College Football
On The Radar
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Summer is a time for reckless speculation when it comes to college football and – for Sun Belt schools whose summers are especially long and oppressive – there is no shortage of time spent obsessing over how things will play out once the fall arrives.
It has taken nearly two months, but the first cool nights have finally arrived in the Sun Belt just as the race for the top of the conference standings is starting to really pick up the pace.
As for the preseason projections, it’s a mixed bag. The general idea of how things would play out in the conference seems to be going along with the script, but there have been just enough curve balls thrown in that it is anyone’s guess how the second half of the season will play out.
Three teams were the trendy picks to win the Sun Belt in 2018. Troy and Arkansas State are dealing with issues while Appalachian State is steaming right along.
But another contender now has to be acknowledged.
Georgia Southern entered the season with even the most optimistic predictions simply thinking that the Eagles could attain bowl eligibility.
But at the halfway post of the regular season, the Eagles are already just one win from qualifying for the postseason and – more importantly – the owners of a gaudy 3-0 mark in Sun Belt play.
The Eagles found themselves as big favorites in a midweek road game at Texas State last week, only to find themselves in a dogfight.
Georgia Southern’s option offense never got on track, but the defense held tough, stifling the Bobcats throughout the night and denying a late two-point conversion attempt to slip away with a 15-13 victory.
Georgia Southern will take a step out of the Sun Belt this weekend as they embark on another long road trip to New Mexico State.
The Eagles hope to return to Statesboro as a bowl-eligible team, but the real drama lies just a bit farther down the road as an East Division showdown between the Eagles and Appalachian State is quickly approaching.
While the Troy Trojans still control their own destiny in the East Division, their season has taken a drastic turn over the last two weeks.
During an otherwise uneventful steamrolling of Georgia State on Oct. 4, Troy starting quarterback Kaleb Barker went down with what was later found to be a season-ending ACL tear.
The Trojans and air-raid savant head coach Neal Brown were hopeful that backup Sawyer Smith could step right in, but Smith was shaky and the rest of the Trojans looked even worse as they were upset by first-year FBS program Liberty over the weekend.
If there is a silver lining, it’s that Troy is now able to reassess itself during a bye week. The rest will be welcomed by regular starters and the extra time before conference play resumes will be vital for getting Smith and the Trojan offense back on track.
While Troy’s role as a conference title hopeful is suffering due to injury, Arkansas State’s presumed shot at another Sun Belt championship is fading of its own volition.
The Red Wolves were picked to cruise to the top spot in the West, but have been beaten up by the East, losing to Georgia Southern and Appalachian State in consecutive weeks to begin its conference schedule.
Arkansas State still controls its destiny as the rest of its division hasn’t fared any better against the East.
However, a season finale with Troy would be a high hurdle to clear if it’s a necessary win for ASU to make the conference title game. The Wolves’ offense has shown enough flaws over the last two weeks to cause plenty of concern even against divisional rivals that didn’t appear to be threats at the beginning of the season.
Wide Open Fields
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When Justin Fields, the No.1 rated quarterback in the 2018 class- depending on which recruiting site you read- signed with Georgia, it made sense.
Even though Jake Fromm was a returning sophomore, coming off a season in which he had played well and led his team to a national title game, you could see a scenario playing out similar to Clemson’s. Fromm would start the season and ultimately give way to Fields.
Worst case scenario for Fields, he would split time this season and take over as the starting quarterback next year.
If the remainder of this season plays out like it has so far, especially if Georgia were to make the playoffs again, Fields may have a decision to make about his future; one that doesn’t include the Georgia Bulldogs.
To the joy of many Georgia fans, Fromm has shown the type of improvement this year those fans were hoping for and has proven he is capable of leading the Dawgs back to the playoffs.
At the same time, given a drastic shift in his play, he has not shown the skill level needed to be successful at the next level. Not that it’s an indictment of Fromm, but he looks like a four-year player. This is where the conundrum with Fields lies.
