25 Questions that G-O-G-O Daddy

That's 6 FCS Titles.

 What is their body of work?

As I noted yesterday, this is a team with really only one bad loss and no real quality wins.  There was the near-win over Georgia and the win over WMU...for a team in the second year in FBS, they are adjusting very well and while they didn't have a great year, they certainly had a good one.

How many seniors and juniors on the two-deep?

33...I don't recall us playing a team with more juniors and seniors on the two-deep.

Who are their statistical leaders?

FBS Ranks

7th - Deshawntee Gallon, Blocked Kicks
2nd - Derek Keaton, combined kick returns
6th - Derek Keaton, punt returns
8th- Antwione Williams, Forced fumbles
6th- Antoine Glover, Interceptions
1st- Matt Breida, rush yards per carry
14th- Matt Breida, rush TDs
10th- Matt Breida, rush yards per game

What is their turnover ratio?

They are +4, which is lower than you might think for a running team.

Offense:  (Stats using all games)

 How is their QB play?

Well, that's an interesting question.  More down below, but I would say their QB play is good for what they want the guy to do.  He averages 6.3 yards per carry.

What is their scoring and yards per play?

They scored 34.7 points per game, which is pretty good and averaged 6.3 yards per play, which is also a lot.

Can they run the ball?

Here is the deal.  Yes.  And it is all they do.  I don't believe we have played a team like this in years.  They lead the nation in rushing yards per game...with 355 per game, which is 34 more than the next team.  Now, sometimes you get a team that gets a lot of yards per game because they run the ball all the time...and these guys do.  But that's not it.  They average 6.5 yards per carry, which is first in the nation by .4 YARDS PER CARRY.  This running game is the real deal.

Do they pass the ball?

Georgia Southern mascots (L-r)  Freedom, GUS

This is the craziest thing I ever saw.  You will remember that they won in The Swamp without completing a pass.  They beat WMU this year completing 1.  They did not complete more than 7 in an FBS game.  They average 61 yards per game passing.  The biggest downside is that in 129 season attempts they threw 10 picks, which is just a ton when it is looked at that way.

How was their run/pass balance?

They run on 84% of their plays.

Do they convert on 3rd Down?

They convert 41% which is above average but not great for a running team.

Do they score in the red zone?

They are very, very good, at 5.1 points per trip.

Do they protect the quarterback?

They have allowed 8 sacks, which is a decent number given the low passing attempts.

Eagle Alum Dan Cathy Jr. of Chick-Fil-A

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play.

This is the actual untold secret of this team.  They are very good on defense.  They allow 23 points per game, which is very good, and 5.4 yards per play, which is not.  We'll see how those jibe in a second.

Do they defend the run effectively?

Yes, they can.  They allow 3.9 yards per carry.

Can they be passed on?

They can.  They have interesting numbers.  They allow only 56% completions, which is really good, and they have 17 INT, which is among the top 20 in FBS.  When they do give up a catch, though, it is for yards..13.2 per reception.

Do they get off the field on 3rd down?

They are very successful at 36%.

Do they defend in the red zone?

No.  They give up 5.4 points per trip.

Do they pressure the QB?

They have 21 sacks which is about 6% of the attempts against them.

Special Teams:

Punting?

They have net punting of 37 yards, which is pretty good.  They have 12 inside the 20 against 2 touchbacks and have not been blocked.  The longest punt return they allowed was 6 yards.

Punt Return?

Derek Keaton is #6 in the country.  Given BG's record on giving up yards to quality returners, this is something to worry about.  Also they blocked 3 punts.

Bowl Sponsor Go Daddy

Placekicking?

They have 2.  One is 8-10 on shorter field goals and the other is 7-9 with a long of 48.

Kickoff?

They are good.  They have 47 touchbacks and opponents start on the 23.

Kickoff Return?

They start on the 27, which is good.

Miscellaneous: Overall atmospherics and intangibles.

So, a few things.

First, this is Georgia Southern's first bowl game, which should have them amped up.

Second, the Eagles play a style that is very difficult to prep for.  That would be difficult under good circumstances and probably made more difficult by the distraction-laden environment BG has had since Babers left.

On the other hand, Georgia Southern has had the same issue and we are hard to prepare for, too.

Because of who GaS plays, they will eat clock up.  BG will need to be very efficient on offense.  It will be a true G-o-G-o situation.  Too many non-scoring drives and BG might not get enough possessions to win.

Finally, this is an audition time for BG's stars, most notably Matt Johnson and Roger Lewis.  It would be nice--and good for the team--if they put on a little show.  With a win, BG gets 11 wins, which is a huge accomplishment.

This is going to be a very good test for us.