Sun Belt: Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern Eagles

2015 Results: 9-4 (6-2, 3rd in Sun Belt)

Defeated Bowling Green in Go Daddy Bowl

Returning Starters: 6 OFF, 5 DEF, 1 SP

2016 Schedule

September

3rd SAVANNAH STATE

10th at South Alabama

17th LOUISIANA-MONROE

24th at Western Michigan

October

5th at Arkansas State

15th at Georgia Tech

22nd at New Mexico State

27th APPALACHIAN STATE

November

5th at Mississippi

12th LOUISIANA

19th at Georgia State

December

3rd TROY

Georgia Southern enters their third year as an FBS school and also have a new head coach. Tyson Summers made the jump from Colorado State where he was the defensive coordinator, and inherits a top 25 defense from a year ago. After winning a Sun Belt title in their first season, expectations are high to return to that level of play for the program.

The Eagles had the top ranked rushing attack a year ago. Averaging 363 yards on the ground per game, they also return 99% of that production. Leading rusher Matt Breida returns along with the next 5 leading rushers. Summers will employ two quarterbacks this year before settling on a full-time starter. This will be a full option team, but the new coach will be easing in a passing game.

The defense came up huge last year, but was for the most part underappreciated. The secondary suffered the most losses on the side as only one starter returns. Senior linebacker Ironhead Gallon returns as the centerpiece for the 4-3 scheme. Three upfront return including interior linemen Jay Ellison and Darrius Sapp who combine 640 lbs between the two to stop up the middle.

Player to Watch: Matt Breida

Breida returns to the nation's leading rushing attack a year after running for 1,608 yards and 17 TDs. The back already has 3,093 yards in his career, and looks as though he will add to that total considerably. If the passing game can get going as Summer hopes, more holes will open up for Breida whether he needs them or not.

If you only watch them once, watch:

10/15 at Georgia Tech

If you like old-school football, this is your game. Here are two teams who will turn the clock back 60 years to a time when a forward pass was unheard of.

What to Expect

The Eagles have a lot going against them, They have a new coaching staff along with a very difficult schedule. They will need to settle on one quarterback and get the ball down the field quicker if they hope to continue their winning ways.

Prediction

5-7 (3-5, Sun Belt)

-Dug

@chansm1th

Sam Bradford Ends Holdout

Sam Bradford Returns to Eagles Practice

Two months ago, Sam Bradford signed a 2-year, $35 million contract. Just a little over a month later, the Eagles would make a trade with Cleveland for the #2 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Before the draft, It was a coin flip for who would be picked first overall: Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. Regardless, it was obvious that the Eagles were taking a quarterback for the future. The Eagles took Wentz and then rumblings began to surface from Bradford's camp. Two weeks ago, Bradford's agent requested a trade from the team and also said that he would not show up to camp. 

Bradford has had a resurgence of sorts last year with Philadelphia. At the time, trading for Bradford, who missed an entire season with a knee injury, did not make sense to most people considering the type of offense that then-head coach Chip Kelly was employing. After a slightly better than average season, Bradford cashed in on the big two year contract previously stated. 

New head coach Doug Pederson has stated multiple times that Bradford will be the starter for the upcoming season. Wentz is the future for the Eagles, and for at least the next two years, he will be provided with plenty of experience backing up Bradford. 

After his contract is fulfilled, Bradford will be 30 years old and a free agent in a quarterback starved market. Ending his strike might have been the best decision that he could have made. Teams will have three years of watching Bradford in a Philadelphia uniform and they should have a good idea of how his knee will hold up. Wentz might be the quarterback of the future, but for the time being, Bradford will be behind center for at least the 2016 season.