Fromm is playing at a level that makes it difficult for Smart not to have him out the field a majority of the time. If he is able to lead Georgia back to the playoffs and plays well, then it makes it even more difficult to sit Fromm in favor of Fields.
I know benching a quarterback that has led you to back to back playoff appearances isn’t unprecedented. Jalen Hurts is sitting at Alabama but I’d argue that Fromm is actually a better quarterback than Jalen Hurts.
Plus, had the national title game not played it out like it did last year, I’m not completely convinced that Hurts wouldn’t be the starter this season.
Include the likelihood Fromm will be in Athens for another two years, there is a realistic possibility Fields will have difficulty seeing the field- no pun intended- if he were stay.
No matter how good a kid Fields may be and from everything I’ve seen and heard, that is a lot of patience to ask from someone that was highly recruited.
I’m sure Fields wants an opportunity to get consistent minutes and show off his skill set.
And don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean any of this as a knock to Georgia, Smart, or either of the quarterbacks.
I mean quite the opposite, in fact. To consider that Georgia may find itself in this predicament in a few months from now means they are winning (probably resulting a another playoff appearance) and Fromm has exceeded expectations.
It’s a situation 95% of the other programs in college football would love to be in. It doesn’t change however, that following this season it will be difficult to keep both quarterbacks happy, increasing the chance one will leave.
That said, anything I’ve mentioned possibly transpiring won’t happen until after the season is over.
As for this season, it couldn’t be working out any better. Georgia is on track again to compete for a national title and as of right that is all that should matter.
As for the next few years, they look as promising as ever in Athens; just don’t be surprised if Justin Fields isn’t part of it.
High Flying Party
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Celebrations were breaking out all around Statesboro on Saturday night and for good reason.
The Eagles’ bounce back season continued to gain steam as a dominating 48-13 victory over South Alabama put them at 4-1 on the season and kept them atop the Sun Belt Conference standings.
Aside from the win on the field it was also homecoming, giving Eagles young and old alike an excuse to have just a bit more fun than usual.
But for all of the frat get togethers and house parties that carried on well into Sunday morning, one of the best places to appreciate the Georgia Southern win didn’t even require fans to leave the proximity of Paulson Stadium.
Following Saturday’s game – just as the case has been after the first three home games – a huge postgame tailgate was hosted by Eagle supporter Bubba Hunt near the soccer field.
Plenty of RV’s remained in the main lot, with the glow of the late games on television hazed over by the smoke of grills preparing victory dinners, but Hunt’s party is an animal all of its own nature.
The food is professionally cooked. There’s plenty of variety and it’s impossible to walk away wanting more. Through Hunt’s generosity, the food is also served up free of charge to anyone wanting to swing by.
But the tailgate isn’t special because it’s big or free. It’s one-of-a-kind because of the guest list.
At a table underneath a tent by the main food spread, quarterbacks coach Juston Wood is picking apart some ribs and raving about how Shai Werts continues to grow as the leader of the Eagles’ offense.
Inside linebackers coach Travis Cunningham was guiding his wife and child through the buffet line while outside linebacker counterpart Jeremy Rowell was recounting Alvin Ward’s interception for a touchdown that had capped a big win less than an hour before.
And over by some golf carts, defensive line coach Vic Cabral was doling out chest bumps and hugs to anyone who wanted one.
Each week, the entire football coaching staff has cleared out the locker room and then headed to the tailgate to mingle with the fans and boosters that support them.
In a sport that tends to obsess over salaries that put coaches on a different level of existence and 20-hour workdays that paint coaches as anti-social football robots, the postgame tailgate couldn’t be farther from those stereotypes.
A week ago, offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse likely went over his game-winning reverse play call a dozen times as fans listened in while head coach Chad Lunsford was high-fiving kids up well past their bedtime and discussing the creative process he goes through with the wrestling moves he’s prone to show off for the camera.
It’s as unique a tradition as any in college football and the perfect embodiment of the heart and soul of Georgia Southern Football.
The Eagles reached the top of the mountain once before with coaches who worked out of trailers and held public court over coffee each morning.
