By Christian Goeckel
SouthernPigskin.com

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The last two teams to get into the AP Top 25 and have to play Georgia Southern the next week:

2019 – 20 App State – L 24-21
2018 – 25 App State – L 34-14

The Eagles had another such opportunity on Saturday, as they welcomed in undefeated James Madison, who was sporting a sparkly new No. 25 ranking entering the matchup.

Georgia Southern had another chance to spoil someones party, and boy did they. The Eagles fell behind 14-0 early, but stormed back to upset the Dukes 45-38.

The effort was led by quarterback Kyle Vantrease, who threw for 578 yards and 4 scores on 64 attempts. The Georgia Southern Eagles, the team that made a program-defining move away from the triple option this past offseason, had a passing yards to rushing yards ratio of 578:12. The air raid is in full effect.

I want to try to quantify how significant some of these stats are.

• Prior to this season, since 2000 Georgia Southern had just 5 games in which a quarterback threw for more than 200 yards. Kyle Vantrease has done it 6 times in 7 games.
• The number of 300 yard passers for the Eagles in program history prior to Vantrease? 3.
• Kyle Vantrease just jumped Georgia Southern legend Tracy Ham for the most passing yards in a single game in program historyxa6 by 159 yards.
• Vantrease has played in 7 games for the Eagles. He now owns 5 out of the top 10 passing yardage performances in the school’s history.
• His 17 touchdowns this season are already the most in a single season by a Georgia Southern quarterback.
• Derwin Burgess Jr. (12) and Khaleb Hood (11) own the number 1 and number 2 spots for receptions in a single game by an Eagle.

Saturday was a ton of fun in Statesboro, but the result was something that Georgia Southern fans have seen before. They expect this team to go head to head with the best of the Sun Belt. Its the method thats different. Its almost startling how quickly Clay Helton and offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis have gotten this offense up and running. A team that many picked to finish with just one or two wins, is now fighting for a bowl bid.