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Eagles football schedule released
GSUEagle

2016 Eagles Football Schedule
September
Sept. 3: Savannah State
Sept. 10: at South Alabama *
Sept. 17: UL Monroe *
Sept. 24: at Western Michigan
October
Oct. 5: at Arkansas State * (ESPN2)
Oct. 15: at Georgia Tech
Oct. 22: at New Mexico State *
Oct. 27: Appalachian State * (ESPNU)
November
Nov. 5: at Ole Miss
Nov. 12: UL Lafayette *
Nov. 19: at Georgia State *
December
Dec. 3: Troy *

* conference opponent

STATESBORO — The Georgia Southern Athletics Department and the Sun Belt Conference announced the Eagles’ 2016 football schedule last week.
The Eagles will play two Power 5 opponents and have two nationally televised games, five contests against teams that played in bowl games last year and seven games in Georgia.

A Thursday-night ESPNU game against Appalachian State on Oct. 27 highlights GSU’s schedule at Paulson Stadium, along with home contests against Sun Belt foes Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Troy.
“Our fans should be especially enthused about showcasing Paulson Stadium for a Thursday-night game once again,” Eagles head coach Tyson Summers said. “Our guys are working hard in our winter-conditioning program right now, and I speak for everybody when I say we’re all excited to get on the practice field this spring.”

Summers was hired as the Eagles’ head man in December after successful stints as the defensive coordinator at Colorado State and Central Florida. Following his first game as Georgia Southern’s head coach on Sept. 3 against Savannah State, the Eagles travel to Mobile, Alabama, to face South Alabama on Sept. 10. The Eagles will return home a week later to face UL-Monroe before wrapping up September with a road trip to Western Michigan.
October begins with the Wednesday-night ESPN2 game at Arkansas State and a non-conference tilt at Georgia Tech on Oct. 15. GSU will then head west to take on New Mexico State before a quick turnaround for a Thursday-night home game on Oct. 27 against App State.

The 40 days between home games (Sept. 17-Oct. 27) will be the longest ever in program history.
Georgia Southern will play just three games in November — at Ole Miss on Nov. 5, at home against UL-Lafayette on Nov. 12 and at Georgia State on Nov. 19. The Eagles will wrap up the regular season on Dec. 3 at home against Troy.

In all, the Eagles will face five teams that played in bowl games last season: Ole Miss (Sugar Bowl champs), Western Michigan (Bahamas Bowl champs), Appalachian State (Camellia Bowl champs), Georgia State (Cure Bowl) and Arkansas State (SBC champ; New Orleans Bowl).
Georgia Southern will have four open Saturdays, including two full bye weeks.

The Eagles will have off the two Saturdays (Oct. 1 and Oct. 8) around a Wednesday night game at defending Sun Belt champion Arkansas State on Oct. 5, as well as Saturday, Oct. 29, following the Thursday-night game against App State. The Eagles will also have an off week the week of Thanksgiving prior to the season finale against Troy on Dec. 3.

The Eagles enter the 2016 season seeking to build on the success of the past two seasons, their first in the Football Bowl Subdivision. During that time, Georgia Southern has won 18 games, including 14 in the Sun Belt, and captured the GoDaddy Bowl title last year.

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