STATESBORO - The Georgia Southern football team opens Sun Belt Conference action on Saturday as it travels to the Commonwealth of Virginia to take on James Madison at Bridgeforth Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:32 p.m. and it will be carried on ESPN+. 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 5: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 • 1:32 PM
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field; 24,877)
Records:
James Madison: 2-1, 0-0 SBC
Georgia Southern: 2-2, 0-0 SBC
Broadcast Information
Broadcast: ESPN+
PBP: Curt Dudley, Analyst: Delvin Joyce, Sidelines: David Hulvey
Radio: Georgia Southern Sports Network
PBP:
Danny Reed (
@GSEaglesVoice); Analyst:
Terry Harvin (
@TerryHarvin); Sidelines: Frank Sulkowski
Radio Affiliates (PDF)
GS: GAME NOTES (PDF)
Inside The Series
Overall Record: GS leads, 9-2
In Statesboro: GS leads, 6-0
In Harrisonburg: GS leads, 3-2
At Neutral: Never Met
Chesney vs. GS: 0-1
Helton vs. JMU: 2-1
Helton vs. Chesney: Helton leads, 1-0
Current Streak: GS, won one (2024-)
Last Meeting: GS 28, JMU 14 (2024)
Longest GS Streak: Eight (1986-2022)
Longest JMU Streak: One (1985 & 2023)
Largest GS Win: 19 points (1987 in Statesboro)
Largest JMU Win: 28 points (2023 in Harrisonburg)
GS vs. current Sun Belt Members: 72-70-1
GS vs. teams from Virginia: 26-6
GS in state of Virginia: 12-3
GS at Bridgeforth Stadium: 3-2
Helton at Bridgeforth Stadium: 0-1
Of Note:
- Southern and JMU played eight straight seasons from 1985 to 1992. After dropping the first game 21-6 at Bridgeforth Stadium, the Eagles rolled off eight straight wins. JMU cut into the series lead with a 41-13 win in Harrisonburg in 2023, but the Eagles took a 9-2 lead in the series with a 28-14 win at home last year.
- Both of JMU's wins in the series came at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Dukes beat the Eagles in 1985 and then rolled to a 41-13 win the last time these two played in Harrisonburg.
- Tight ends coach Bryan Schor was a Walter Payton Award finalist and All-American as a quarterback at James Madison, leading the Dukes to the 2016 FCS national title.
- Georgia Southern is 6-5 in Sun Belt openers, 4-2 when the conference opener is on the road. Clay Helton is 2-1 in Sun Belt openers, 1-1 when the conference opener is on the road.
- The Eagles are 26-6 all-time against teams from Virginia, but have dropped two in a row in the Commonwealth (2023 at JMU; 2024 at ODU).
Countdown to Kickoff
10: With long snapper
Jackson Wheeler recovering a fumble last week on a muffed punt,
10 Eagles on the current roster have at least one collegiate fumble recovery.
9: Georgia Southern has won
nine of the 11 all-time contests against James Madison, but has only won three of the five games played in Harrisonburg.
8: After dropping the first game in the series, the Eagles rolled off
eight straight wins against JMU from 1986-2022.
7: The Eagles have lost just
seven times in 23 instances under
Clay Helton when tallying 30 or more rushes in a game. They ran the ball 40 times last week in the win over Maine.
6: Georgia Southern had
six sacks in the 28-14 win over James Madison last season in Statesboro.
5: Transfer
Camden Brown has caught a touchdown pass in four consecutive games. The school record is
five set by Teddy Craft in 2004.
4: Running back
OJ Arnold has
four career touchdown passes, one in each of his
four seasons in Statesboro.
4: BONUS -
Four players completing a pass (French IV, Cobb, Arnold, Helton) against Maine is a single-game school record.
3: Defensive lineman
MJ Stroud tallied
3.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, against Maine last week. The TFL total is tied for the most ever in a single game for a Coach
Clay Helton team (Christian Rector twice at USC).
2: The Eagles have dropped
two games in a row in the Commonwealth of Virginia (2023 at JMU; 2024 at ODU).
1: The Georgia Southern defense allowed just
one conversion on 12 third-down attempts by Maine last week.
Up Next:
Oct. 9 - vs, Southern Miss - Statesboro, Ga. - Time and Network TBA