Sure, there are more bells and whistles attached to the program nowadays – and that is necessary and for the better – but the only thing better than watching your team win on a Saturday is to share a victory toast of ribs and a sauce-filled smile right afterwards with the coaches that helped bring home the victory.
Georgia Southern Eagles Flying Defense
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The vast majority of headlines created by Georgia Southern football in the modern era have centered around the Eagles’ exciting and often-lethal option rushing attack.
But, while the Eagles are in the process of revamping their option game and finding some success, plenty of the credit for the team’s 3-1 start to the season needs to be directed at a defense that has continually stepped up to the challenge.
Facing an Arkansas State team that was predicted to claim the 2018 Sun Belt title last Saturday, the Georgia Southern defense kept one of the more talented and experienced offenses in the league in check in a huge 28-21 victory.
The Eagles (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) actually allowed over 100 yards more to the Red Wolves than they did last season, but where huge Arkansas State plays highlighted a 43-25 win in 2017, the Eagles kept everything in front of them last weekend and were able to throw a wet blanket on the Wolves while the GS offense provided some late drama and the winning margin.
“Regardless of the situation, the good start we’re on is big for us,” GSU defensive coordinator Scot Sloan said. “It reinforces everything we’ve been doing since January.
“Our guys have put forth tremendous effort and sacrifice. They give up so much over the winter and summer for 12 opportunities to prove it on the field, so it’s good to see the fruits of our labor.”
Sloan came to Statesboro last December as one of the first hires made by Chad Lunsford after being given the official head coaching title just before the end of the 2017 regular season.
The 27-year coaching veteran seemed to be a solid fit from the start. Sloan had been an assistant coach on successful Eagle squads from 2002-05 and to give credit where credit is due, he played an integral role in quieting down Eagle offenses as a coach for Appalachian State from 2011-17.
Now back on the Blue and White sideline, Sloan has brought with him a 3-4 defensive scheme that is a rather stark difference from the four-man front that the Eagles are used to rolling out.
Plenty of talent has returned to the Eagles’ defensive front seven this season and a stellar job by Sloan and the rest of his defensive coaches has ushered in a smooth transition evidenced by some stellar defensive showings over the first month of play.
“It’s a building process,” Sloan said. “We learned the fundamentals in the spring and then had to put in a lot during fall camp. We went into the first week wanting to simplify the things that we had to do well to get a win.”
As is the norm at Georgia Southern, much of the talk surrounding games is always focused on the option offense that the program and its fan base views as its heart and soul.
Sloan and his defensive unit don’t pay much attention to which side of the ball is getting more attention, but parallels can be drawn through both units and their progression over the first quarter of the season.
Offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse has frequently said that his scheme is a work in progress and that new angles and wrinkles will be added as the offense’s execution and confidence grows.
Defensive concepts might be harder to spot in live action than added options and riskier offensive plays, but Sloan says that the feelings are much the same on his side of the ball.
“Our guys have adapted to the scheme well,” Sloan said. “Our existing players are adjusting to the scheme instead of us recruiting to it. It’s a testament to these players that might not be a 100 percent match of skill set to scheme that they’re overcoming with attitude and effort.
“You’ve got to know what you can hang your hat on each week. And from there, we just continue to build.”
Sloan and his defense will get its’ next test as the Eagles go for a second consecutive Sun Belt win on Saturday against South Alabama.
Georgia Southern’s homecoming game is slated for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Paulson Stadium.
Hootie-Hoo
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Kennesaw State Owls are flying high after beating Samford 24-10 Saturday. KSU (4-1) is ranked fourth in the most recent national FCS poll.
Senior quarterback Chandler Burks threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores in the win. Burks led the team with 55 rushing yards. Shaquil Terry rushed for 47 yards and Jake McKenzie had 36 yards on the ground.
The Owls only had 66 passing yards and no receiver had more than one catch. The game stats were surprisingly close for both teams. Samford had 272 yards and KSU had 286 yards.
