Chris Hatcher has never been one to talk about last year, and this week will be no different. For Georgia Southern that means Saturday night’s home game against Chattanooga is more about getting off to a good start in Southern Conference play and less about avenging a one-point loss in 2006.
“It’s just the next game on our schedule, and it just happens to be Tennessee Chattanooga at home, first Southern Conference game,” said the GSU coach, who thinks the Eagles need progress in every area.
Georgia Southern improved to 2-0 with an eight-point win over Coastal Carolina last week. The matchup left the Eagles banged up and tired from the travel, Hatcher said. Talk of last year’s loss is scarce, but the players certainly remember the feeling of watching the Mocs’ last-second field goal soar through the uprights and the frenzy that ensued.
“It’s not too much based on last year, we just want come out 3-0 this week,” said quarterback Jayson Foster, who picked up national and conference accolades Monday. “Today was pretty much about us watching mistakes from last game, and we’ll start looking at Chattanooga more later in the week.”
GSU is eager to improve on last year’s 2-5 conference record and will be up against a 0-2 Chattanooga team that had last weekend off.
“When you come into league play you want to start off on a good note because then you control your own destiny and don’t need anybody else to win for you,” Foster said. “You go out there and you win everyday, and you can sit around and watch other people play to see what it comes down to.”
Foster, Rozier earn honors
Foster was named the national FCS co-offensive player of the week by The Sports Network and the College Sporting News Monday after rushing for a school-record six touchdowns in GSU’s win at Coastal Carolina last Saturday. He shared the awards with New Hampshire signal caller Ricky Santos (23-for-33, 289 yds, three TDs, 45 rushing yds, one rushing TD in win over Marshall).
Foster, who set numerous records in the win including most points (36) and rushing yards by an Eagle QB in a game (253), earned his second straight Southern Conference offensive player of the week award.
GSU running back Zeke Rozier was also honored by the league, picking up his first freshman of the week award after gaining 48 yards on nine carries for an average of 5.3 yards per rush. It was the first collegiate start for the true freshman out of Bleckley County.
Other SoCon weekly awards went to Appalachian State defensive tackle Anthony Williams (career-high nine tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack in win over Northern Arizona) and Western Carolina placekicker Jonathan Parsons (hit field goals of 29, 40 and 46 yards in loss to Georgia).
Jackson comes through
Early last week, Georgia Southern coaches had a talk with junior cornerback Brandon Jackson just to make sure he knew about the caliber of receiver they were asking him to contain at Coastal Carolina. He was already aware of Jerome Simpson and gladly accepting the role of covering him one-on-one all night. Jackson fulfilled his duties, holding Coastal’s go-to receiver to three catchers and 49 yards.
“We basically challenged him to go out there and shut (Simpson) down, and I think he did a really good job of doing that,” defensive coordinator Ashley Anders said.
Banged-up Eagles
Senior running back Lamar Lewis and junior linebacker Quentin Taylor wore protective boots at practice Monday but are hoping to be ready by Saturday…Junior cornerback Henry Chubb also didn’t practice after being injured in last week’s game… Rozier’s knee was wrapped and he hobbled around the practice fields… The school won’t release the injuries, and Hatcher said it’s too early in the week to know for certain which guys will play against Chattanooga.
“It takes a toll on you when you don’t have a lot of depth and you get in a hard-fought battle like we were Saturday night,” Hatcher said.
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
“It’s just the next game on our schedule, and it just happens to be Tennessee Chattanooga at home, first Southern Conference game,” said the GSU coach, who thinks the Eagles need progress in every area.
Georgia Southern improved to 2-0 with an eight-point win over Coastal Carolina last week. The matchup left the Eagles banged up and tired from the travel, Hatcher said. Talk of last year’s loss is scarce, but the players certainly remember the feeling of watching the Mocs’ last-second field goal soar through the uprights and the frenzy that ensued.
“It’s not too much based on last year, we just want come out 3-0 this week,” said quarterback Jayson Foster, who picked up national and conference accolades Monday. “Today was pretty much about us watching mistakes from last game, and we’ll start looking at Chattanooga more later in the week.”
GSU is eager to improve on last year’s 2-5 conference record and will be up against a 0-2 Chattanooga team that had last weekend off.
“When you come into league play you want to start off on a good note because then you control your own destiny and don’t need anybody else to win for you,” Foster said. “You go out there and you win everyday, and you can sit around and watch other people play to see what it comes down to.”
Foster, Rozier earn honors
Foster was named the national FCS co-offensive player of the week by The Sports Network and the College Sporting News Monday after rushing for a school-record six touchdowns in GSU’s win at Coastal Carolina last Saturday. He shared the awards with New Hampshire signal caller Ricky Santos (23-for-33, 289 yds, three TDs, 45 rushing yds, one rushing TD in win over Marshall).
Foster, who set numerous records in the win including most points (36) and rushing yards by an Eagle QB in a game (253), earned his second straight Southern Conference offensive player of the week award.
GSU running back Zeke Rozier was also honored by the league, picking up his first freshman of the week award after gaining 48 yards on nine carries for an average of 5.3 yards per rush. It was the first collegiate start for the true freshman out of Bleckley County.
Other SoCon weekly awards went to Appalachian State defensive tackle Anthony Williams (career-high nine tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack in win over Northern Arizona) and Western Carolina placekicker Jonathan Parsons (hit field goals of 29, 40 and 46 yards in loss to Georgia).
Jackson comes through
Early last week, Georgia Southern coaches had a talk with junior cornerback Brandon Jackson just to make sure he knew about the caliber of receiver they were asking him to contain at Coastal Carolina. He was already aware of Jerome Simpson and gladly accepting the role of covering him one-on-one all night. Jackson fulfilled his duties, holding Coastal’s go-to receiver to three catchers and 49 yards.
“We basically challenged him to go out there and shut (Simpson) down, and I think he did a really good job of doing that,” defensive coordinator Ashley Anders said.
Banged-up Eagles
Senior running back Lamar Lewis and junior linebacker Quentin Taylor wore protective boots at practice Monday but are hoping to be ready by Saturday…Junior cornerback Henry Chubb also didn’t practice after being injured in last week’s game… Rozier’s knee was wrapped and he hobbled around the practice fields… The school won’t release the injuries, and Hatcher said it’s too early in the week to know for certain which guys will play against Chattanooga.
“It takes a toll on you when you don’t have a lot of depth and you get in a hard-fought battle like we were Saturday night,” Hatcher said.
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
