Saturday, October 10
Statesboro, GA
7:30 PM
Georgia Southern University
vs
James Madison
GAME PREVIEW: Eagles Return Home For Big Game Against JMU
10/5/2026 3:30:00 PM | Football
Game set for 7:30 pm kick on ESPNU
STATESBORO - The Georgia Southern football team returns home to face James Madison at Allen E. Paulson Stadium/Evans Family Field Saturday in Sun Belt Conference action. Kickoff is set for 7:35 p.m. and it will be carried 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 6: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 • 7:35 PM Â
Location: Statesboro, Ga. (Allen E. Paulson Stadium/Evans Family Field; 25,000)
Records:
ARV James Madison: 5-0, 2-0 SBC
Georgia Southern: 2-3, 1-0 SBC
Broadcast Information
Broadcast: ESPNU
PBP: Mike Corey;Â Analyst: Rene Ingoglia
Radio: Georgia Southern Sports Network
PBP: Adam Young (@youngpbp); Analyst: Frank Sulkowski (@TheBigGuyWJCL); Sidelines: Jeff Roberts (@JeffRoberts__)
GS: GAME NOTES (PDF)
Radio Affiliates
Inside The Series
Overall Record: GS leads, 9-3
In Statesboro: GS leads, 6-0
In Harrisonburg:Â Tied, 3-3
Napier vs. GS: 3-0
Helton vs. JMU: 2-2
Helton vs. Napier: Never Met
Current Streak: JMU, won one (2025-)
Last Meeting: JMU 35, JMU 10 (2025)
Longest GS Streak: Eight (1986-2022)
Longest JMU Streak: One (1985, 2023 & 2025)
Largest GS Win: 19 points (1987 in Statesboro)
Largest JMU Win: 28 points (2023 in Harrisonburg)
GS vs. current Sun Belt Members: 73-70-1
GS vs. teams from Virginia: 26-8
GS in state of Georgia: 240-71-1
GS at Allen E. Paulson Stadium: 223-54
Helton at Paulson Stadium: 18-8
Of Note:
Countdown to Kickoff
10: Georgia Southern will be looking for its 10th win all-time against James Madison, leading the series 9-3
9: Seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson is tied for ninth in the FBS in passes had intercepted, throwing just one in 186 attempts this season.
8: This will be the eighth time in the past two seasons the Eagles have been on national television. It will also be the 15th time in the past three seasons.
7: Georgia Southern averaged a season-best 7.1 yards per play in last week's 31-24 win at Coastal Carolina, recording 407 yards of offense on just 57 plays.
6: The Eagles have won all six games played against the Dukes at Paulson Stadium.
5: Georgia Southern's defense is ranked fifth in the FBS in fumble recoveries with five.
4: This will be JMU head coach Billy Napier's fourth game against Georgia Southern. He went 3-0 against the Eagles as the head coach of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
3: Georgia Southern has dropped three consecutive games from the Commonwealth of Virginia (2025 vs. JMU; 2024 and 2025 vs. ODU). The Eagles still hold a 26-8 all-time record against teams from the Old Dominion State.
2: JMU is 27-7 in conference games since joining the conference in 2022, including 14-3 at home and 13-4 on the road. Two of the four road losses are at Georgia Southern.
1: Josh Dallas is first in the Sun Belt in receptions per game, averaging 5.8 catches per game.
Up Next:
Oct. 15 at Old Dominion
Â
Game 6: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 • 7:35 PM Â
Location: Statesboro, Ga. (Allen E. Paulson Stadium/Evans Family Field; 25,000)
Records:
ARV James Madison: 5-0, 2-0 SBC
Georgia Southern: 2-3, 1-0 SBC
Broadcast Information
Broadcast: ESPNU
PBP: Mike Corey;Â Analyst: Rene Ingoglia
Radio: Georgia Southern Sports Network
PBP: Adam Young (@youngpbp); Analyst: Frank Sulkowski (@TheBigGuyWJCL); Sidelines: Jeff Roberts (@JeffRoberts__)
GS: GAME NOTES (PDF)
Radio Affiliates
Inside The Series
Overall Record: GS leads, 9-3
In Statesboro: GS leads, 6-0
In Harrisonburg:Â Tied, 3-3
Napier vs. GS: 3-0
Helton vs. JMU: 2-2
Helton vs. Napier: Never Met
Current Streak: JMU, won one (2025-)
Last Meeting: JMU 35, JMU 10 (2025)
Longest GS Streak: Eight (1986-2022)
Longest JMU Streak: One (1985, 2023 & 2025)
Largest GS Win: 19 points (1987 in Statesboro)
Largest JMU Win: 28 points (2023 in Harrisonburg)
GS vs. current Sun Belt Members: 73-70-1
GS vs. teams from Virginia: 26-8
GS in state of Georgia: 240-71-1
GS at Allen E. Paulson Stadium: 223-54
Helton at Paulson Stadium: 18-8
Of Note:
- Georgia 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. The two teams have traded home victories in the four seasons JMU has been in the Sun Belt.
- The Eagles are 6-0 against the Dukes at Paulson Stadium.
- JMU tight ends coach Bryan Schor and safeties coach Brandon Bailey were on Georgia Southern's staff last season.
- The Eagles are 26-8 all-time against teams from Virginia, but have dropped three in a row to teams from the Commonwealth (2025 vs. JMU; 2024 and 2025 vs. ODU).
- After having just 12 sacks in 13 games last year, the Eagle defense already has 11 sacks in five games under new coordinator Mike Mutz.
- Weston Bryan's 67-yard touchdown run last week is the longest by an Eagle quarterback since Justin Tomlin ran 76 yards for a touchdown at Arkansas in 2021.
Countdown to Kickoff
10: Georgia Southern will be looking for its 10th win all-time against James Madison, leading the series 9-3
9: Seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson is tied for ninth in the FBS in passes had intercepted, throwing just one in 186 attempts this season.
8: This will be the eighth time in the past two seasons the Eagles have been on national television. It will also be the 15th time in the past three seasons.
7: Georgia Southern averaged a season-best 7.1 yards per play in last week's 31-24 win at Coastal Carolina, recording 407 yards of offense on just 57 plays.
6: The Eagles have won all six games played against the Dukes at Paulson Stadium.
5: Georgia Southern's defense is ranked fifth in the FBS in fumble recoveries with five.
4: This will be JMU head coach Billy Napier's fourth game against Georgia Southern. He went 3-0 against the Eagles as the head coach of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
3: Georgia Southern has dropped three consecutive games from the Commonwealth of Virginia (2025 vs. JMU; 2024 and 2025 vs. ODU). The Eagles still hold a 26-8 all-time record against teams from the Old Dominion State.
2: JMU is 27-7 in conference games since joining the conference in 2022, including 14-3 at home and 13-4 on the road. Two of the four road losses are at Georgia Southern.
1: Josh Dallas is first in the Sun Belt in receptions per game, averaging 5.8 catches per game.
Up Next:
Oct. 15 at Old Dominion
Â
Players Mentioned
Monday, October 05
Saturday, October 03
Friday, October 02
Tuesday, September 29