The Bulldogs had 19 first downs and the Owls had 18. The biggest difference was turnover margin, Samford had one and KSU did not turn the ball over.
Head coach Brian Bohannon has been the coach since the program started. He was a longtime assistant coach under Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech.
“We took a step forward to playing the kind of football we’re capable of playing here,” Bohannon said. “We didn’t beat ourselves. We didn’t play perfect, but we made some strides in all three phases.”
The only loss on the season came in the first game against an FBS team, Georgia State. The Owls almost won that game but fell 24-20.
The success Kennesaw State is having is amazing considering they just started playing football in 2015. They have never had a losing season and their record has improved every year.
Last season they won the Big South conference and made the FCS Playoffs for the first time. They advanced to the quarterfinals and lost to No. 5 Sam Houston State 34-27.
The Owls run a triple option offense and at the FCS level, it can be very successful. It makes me wonder if Kennesaw State is a legitimate national contender.
The top ranked team is the defending national champions, North Dakota State (4-0) and they have been the most dominant team in the past decade. They have won 6 national championships since 2011.
The Bison are going to be a very tough team to overcome. They are coming off a win over No. 3 South Dakota State 21-17.
James Madison (4-1) is the second ranked team in the country. The only loss came against NC State in a close 24-13 game. The Dukes won the national title in 2016 so they know how to win.
KSU begins Big South conference play October 6th at home against Presbyterian. The Blue Hose are one of the better teams in the conference. Campbell and Monmouth are also two very good conference opponents.
Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb should be easy wins for the Owls. The season finale is home against No. 8 Jacksonville State. This will be the toughest test in FCS play and the result will have big implications for seeding in the playoffs.
For the season to be considered a success, they will need to advance further in the playoffs. That means they will have to get to the semifinals and I think that is a very realistic goal.
Moving On Up
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s a rare occasion when you can say a college football team that has never won more than seven games in a season, and in fact has only two winning seasons throughout their program’s history, is considered a successful football program.
Those accolades are normally reserved for an eight-year-old in the form of a participation trophy. However, when it comes to Georgia State football, they are that exception.
Moving from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is an adjustment for any team; some programs do acclimate themselves a little quicker than others. Regardless of whether you are an established program, or one just starting out, the transition can be unpredictable.
In Georgia State’s case, there was little reason to believe they would see any modicum of success after making the transition from FCS to FBS.
The football program didn’t even exist until 2010 and during the three years they spent on the FCS level, Georgia State has a combined record of 10-23. (The final two years their record was only 4-18).
Expecting them to be able to compete at all would be like giving me a guitar and waiting for me to tear into “All Along the Watchtower”, Jimi Hendrix style.
Yet, while Georgia State may not be at Jimi Hendrix level, so to speak, they have performed much better than anticipated.
After their initial first two years in the Sun Belt, which resulted in zero conference wins and only a single victory overall, they have become a legitimate competitive force within the conference.
I realize we live in an age where there are almost as many bowl games as there are football teams, but still it’s pretty remarkable that Georgia State has played in a bowl game in two of the past three years; they won their first ever bowl game last year against Western Kentucky in the Cure Bowl.
I’m not saying Georgia State is running unencumbered through their schedule, but considering they only won eleven games total during their first five years, making two bowls games in three years is something to be proud of.
Just for comparison, Georgia Southern has only been to one bowl game since arriving to the Sun Belt. (Yes, it’s a little misleading since the Eagles weren’t eligible for a bowl game during their first year in the conference due to a ridiculous NCAA rule. But even if they had been allowed to play in a bowl game, the bowl appearances between both schools would be equal.)
Regardless of what division level of athletics you play at in college, moving up in competition is never a guaranteed thing. A small college close to me just announced the other day that after transitioning from Division III to Division II a few years ago, they are transitioning back following this season. They just couldn’t compete at that level.
That easily could’ve been the Georgia State football program. Would anyone have been surprised to see them struggle and ultimately move back down to the FCS level?
Instead, they have shown the decision to join the Sun Belt was the correct one, and not just for financial reasons; they can compete.
