Southern Conference players and coaches participated in the 2009 SoCon Football Preseason Media Teleconference Tuesday, and one thing Georgia Southern seems to have in common with everyone else is that the season can’t seem to get here fast enough.

“It seems like it’s a long time away but you never know,” said senior offensive lineman Cole Fountain. “You blink and the season will be here, and then you’ll blink again and the season will be over. I think everybody’s extremely excited about it. All the local people are excited. … Everybody’s kind of on the edge of their seat, ready to start the ride.”

Head coach Chris Hatcher still can’t put a finger on just how good the 2009 edition of the Eagles will be.

“I can comment on the offseason,” he said, “but I can’t comment on the season. Don’t know yet.”

Middle of the pack

With the release of the preseason SoCon coaches and media polls, the Eagles have a pretty good idea of where their peers think they are in relation to the rest of the league. The coaches have them finishing fifth, while the media has them coming in fourth behind Appalachian State, Elon and Wofford.

To GSU, there’s nowhere to go but up.

“The biggest thing you want to do is climb,” Fountain said. “You want to be the number one at the end of the poll in December, so it just gives you a little motivation.”

The Eagles received one No. 1 vote in both polls.

Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore got all the No. 1 votes from his fellow SoCon coaches, but he’s not the only one who knows what it feels like to have a target on his back.

“I think Georgia Southern – the coaches at Georgia Southern and the people at Georgia Southern – knew exactly how that feels,” said Moore. “The people at Furman knew exactly how that feels. The people at Wofford knew exactly how that feels. The new kid on the block Elon – Pete (Lembo)’s doing a great job with them and their players.

“We’ve sort of the last few years become that team. I’m sure in (the minds of the other teams), they still are.”

Two Eagles ineligible

Two Georgia Southern players who were expected to have a big role this season won’t be taking the field for the Eagles in 2009.

Defensive back Carson Hill and running back Chris Teal failed to qualify academically. The coaching staff is awaiting the status of a third player who was not named.

Hatcher hopes Hill will be able to recover and return for his senior year in 2010.

“We’re very disappointed, he’s very disappointed, and hopefully we’ll be able to redshirt him this year,” said Hatcher. “He does have that option.”

Another batch of question marks

With another recruiting class of 30-plus, Hatcher expects big things from his veterans.

That includes a large group of sophomores – including quarterback Lee Chapple and middle linebacker Dion Dubose. He also hopes for big things from sophomore Derek Heyden and seniors Ronnie Wiggins and Darrell Pasco on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensively, the seniors will have to help the underclassmen adjust.

“Fountain, Trey Dunman and Jonathan Loving – all seniors – we’re going to rely on their leadership,” he said. “They’re really about the only seniors we have on offense other than (wide receiver) Garryon Taylor who hasn’t seen much playing time.”

A tough start

The first two weeks of the season have the Eagles facing off against a pair of teams that don’t usually register on the SoCon’s collective radar.

Hatcher says that facing off against some relatively unknown opponents is a tough way to find out how good his team is during the early part of the season.

“We play Albany, don’t know much about them,” he said. “They’ve got a good football team. Bob Ford’s an excellent coach. Then you go to South Dakota State who we played two years ago – had to kick a field goal last second to win.

“We will find out very quickly what type of group of boys we have. I’ve been telling the staff that those two games may be a precursor to tell us what type of season we’re going to have.”

The tough schedule won’t give the Eagles much of a break.

“I like playing those easy teams to be honest with you,” laughed Hatcher. “I wish we had 11 easy teams on the schedule. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. … Fortunately we’re playing the first one at home. Or unfortunately – last year we were terrible at home and better on the road, so who knows with this crew.”

Matt Yogus can be reached at (912) 489-9408.