How does a player new to your program learn about and understand how games with certain opponents mean just a little more to the fan base.

This is not to say a game with Coastal Carolina, for example, isn’t important but when Georgia Southern plays Appalachian State, Marshall or Georgia State it seems to be a tad more meaningful.

Regardless of the opponent the outcome counts the same in the standings but wins over App State, for example, are the ones as a player and fan you truly remember.

The rivalry with App, of course, dates back to the 1930s. Marshall, along with the Eagles, was one of the Southern Conference kingpins when both were in that conference. That rivalry was renewed when the Thundering Herd joined the Sun Belt Conference four years ago.

Georgia State was a team to be ignored and often mocked by Georgia Southern fans when it started football in 2012. Things changed when the Panthers joined the Sun Belt Conference moving up to FBS a year before Georgia Southern did.

The Eagles won the first ever meeting 69-31 as Coach Willie Fritz turned Matt Brieda, Kevin Ellison and a host of others loose on the Panthers who have held their own since. The series is knotted at 6-6 going into Saturday’s game at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN+.

These rivalries are what Alex Taylor, like several of his teammates, stepped into when he joined the Eagles via the transfer portal. Taylor transferred to Georgia Southern from North Carolina last January.

So far, it’s been all good for Taylor who may be the hottest receiver in the conference. He’s played a key role in back-to-back wins over Old Dominion, App and Marshall.

The current three-game win streak has seen Taylor step up big time. He’s pulled down 21 balls for 262 yards. On the season Taylor has 38 receptions for 529 yards, an average of 58.78 per game. His 13.92 yards per catch is fifth best in the conference. Josh Dallas leads the Eagles with 49 receptions.

Taylor had 10 receptions against App State which represents an individual high among conference receivers.

“Coach (Clay) Helton has talked to us about the rivalries and what these games mean,” Taylor. “The guys who have been here talk about it to us. We want to win every game but I understand the importance of certain games. It’s bragging rights.”

Certain games meaning more is nothing new for Taylor. At Carolina he had games with nearby Duke and N.C. State along with Wake Forest which carried a little more weight than, say, Boston College.

Last Saturday the Greensboro, N.C., product had four catches against Marshall including a 70-yard touchdown pass on first down in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 21-7 lead. Time of possession on the drive was 10 seconds and Marshall never recovered.

“I knew Max (Johnson) was looking at me,” Taylor said. “It was one-on-one coverage. The safety came down hard and I really didn’t have much of a release. I just ran hard and I knew I could make the play.”

Johnson, who was the Sun Belt’s Offensive Player of the Week for his four touchdown passes performance, threw the ball on a perfect arc and Taylor never broke stride as he hauled it in against the badly beaten defender.

Taylor said he and Johnson did not come to Georgia Southern as a package although the two did spend two years together at North Carolina.

“I came in as a freshman when Max transferred in,” Taylor said. “I didn’t spend a lot of time with him that first year because he was injured (broken leg) in the first game. Last year we got our timing down and were familiar with one another.

“Max committed to Georgia Southern before I did,” Taylor said. “They were interested in me and Max encouraged me to come here.”

Taylor got off to a slow start with four catches for 47 yards in the first three games. He started hitting his stride when he had six receptions for a season high 119 yards against Houston and he followed that with six against Coastal Carolina.

“I know we don’t take any rivalry game lightly here, any game for that matter,” Taylor said of the game with the Panthers. “Rivalry games are a little different…we’ll be playing in Atlanta, it’s a special moment. But we know what’s at stake.

“We know we have to finish out strong. These (three wins) sets us up for the rest of the year. It’s now in our hands.”