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In its first game as an FBS football team, Georgia Southern came up just short of the upset. There were a lot of positives to take away from that game outside of a few critical mistakes. After a heartbreaking loss such as that one, a relative breather against FCS foe Savannah State is just what the Eagles need. Savannah State is coming off a 61-7 thrashing at the hands of Middle Tennessee State last Saturday. The outcome of this Saturday's game against Georgia Southern will likely be similar.
How to Watch: ESPN3/WatchESPN App. Those are your only options for this weekend's game.
When does it take place? The game kicks off at 6pm EST. If you've ever been to Statesboro in early September, you know what a blessing it was when the lights were installed.
Key matchups
Savannah State QB/WRs vs Georgia Southern pass defense
Savannah State's passing offense struggled mightily last weekend, with QB Ker-Sean Wilson completing 15-31 for only 84 yards. Georgia Southern's defense struggled against the pass late against NCSU last Saturday, but did have success early on. This game will be at home, in the relative cool of the late afternoon/evening, and SSU does not run the type of hurry-up offense NCSU did. I suspect GSU's passing defense will come away with a much better performance this weekend.
Georgia Southern's offense vs Savannah State's defense
Georgia Southern had great success last season rushing against SSU's defense, and MTSU gashed them for 228 yards on the ground and 298 yards through the air. I believe Georgia Southern's offense - still new though it is - will be more than capable of handling the Tigers' defense.
Why so confident?
The "FBS vs FCS" label doesn't really work all that well here, since Georgia Southern is one year removed from FCS themselves. However, these two teams met in the season opener last season and Georgia Southern routed the Tigers 77-9. Georgia Southern put up 651 yards of total offense in that game, with only 75 of them coming through the air. This year's Eagles already look to be a good bit more balanced on offense, and Savannah State's defense was nothing spectacular against MTSU.
Prediction
Georgia Southern walks away with this one to the tune of 63-10.