Eagle Nation,

I hope this note finds you and your family well!

I am not sure about you, but I am still on a high from this past weekend's win over Appalachian State! The ending to the game was something that children all over the country draw up when they are in their front yards. The game is in overtime, and you need a touchdown to win … only this time, it is a real game! On second and 10 from the 25, Kyle Vantrease rolls out to his right and hits Ezrah Archie in the end zone to win the game, propelling the Eagles to a bowl game! What a finish!!!

After getting home from the game, I was still so wired from the adrenaline that I went back and watched the replay of the win. I beamed with pride seeing how our young men, in the face of adversity with several key contributors out with an injury, stepped up and made play after play. Saturday's victory was a culture win. Our young men have battled, scrapped, clawed, and given 100 percent all year. Attitude reflects leadership, and we have some tremendous leaders. That starts with Coach Clay Helton leading and pouring into our student-athletes.  

Eagle Nation – THANK YOU! Your support all season has been the key ingredient to providing our team with the backing needed to win some big ball games. Beating Nebraska on the road, knocking off top-25 James Madison at home, and beating Appalachian State to propel us to a bowl game would not be possible without you! Please know how much we appreciate and value your impact on our program!

Speaking of bowl games, I am optimistic about learning more this week about which bowl game(s) we are most likely to play in. Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill has done a great job proactively keeping the director of athletics in our league updated on our potential bowl locations before this Sunday's announcement. Regardless of where we end up playing, please know that we would like nothing more than to have a home-field environment in our bowl game! Deposits are now being taken for those who want to guarantee a bowl ticket and you can read about that here. Please stay tuned for more information!

As we approach the month of December, I also thought it was a pertinent time to provide some fall updates from several of our teams:
 

• Women's soccer claimed the program's first Sun Belt regular season championship on Oct. 27 with a 1-0 win against Georgia State. Head coach Chris Adams was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year, while junior defender Sade Heinrichs notched Defensive Player of the Year honors. Elis Nemstov garnered first-team accolades as a forward, while Katie Oakley picked up second-team honors as a goalkeeper.
• Men's golf finished the fall with a No. 25 national ranking, highlighted by three top-5 tournament finishes.
• Women's golf concluded the fall with a No. 69 national ranking, marking the highest ranking in school history. The team secured three top-3 tournament finishes this fall. 
• Women's rifle finished the fall ranked No. 15 in the country, highlighted by two top-20 wins.
• Volleyball finished with a 16-12 overall record en route to making the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Senior Emily Jarome was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team All-Sun Belt. 
• Women's cross country notched three top-5 finishes this fall.
• Women's swimming & diving had several great showings this fall, highlighted by 25 individual best times at the South Carolina Invitational two weekends ago.

I look forward to seeing many of you at Hanner Fieldhouse during the next several weeks as our men's and women's basketball teams have some great matchups coming to Statesboro. The excitement starts with a doubleheader this Wednesday as the women open up the doubleheader at 4 p.m. against Agnes Scott and our men's team plays Florida Gulf Coast University at 7:30 p.m. Let's pack Hanner!   In closing, for Georgia Southern to reach its desired goals, I will continue to strategically highlight three (3) things that individuals and companies can do to help us:

1. Financially support the Athletic Foundation and the Erk Russell Fund
2. Buy season tickets and create a home-field advantage
3. Get others to do the same!

Our Athletic Ticket Office is ready to assist you in purchasing tickets and can be reached at 1-800-GSU-WINS or via email at tickets@georgiasouthern.edu.

Our best days are ahead – thank you for your continued support!

Hail Southern! GATA!

Jared Benko
Georgia Southern Director of Athletics