Final Prep Complete as Eagles Near JLab Birmingham Bowl
12/28/2025 8:00:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Georgia Southern Eagles checked off another full day of bowl week activities on day three as they finished preparations for Monday's game day.
The morning began with breakfast, followed by a team church service led by team chaplain Matt Wise.
Later in the morning, the Eagles made the walk to Protective Stadium at 11 a.m., mirroring the route they will take on game day. The team then wrapped up its final bowl practice in the early afternoon before returning to the hotel for rest and recovery.
In the afternoon, head coach Clay Helton joined team captains JC French IV and Brendan Harrington at the official JLab Birmingham Bowl press conference, where they faced final questions from the Georgia Southern media.
"There's a lot to fight for: a bowl trophy, the honor of competing against App State – our arch rival – leaving our legacy and writing the final chapter of our story," Helton said. "We look forward to that opportunity tomorrow."
Immediately following, the entire team walked to the JLab Fan Fest Pep Rally at 4 p.m., where Helton, Harrington and Camden Brown energized Eagle Nation alongside the Southern Pride Marching Band and cheer squad with Terry Harvin leading the way on the mic.
The day continued with media appearances, as Helton, offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin, interim defensive coordinator Darius Safford, Brown, French, Harrington, and Davion Rhodes appeared on "Hail Southern Live" in the first hour. Members of the administration then took over the second hour, speaking in front of a packed Southern Kitchen & Bar.
The Eagles capped off day three with a team dinner back at the hotel, closing out the final full day of bowl week preparations.
Georgia Southern will stay in Birmingham to continue bowl preparations ahead of the JLab Birmingham Bowl tomorrow, Dec. 29, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Fans can keep up with the action on ESPN and the Georgia Southern Sports Network.
The morning began with breakfast, followed by a team church service led by team chaplain Matt Wise.
Later in the morning, the Eagles made the walk to Protective Stadium at 11 a.m., mirroring the route they will take on game day. The team then wrapped up its final bowl practice in the early afternoon before returning to the hotel for rest and recovery.
In the afternoon, head coach Clay Helton joined team captains JC French IV and Brendan Harrington at the official JLab Birmingham Bowl press conference, where they faced final questions from the Georgia Southern media.
"There's a lot to fight for: a bowl trophy, the honor of competing against App State – our arch rival – leaving our legacy and writing the final chapter of our story," Helton said. "We look forward to that opportunity tomorrow."
Immediately following, the entire team walked to the JLab Fan Fest Pep Rally at 4 p.m., where Helton, Harrington and Camden Brown energized Eagle Nation alongside the Southern Pride Marching Band and cheer squad with Terry Harvin leading the way on the mic.
The day continued with media appearances, as Helton, offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin, interim defensive coordinator Darius Safford, Brown, French, Harrington, and Davion Rhodes appeared on "Hail Southern Live" in the first hour. Members of the administration then took over the second hour, speaking in front of a packed Southern Kitchen & Bar.
The Eagles capped off day three with a team dinner back at the hotel, closing out the final full day of bowl week preparations.
Georgia Southern will stay in Birmingham to continue bowl preparations ahead of the JLab Birmingham Bowl tomorrow, Dec. 29, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Fans can keep up with the action on ESPN and the Georgia Southern Sports Network.
Players Mentioned
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