# 2019 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

The 2019 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by second year head coach Chad Lunsford.

## Preseason

On August 2, 2019, it was announced that QB Shai Werts and DE Quan Griffin had been indefinitely suspended following their arrests, which were not related. The charges against Werts were subsequently dropped, after what was believed to be cocaine on his car was tested to be bird feces, and he has since been cleared to play.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 6 LSU* | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | SECN | L 3–55 | 97,420 |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 6 (FCS) Maine* | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN+ | W 26–18 | 17,202 |
| September 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at Minnesota* | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | L 32–35 | 41,021 |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN+ | L 24–37 | 19,220 |
| October 3 | 7:30 p.m. | at South Alabama | Ladd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL | ESPNU | W 20–17 $^{2OT}$ | 20,013 |
| October 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Coastal Carolina | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN3 | W 30–27 $^{3OT}$ | 11,015 |
| October 26 | 3:00 p.m. | New Mexico State* | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN3 | W 41–7 | 10,907 |
| October 31 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC (rivalry) | ESPNU | W 24–21 | 18,796 |
| November 9 | 3:30 p.m. | at Troy | Veterans Memorial StadiumTroy, AL | ESPN+ | L 28–49 | 22,108 |
| November 16 | 3:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA | ESPN+ | W 51–29 | 10,266 |
| November 23 | 3:00 p.m. | at Arkansas State | Centennial Bank StadiumJonesboro, AR | ESPN+ | L 33–38 | 18,319 |
| November 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Georgia State | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA (rivalry) | ESPN+ | W 38–10 | 15,175 |
| December 21 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. Liberty* | Exploria StadiumOrlando, FL (Cure Bowl) | CBSSN | L 16–23 | 18,158 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 5 released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### At LSU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 6 Tigers | 21 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 55 |

### Maine

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 (FCS) Black Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 18 |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 26 |

### At Minnesota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 10 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 32 |
| Golden Gophers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 35 |

### Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 37 |
| Eagles | 3 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 24 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| Louisiana | –3.0 |
| Statistics | Louisiana | Georgia Southern |
| First downs | 23 | 18 |
| Total yards | 440 | 252 |
| Rushing yards | 275 | 215 |
| Passing yards | 165 | 37 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:04 | 33:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisiana | Passing | Levi Lewis | 11–18, 165 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Trey Ragas | 16 carries, 131 yards, 2 TDs |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Jarrod Jackson | 1 reception, 51 yards |
| Georgia Southern | Passing | Shai Werts | 6–12, 37 yards |
| Georgia Southern | Rushing | Shai Werts | 21 carries, 93 yards |
| Georgia Southern | Receiving | NaJee Thompson | 4 receptions, 24 yards |

### At South Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

### Coastal Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| Chanticleers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Eagles | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 30 |

### New Mexico State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 7 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 41 |

### At Appalachian State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| No. 20 Mountaineers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |

### At Troy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Trojans | 14 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 49 |

### Louisiana–Monroe

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| Georgia Southern | –6.5 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Warhawks | 7 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 29 |
| Eagles | 7 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 51 |
at Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 48° · Wind – N 13 · Overcast, soggy
* Game attendance: 10,266
* Referee: Kyle Olson
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
(11:07) GASO TD – Shai Werts 11-yard rush, Tyler Bass kick Georgia Southern 7–0; Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 1:14
(04:56) ULM TD – Austin Vaughn 3-yard rush, Jared Porter kick Tied 7–7; Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:11
Second quarter
(13:29) GASO FG – Tyler Bass 26-yard field goal Georgia Southern 10–7; Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:00
(09:00) GASO TD – Shai Werts 24-yard rush, Tyler Bass kick Georgia Southern 17–7; Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:30
(00:37) GASO TD – Darion Anderson 33-yard pass from Shai Werts, Tyler Bass kick Georgia Southern 24–7; Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 3:13
Third quarter
(06:41) ULM TD – Caleb Evans 1-yard rush, Jared Porter kick Georgia Southern 24–14; Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:19
(00:25) GASO TD – J. D. King 6-yard rush, Tyler Bass kick Georgia Southern 31–14; Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:44
Fourth quarter
(14:41) GASO TD – Donald Rutledge Jr. 42-yard interception returned, Tyler Bass kick Georgia Southern 38–14; Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 0:44
(12:15) ULM TD – Markis McCray 1-yard pass from Caleb Evans, Caleb Evans two-point conversion pass to Josh Pederson Georgia Southern 38–22; Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:26
(02:48) GASO TD – Wesley Kennedy III 1-yard rush, two-point conversion rush attempt failed Georgia Southern 44–22; Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 9:27
(00:20) ULM TD – Josh Pederson 16-yard pass from Caleb Evans, Jared Porter kick Georgia Southern 44–29; Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 2:28
(00:13) GASO TD – Monquavion Brinson 42-yard kickoff returned, Tyler Bass kick Georgia Southern 51–29; Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00
Leading Passers
ULM – Caleb Evans – 21/36, 285 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
GASO – Shai Werts – 5/10, 80 yards, TD
Leading Rushers
ULM – Josh Johnson – 12 carries, 43 yards
GASO – J. D. King – 16 carries, 102 yards, TD
Leading Receivers
ULM – Perry Carter Jr. – 2 receptions, 95 yards
GASO – Darion Anderson – 1 reception, 33 yards, TD :
| Statistics | Louisiana–Monroe | Georgia Southern |
| First downs | 18 | 20 |
| Total yards | 370 | 334 |
| Rushing yards | 85 | 254 |
| Passing yards | 285 | 80 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:24 | 33:36 |

### At Arkansas State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 3 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 33 |
| Red Wolves | 14 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 38 |

### Georgia State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 |

### Vs. Liberty (Cure Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Flames | 7 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 16 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 5 | 163 | Kindle Vildor | CB | Chicago Bears |
| 6 | 188 | Tyler Bass | K | Buffalo Bills |