GAME PREVIEW: Eagles and Broncos Set to Kick Off 2024 - Georgia Southern University Athletics (2024)

Football 8/26/2024 1:30:00 PM

Georgia Southern hosts Boise State Saturday

STATESBORO - The Georgia Southern football team opens up its 2024 campaignon Saturday when it hosts Boise State Allen E. Paulson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, as well as streamed online through ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The game will also be available via radio on the Georgia Southern Sports Network. Here's all you need to know about the game:

IMPORTANT LINKS
Tickets
Game Day Guide (PDF)- includes stadium and parking maps
Clear Bag Policy (PDF)

Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 • 4 PM
Location: Statesboro, Ga. (Allen E. Paulson Stadium at Evans Family Field; 25,000)

Records:

Broadcast Information
Broadcast: ESPNU
PBP: Mike Corey; Analyst: Rene Ingoglia

Radio: Georgia Southern Sports Network
PBP: Danny Reed (@GSEaglesVoice); Analyst: Terry Harvin (@TerryHarvin); Sidelines: Frank Sulkowski and Anthony Beck II

Radio Affiliates (PDF)

GS: GAME NOTES (PDF)

Inside The Series

Danielson vs. GS: Never Met
Helton vs. Boise State: Never Met
Helton vs. Danielson: Never Met

GS vs. current MWC Members: 2-1
GS vs. teams from Idaho: 3-0
GS in state of Georgia: 230-66-1

GS at Allen E. Paulson Stadium: 214-49
Helton at Paulson Stadium: 9-3

Home Sweet Home

• Georgia Southern has won 16 of its past 17 home openers and is 33-7-1 all-time in home openers in the modern era. The Eagles have lost just six of 39 home openers at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, the last coming in 2017 to Arkansas State.
• Head Coach Clay Helton is 7-1 in season openers and a perfect 8-0 in home openers in his eight full seasons as a head man.
• Georgia Southern has a 214-49 record at Paulson Stadium. That .814 winning percentage is the fourth best in the FBS.

Of Note:

• This will be the first meeting between Georgia Southern and Boise State. GS is scheduled to return the trip on Sept. 16, 2028.
• This game is the first of two straight meetings against Mountain West opponents as the Eagles will fly to Reno next week to play at Nevada.
• Georgia Southern is 2-1 all-time against MWC teams, 2-0 against Nevada and 0-1 against Colorado State. Head coach Clay Helton is 5-0 as a head coach against MWC teams (2-0 vs. Fresno State, 1-0 vs. UNLV, San Jose State and Utah State).
• Since a Nov. 18, 2006 overtime loss to Central Arkansas that ended the season, the Eagles have won 32 of their past 33 home games against non-conference opponents. The only loss during that 33-game stretch came to No. 14 BYU in 2021. Georgia Southern has posted a 129-17 all-time record at Paulson Stadium in non-conference contests.
• BSU offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's daughter, Kendra, played volleyball at Georgia Southern in 2015 and 2016.
• Eagle quarterback Colton FitzGerald spent the 2021 season redshirting at Boise State.

Countdown to Kickoff
10:Ten of Georgia Southern's 12 opponents, including Boise State, played in bowl games in 2023.
9: Fifth-year running back Jalen White has nine career 100-yard rushing games.
8: When scoring eight or more points in the second quarter, Georgia Southern is 11-2 under Clay Helton. The Eagles went 5-1 in both 2022 and 2023 when reaching this mark.
7:Seven of Georgia Southern's 12 opponents, including Boise State, have new full-time head coaches in 2024.
6: The Eagles have lost just six of their 39 home openers at Paulson Stadium, the last coming in 2017 to Arkansas State.
5: Head coach Clay Helton has won all five games as a head coach against Mountain West teams when he was at USC (2-0 vs. Fresno State, 1-0 vs. UNLV, San Jose State and Utah State).
4: This will be the fourth game against a team from the Mountain West Conference. The Eagles are 2-0 against Nevada and 0-1 against Colorado State. They'll play at Nevada next week.
3: The Eagles have won all three previous games against teams from the state of Idaho, going 3-0 against the Vandals when both were members of the Sun Belt Conference.
2: Derwin Burgess Jr. stands second in school history in career touchdown catches (14), career receptions (149) and career 100-yard receiving games (5).
1: Georgia Southern has lost just one non-conference home game since 2006.

Up Next:
Sept. 7at Nevda- Reno, Nev. - 7 p.m. (ET) - TruTv