STATESBORO - Led by a historic performance from senior running back OJ Arnold, the Georgia Southern football team held off Coastal Carolina, 45-40, on Saturday evening at Paulson Stadium for its second straight win.
The Eagles evened their record to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the Sun Belt with the victory, while Coastal Carolina fell to 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the Sun Belt Georgia Southern will wrap up its home slate on Saturday, hosting Old Dominion at 1 p.m. for Senior Day at Paulson.
Arnold accounted for 393 yards of total offense and had five 50+ yard plays in a career night for the Quitman, Ga., native. He rushed 21 times for 267 yards and two touchdowns, the fifth-most rushing yards in a single game in Georgia Southern history, while adding four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown as well as a 73-yard touchdown pass. He is the first Georgia Southern player to rush for a touchdown, catch a touchdown pass and throw a touchdown pass in the same game in program history.
An explosive first half resulted in 581 yards of offense between the two teams as the Eagles took a 35-27 lead into halftime. The 35 points were the most points scored in a half in the Clay Helton era. Arnold had two touchdown carries and a touchdown reception in the half, while JC French IV and Weston Bryan each tossed touchdown passes to Camden Brown.
It was the first time the Eagles have scored 35 points in the first half since October 17, 2015, when the Eagles also put up 35 points in the first half en route to a 56-26 win over New Mexico State.
Coastal Carolina opened the second half with a second touchdown pass thrown by a wide receiver, this time Kamello English hooking up with Robby Washington to draw the Chants within two, 35-33, as the two-point conversion failed. In the first half, wide receiver Bryson Graves connected with Jameson Tucker on a 75-yard touchdown pass.
The Eagles turned the same trick on its next drive as Arnold threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Camden Brown to extend Georgia Southern's lead to 42-33. Brown is the first Eagle to catch three touchdown passes in a game since Corey Joyner had three against Western Illinois on December 12, 1998, in the FCS semifinals and it was the fifth career touchdown pass for Arnold.
Tripp Bryant opened the fourth quarter with a 29-yard field goal to make the score 45-33, but Coastal made it a one-score game again on Dominic Knicely's 16-yard touchdown run that made the score 45-40 with 11:32 remaining. The Eagle defense then forced two straight punts, and facing a 3rd and 12 on its own eight yard line with 3:12 left on the clock, Arnold busted through the left side for a 55-yard run for his final and perhaps most important carry of the game. Two first-down rushes by quarterback Weston Bryan allowed the Eagles to run out the clock and clinch the victory.
French finished the contest 22-of-33 passing for 264 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while Brown had five catches for 133 yards and his three scores. Dalen Cobb had six catches for 81 yards as well for the Eagles, while the defense was paced by Ayden Jackson's nine tackles - eight solo - and Elijah McDowell's four tackles and four pass breakups.
Tad Hudson came on in relief of an injured Samari Collier at quarterback for the Chanticleers and went 15-for-28 passing for 173 yards. Collier was Coastal Carolina's leading rusher on the day with six carries for 69 yards and a touchdown before exiting the contest, while Jameson Tucker had four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
