Troy in 2017 … GS is 8-9 all-time in games broadcast on ESPNU.

Countdown to Kickoff

• 10: Chad Lunsford is one of 10 current head coaches on the FBS level who did not play college football.
• 9: Georgia Southern has won nine straight games in the month of October dating back to 2018. The program's last loss in October came to Troy in 2017.
• 8: At least one Eagle player has rushed for 100 or more yards in all but eight of the past 32 games.
• 7: If all games are played, this will be the first time since 1998 that the Eagles will have hosted seven regular-season home games. The last time the Eagles played seven or more games at Paulson Stadium in one season was 2012 when they played seven home games, but one came in the FCS Playoffs.
• 6: Only six offensive players have started all three games thus far, four of whom play on the offensive line.
• 5: This will be the fifth football matchup between Georgia Southern and UMass with both teams having won two games. Two of those games came in the FCS Playoffs with each team winning one of those contests.
• 4: Georgia Southern's last four games have been decided by one possession going back to last year's bowl game. Two of the Eagles' three games this year were decided on the last play of the game.
• 3: Rashad Byrd is the third player in program history to score a non-offensive touchdown in three different ways when he fell on a blocked punt at ULM. He also scored on fumble return and interception return.
• 2: NaJee Thompson blocked two punts against ULM to earn him Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• 1: Georgia Southern has lost just once in 214 instances when having a lead of 18 or more points at any point in the game. 

Up Next:

Oct. 24 at Coastal Carolina - Conway, S.C.