Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Football will return home to host the Georgia Southern Eagles in Southern Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 23 for Kids Day at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and Bulldog fans can watch and listen to the game live on Bulldog Insider at www.CitadelSports.com or listen on ESPN Radio 910 The Team with the Voice of the Bulldogs Darren Goldwater, color analyst Walt Nadzak and sideline reporter Brad Franko.
The Series
The Citadel and Georgia Southern will meet on Saturday for the 20th time in the series history which dates back to Nov. 26, 1988 in the NCAA I-AA first round playoffs. They met a second time in the playoffs again on Nov. 24, 1990. The Bulldogs' first win against GSU came in their fourth meeting in 1994 when The Citadel topped the Eagles, 17-15, at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Georgia Southern leads the series, 15-4, with a 5-3 advantage when playing in Charleston. The last time these teams met was on Nov. 21, 2009 at Paulson Stadium in a 13-6 Eagle victory. The last time these teams met in Charleston, the Bulldogs lost in triple overtime, 44-41, on Nov. 1, 2008. The most recent Bulldog win against Georgia Southern was a 24-21 final in Charleston on Oct. 28, 2006.
The Citadel
The Citadel (2-5 overall; 0-4 SoCon), is still looking for their first conference victory of the 2010 season after dropping their fourth straight game last Saturday at No. 1 Appalachian State. The Bulldogs fell to the Mountaineers, 39-10, in front of a Parents Weekend crowd of 29,519, the sixth largest in ASU school history.
Bulldog freshmen will continue to play a significant role this week against the Eagles, especially as The Citadel offense continues to struggle with injuries. True freshman quarterback Matt Thompson returned to the starting role last week and finished the game as The Citadel's leading rusher with 10 carries for 69 yards a touchdown. Thompson will be the starter this week for the sixth time this season, while redshirt freshman Sam Martin will continue to rotate in the position.
With starting slot backs Rickey Anderson questionable and Van Dyke Jones out with a torn ACL, the Bulldogs will look to freshmen Terrance Martin and fullback Darien Robinson to step up even more this week. Robinson recorded 14 carries for 56 yards against the Mountaineers last week, while Martin had solid performances against Presbyterian and at Furman, recording 49 yards and 47 yards with one touchdown, respectively. Tight end Alex Sellars, who recently returned against Chattanooga after sitting out with a back injury, is also out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.Taking his place in the starting lineup is redshirt freshman Cullen Brown.
Fifth-year senior defensive end Erik Clanton continues to be the Bulldogs' defensive threat as he will look to dominate the Eagle offense. Clanton, who recovered a fumble and returned it 40 yards, setting up the first score the game at ASU last week, ranks second in the SoCon in sacks with 7.0 for a loss of 37 yards, averaging one sack a game. He also ranks second in the conference in tackles for loss with 11.0 for a loss of 50 yards. Clanton's numbers place him tied for fifth in the country in sacks and 17th for tackles for loss.
Scouting the Eagles
Georgia Southern (3-3; 1-2 SoCon) is coached by first-year head coach Jeff Monken who took over the program in November 2009. The Eagles, who defeated No. 11 Elon on Sept. 25, are coming off a 35-27 loss at Chattanooga and are on a two-game losing streak. Their other wins during the season took place against Savannah State and at Coastal Carolina in early September. Georgia Southern is currently ranked fifth in the SoCon and ranks second in the conference in total defense, rushing offense, kickoff returns and punting, while holding the top spot in field goals.
Georgia Southern finished the 2009 season with a 5-6 overall record and 4-4 in the Southern Conference for a fourth place tie. They returned 38 lettermen to the 2010 squad, including seven starters on offense and seven starters on defense. The Eagles are led by junior quarterback Jaybo Shaw, a transfer from Georgia Tech.
A game recap and statistics will be available online immediately following Saturday's game. For more information on Bulldog Football, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
