I can appreciate the new look of the field at Paulson Stadium, I like the no-nonsense uniforms of Georgia Southern and I love the good old feeling of hearing keys jingling in the stands.
It was not the most impressive win ever notched by the Eagles, but Georgia Southern’s 27-3 victory over Western Carolina was a convincing win that hasn’t been seen around Statesboro in awhile.
Fresh off of an embarrassing 44-6 loss at the hands of South Dakota State last week, Saturday night showed the pride that the Eagles maintain in themselves. Though the setback against the Jackrabbits was unsettling to say the least, it is in the past and no amount of second guessing or complaining can take it back. The only way to start the healing was to put together a better effort, which is exactly what GSU did against the Catamounts.
Maybe a bad loss was exactly what the Eagles needed. Through much of the past few seasons, a certain fire has seemed to be missing. The talent has been there, but the intensity was lacking. In the numerous close games that the Eagles have been involved in recently, the prevailing attitude from the field, sidelines and even the stands has looked to be, “Hey. We’re Georgia Southern. We’re supposed to win this.”
That kind of confidence is good, but only works when the killer instinct is there to make it up.
That X-factor is exactly what the Eagles brought to the table Saturday night. Not only were they confident in their ability to beat Western Carolina, they took every opportunity to prove it as well.
Every Catamount miscue was turned to the Eagles’ advantage. Every third-and-long – which has been a sore spot for GSU this year – was met with an emphatic slamming of the door by the Eagle defense.
Georgia Southern might always expect to be the better team, but during Saturday’s game, they weren’t afraid to go out and prove it.
Alongside the great defensive effort, the Eagles’ offense took some great steps forward as well.
The offensive game plan – which seemed to be tight and rigid in the first two games – showed flexibility and was well-managed by the coaching staff. GSU used the run early to throw the Catamounts off balance. By establishing the running game and controlling the line of scrimmage, the Eagles were able to pick their spots for the chain-moving plays that the offense had been lacking through the first two weeks.
Now that Georgia Southern has proven that it can impose its will, it gets the chance to prove that it can perform against better competition when the Eagles travel to Elon next week. Two years in a row, the Phoenix have come away with a last-second victory at the expense of the Eagles.
Georgia Southern has the talent to succeed. It has the confidence to compete. All that the Eagles have to do is to bring those two on the field with them and let their opponents see for themselves.
Just like old times.
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