Ten years ago, who would have predicted that?
New Heights For Eagles?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Southern spent an entire offseason working towards the goal of erasing the memories of a disastrous 2017 campaign.
A pair of wins and some high points in a game at Clemson have shown that the Eagles are definitely on more solid ground this season, but this Saturday provides Southern with a chance to show that it is not only on the mend but a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt.
Every preseason poll made it clear that the prognosticators thought that Arkansas State, Troy and Appalachian State were the three teams with a chance to take home the Sun Belt title.
Georgia Southern can’t complain about the lack of attention after last season’s showing, but a defense that is taking to a new 3-4 scheme quicker than expected and an offense that is under the control of a much more confident looking Shai Werts leaves the Eagles looking much less vulnerable than they were for most of 2017.
The Eagles’ search for a revived option offense has shown signs of success, but is still a work in progress.
Head coach Chad Lunsford and offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse have been consistent in saying that the envisioned offense is much more dynamic than what has been seen so far, but that they want to see all of the building blocks of the scheme executed well before opening things up.
That leaves a lot on the Eagle defense, which has shifted seamlessly into a new 3-4 scheme.
Georgia Southern hopes that the third time will be the charm against Arkansas State. The Eagles have forced five turnovers from the Red Wolves in each of the last two meetings, but don’t have a win to show for it.
A loss on Saturday will be a bump in the road for the building momentum in Statesboro, while a win could put the Eagles’ rebuild a year ahead of schedule.
If history holds true, this week is the best chance for the Eagles to prove that they can compete in the Sun Belt.
Arkansas State has had sporadic overall records over the last decade, but the Red Wolves have been the most consistent power in Sun Belt play over that span.
The defending conference champs are riding high after notching their first back-to-back non-conference wins since moving up to FBS in 1992, giving the Wolves all the confidence in the world that another big conference run is around the corner.
Another stellar ASU defense is complemented by preseason Player of the Year Justice Hanson at quarterback for the Wolves, who is in turn surrounded by a bevy of talented skill position players.
Similarly talented Red Wolves teams have struggled to get through GS defenses over the last two years, but they still have a pair of wins to show for the effort.
For the Eagles, even a hard-fought loss would be a positive, but that’s not how they’ll be looking at Saturday’s game.
With well over 20,000 expected to pack into Paulson Stadium on Saturday night, the Eagles are riding a wave of momentum that wasn’t felt during the previous coaching administration.
If that leads to a win over Arkansas State, the thinking around Statesboro will quickly shift from wondering if the team is actually good to wondering just how good it can be.
The Wrong Kind Of Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At what point does Georgia Tech (1-3) move on from Paul Johnson? Why do they believe in rewarding mediocrity? These are questions asked by every Tech fan after another loss.
The Yellow Jackets got beat down by Clemson 49-28. The Tigers primarily played true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence and he tossed 4 touchdown passes.
Tech fumbled 8 times, recovering 7. Clemson’s first touchdown came when Clelin Ferrell recovered a fumble in the end zone.
“Well, we got our tails kicked. We got outplayed, outcoached and we got beat by a really good football team. And we’re not good enough to fumble the ball seven or eight times and jump offsides and take ourselves out of field-goal range to start the game with two sacks in a row. All those things,” Johnson said.
Let’s take a look at Johnson to see what’s going on. On the surface, he seems like he is doing a great job since taking over as head coach in Atlanta back in 2008. His record is 77-56 so he as a 0.579 winning percentage.
He did his best work when he first took over and inherited Chan Gailey’s players. CPJ is notoriously known for his poor recruiting and that is catching up. In 2015, they finished 3-9 with one conference win.
Last season they were 5-6 and had the UCF game cancelled. They would have lost to Central Florida if the game were played. Johnson also led Tech to a losing 6-7 record in 2010 but at least that came from a bowl loss. He had two seven-win seasons in 2012 and 2013.
Since winning the Orange Bowl and finishing No. 8 nationally during the 2014 season, the Yellow Jackets are 18-22 overall and 9-17 in the ACC.
