The Georgia Southern football team is gearing up for another Southern Conference show down. The Samford Bulldogs, who beat the Eagles last year on their turf, will be hosting GSU this Saturday.

With only three games left in the season, the Eagles must win out in order to have a spot in the playoffs.  Although Samford is relatively new to the SoCon, senior offensive lineman Jonathan Loving reminds us that they may be new, but they are good. “We don’t think we have any kind of advantage over them because they are new to the conference. They beat us last year and we are going to have to play hard in order to get a win,” said Loving.

Loving also spoke about some of the strategies he will pursue personally to make sure the offense runs smoothly. “I’m going to stay focused and go in and play every down like it’s my last,” he said.

The Eagles are coming off of a bye week and Loving indulged himself in his time off. “The bye week has given us a lot of extra time to prepare but it also gave me chance to get away and just think about my goals, and just...life!”

As one of the five 5th year seniors on the squad, Loving’s experience has helped lead the offense to be a big hazard for the true blue. He also recognizes other players who have contributed as well.

“Brent Russell plays hard on every play. He never sleeps on a play. He plays really well to be so young,” said Loving.

Head Coach Chris Hatcher gave his analysis as well on other plays who have made an immediate impact.

“Urban has had a good solid year. J.J. Wilcox and Mitch Williford have played really well. Defensively, Dion Dubose continues to have a fine year, as well as Brent Russell and Markeith Wylie. Every week, different guys are stepping up and hopefully we can make a good run in these final three games,” Hatcher said.

Hatcher also talked about what the Eagles need to do to come out of Alabama with a victory. “The big thing is we got to be a little more sound. We have to limit our turnovers and our mistakes and penalties. We also need to make every play count. They are the best defensive team in the Southern Conference and also in the nation. If we do that then we have a chance to win,” said Hatcher.

Hatcher agreed with Loving that the Eagles don’t have any kind of leeway when it comes to the Bulldogs. “They were here last season. It really doesn’t matter if they are old or new. They are well coached and we got to go on the road for this one. It is hard to play on the road in this conference,” Hatcher stated.

These last three Southern Conference games are a must win for the Eagles if they don’t want to end their year without a taste of the post season. Hatcher recognizes the importance of it, but right now he is taking it one game at a time. “We are going to have to win the rest of these ball games. But right now that is the farthest thing from our mind. We got to play against Samford if we want an opportunity to talk about that at the end of the year,” said Hatcher.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30.