For Georgia Southern’s much maligned defense it was an encouraging start.
The Eagles’ 31-0 shutout of Charleston Southern last Saturday was their first since they blanked The Citadel, 34-0, to start the 2023 season, a stretch of 38 games.
Last year was a disaster as Georgia Southern gave up 420 points, ranking 12th among the Sun Belt Conference’s 14 schools. It cost defensive coordinator Brandon Bailey, now the safeties coach at James Madison, his job.
Coach Clay Helton brought in Mike Mutz from Stephen F. Austin where he had been the defensive coordinator the last three years. This is Mutz’s second go round with Georgia Southern. He coached the linebackers for Willie Fritz in the 2014=15 seasons and went to Tulane with Fritz. He was at Tulane for seven seasons before going to SFA.
While he hated to see anyone lose their job linebacker MJ Stroud likes what he’s seen of the Eagles defense in pre-season camp and in the win over the Buccaneers.
“It’s really a defense which everyone believes in,” Stroud said. “Everybody is flying around real fast, on fire.
“You do your job and I do mine…if we trust each-other we’ll get everything done.”
Stroud, a fifth-year senior from Covington who played at Alcovy High School, is recognized as one of the top linebackers in the Sun Belt. He was all-conference last year and was a pre-season pick going into this season.
The Eagle veteran said he has never considered entering the transfer portal or exploring any opportunities that might lay elsewhere.
“Statesboro isn’t like northeast Georgia,” Stroud said, “but, this is exactly like where I’m from and its real homey for me. It’s close to my people and they can come and see me play. I love it here…not interested in playing anywhere else.”
Mutz is Stroud’s third defensive coordinator and while there’s always new schemes and expectations, he said it has not required any major adjustments.
“It’s really not that difficult (going from coordinator to coordinator) if you care about what you’re doing,” Stroud said. “All you have to do is put in the time, learn the plays, go out to practice and work.
“If you mess up you just have to get back on the field and try to get it right,” Stroud said. “It’s all about how you actually play after the last play. It’s still football.”
With all due respect to Charleston Southern the revamped Eagles defense will get a stronger test this Saturday when it goes to Clemson. Game time is 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on the ACC Network.
This will be the second straight year quarterback Max Johnson will face the Tigers in Death Valley. Last year as the starting quarterback for North Carolina Johnson completed 26 of 42 passes for 213 yards in a 38-10 loss.
The Tigers are somewhat of an enigma in that they looked awful last Saturday in a 51-10 loss at LSU. Offensively they had only 194 yards giving no indication of what their strengths are and which players a defense has to key on.
This will be the first of two games against Power 4 opponent for Georgia Southern. In two weeks Houston, led by Fritz, comes to Paulson Stadium.
“I think it means more to the community that it does to us as players,” Stroud said of facing Power 4 foes. “We have the opportunity to win the game and get some notoriety for ourselves but winning one of or both of those games means everything to the fans. It gives them bragging rights.
“For us as players that’s what we signed up for.”
Stroud also said one of the keys in making a successful transition to the defense Mutz brought with him has been the presence of safety Aaron Sears, a fifth-year player who transferred from Stephen F. Austin where was an all-conference player.
“He’s a really good player,” Stroud said. “He’s making all the calls. He’s really involved in what we’re doing here. He knows the system and he’s really dived in to helping everybody else learn it.”