Following last year’s sub-par campaign, his contract was extended for some reason. It was a move as bizarre as Johnson’s play calling. He already had three years remaining on his contract before the extension, now he is signed to remain on The Flats until 2022.
Athletic Director Todd Stansbury had to explain this head-scratching move.
“Aside from Bobby Dodd, no head coach in Georgia Tech football history has won more games in his first 10 seasons than Paul Johnson,” Stansbury said. “By extending Coach Johnson’s contract through 2022, we not only keep one of the most successful coaches in our illustrious history right here on The Flats, but we also ensure continued stability within our coaching staff. Stability is a vital piece in recruiting and student-athlete development, which are key components to any successful college program. I’m excited that Coach Johnson’s extension is officially complete and I’m looking forward to achieving even more success under his leadership in future years.”
The fan base is tired of these results but nobody at Tech seems to care. I thought Johnson should have been fired in 2012 after they lost to Middle Tennessee at home by 21 points. It seems like he will not be going anywhere but it’s time to reevaluate that.
On the bright side, the next game is at home against Bowling Green. This will be an easy win. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if they will win any more games after that. The conference games that looked like easy wins now seem difficult.
Virginia is 3-1. North Carolina started 0-2 but they just beat Pitt. Duke has won three of the last four meetings.
I think the best case scenario this season is 5 wins.
The Wrong Kind Of Buzz
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I applauded Georgia Tech a few months ago when they decided to extend Paul Johnson’s contract.
In a profession where the people making these decisions tend to suffer from long term memory loss, it was refreshing to see a program reward their coach for his overall body of work and not just the past twelve months.
I admit it’s easy for me to say that based on the fact I’m not a Georgia Tech fan. If I were a fan, I’m sure my feelings would be quite different.
After the Yellow Jackets slow start to the season it would be easy, if not a bit premature, to write about whether or not Johnson needs to keep his job.
So, I’m going to do my best not to get too deep down that rabbit hole; besides, those articles have already started.
To me the more interesting question isn’t whether or not Johnson should be fired if this season continues on its current downward slope, but what direction will athletic director Todd Stansbury go, if it does.
When Johnson’s contract was extended after two losing seasons within the last three years, it gave off the impression there was a confidence that he would be able to turn things around.
Or at the very least, Johnson would be given time to turn things around, since his extension goes through 2022. You don’t give a coach who still has three years left on his contract an additional two years if you’re contemplating firing him after one season.
If you look at Tech’s first few games this season, along with how their future opponents have fared up to this point, you can see a scenario play out where they win only 4-5 games this season.
Georgia Tech isn’t exactly considered a powerhouse in college football but I also don’t see their fans and alumni being ok with three losing seasons sandwiched around one 9-4 year.
I imagine if that scenario were to come to fruition there would be a loud majority calling for Johnson’s job.
Would the outside pressure cause Stansbury to make a change or would he stand his ground and continue to have Johnson’s back?
One thing that has the potential to be a big factor revolves around Johnson’s buyout. If I’m not mistaken, it would “only” cost Georgia Tech about $4 million if they were to fire Johnson.
I know that amount of money isn’t chump change but in relation to what it costs most Power 5 schools to fire their head coach, $4 million certainly isn’t a deterrent.
As I stated earlier I’m not here to debate whether or not Johnson should lose his job if the remainder of the season mirrors what has taken place so far.
There are a lot of things that would need to be taken into consideration; actual win/loss record, how did the team play, were they competitive in most games.
It’s intriguing though to see how all this could possibly play out. Johnson has been one of the winningest coaches in Georgia Tech history and seems to have a substantial amount of support within the program.
Could another bad season negate all that good will and confidence or will he be able to maneuver through it for yet another year?
Of course, the Yellow Jackets could reel off a bunch of wins and finish the season 9-4, completely rendering this entire situation a moot point.
Outside of Paul Johnson there may not be a single person hoping that takes place more than Todd Stansbury.
College Football Top 10 Week 2
