Eagles and App Renew Rivalry
The Georgia Southern football team holds a 3-5 overall record and a 1-3 standing in Sun Belt play. After a 34-24 defeat by Arkansas State, the Eagles will face Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., on Thursday night. Appalachian State currently has a 4-4 overall record and also stands 1-3 in conference play.
This matchup continues the annual rivalry between the Eagles and the Mountaineers, but the bigger story is Georgia Southern's struggle this season. The Eagles need victories in three of their final four games to qualify for a bowl game.
Coach Helton Addresses Concerns
“I know that Eagle Nation is disappointed and angry,” Helton said. “Any time you lose two hard-fought games that take you out of contention for a conference title that is not who we are and that is not our standard at Georgia Southern. It is not acceptable and it never will be. To Eagle Nation, I say I am sorry. It is my job to make sure that doesn’t happen and I own that. The energy I have going forward is to improve that on the immediate front with us improving this week. The other area is big-picture wise and I will address any areas we may have with our athletic director Chris Davis and our president Kyle Marrero after the season.”
The focus remains on improving performance quickly while considering long-term program adjustments after the season concludes.
Summary: Georgia Southern faces a critical stretch needing wins for bowl eligibility, with Coach Helton taking responsibility and promising immediate and long-term improvements.