Georgia Southern Football 2011 Preview

1. Georgia Southern—2010 Record: 10-5, (5-3 Southern Conference), finished 3rd in conference.

With 19 of 22 starters returning from a 2010 season that included an appearance in the FCS post-season Final Four, Georgia Southern enters 2011 as co-favorites—along with Appalachian State— to win the Southern Conference title.

The Eagles have plenty of talent returning on both sides of the ball from a team that finished the season with a 27-10 road defeat to Delaware.

The Offense:

The Eagles return Jaybo Shaw (71 of 140 passing, 1,233 yds, 5 TDs, 5 INTs, 209 rush att, 514 yds, 16 TDs, 2.5 YPC) at quarterback for the 2011 season.

All Shaw did in his first season as the Eagles' starter was field the nation's fourth-best rushing attack (261.2 YPG) last fall—second-best in the SoCon. While Shaw won't ever be mistaken for past greats Greg Hill or Jayson Foster, he does give the Eagles a true field general under center. His leadership and decision-making were two reasons why the Eagles were able to make their run to the Final Four.

Shaw is also one of the SoCon's gutsiest signal-callers. In a late-season, come-from-behind 32-28 win at Furman, the dual-threat QB took some vicious shots to his injured shoulder, but got up every time.

He single-handedly willed the Eagles to that victory over the Paladins, rushing for 121 yards and three scores, while passing for another 48 yards.

In my humble opinion, not only is Shaw one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the SoCon, but he is also one of the most underrated QBs in all of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

The best news for Georgia Southern is that it will have the best depth at the quarterback position in the SoCon this season.

Shaw's back up this fall looks likely to be Jerrick McKinnon (109 rush att, 495 yds, 3 TDs, 4.5 YPC in 2010), who split time between quarterback and slot back last season. Unlike Shaw, McKinnon is as dynamic a player as past Eagles greats Foster and Hill.

He possesses the kind of open-field speed and quickness necessary to take it the distance any time he touches the pigskin. Expect him to get more touches this season, whether it be under center or at slot back. He's too good a playmaker to not put on the field.

The leading ball-carrier for the Eagles this fall will likely be sophomore fullback Robert Brown (1,004 rush yds, 7 TDs). The powerful back was a pleasant surprise last season as a freshman, becoming one of the best young backs in the nation. Brown became the first true freshman running back to post a 100-yard rushing effort in his first collegiate game, when he went for 152 yards in the Eagles' 48-3 rout of Savannah State in the season opener.

He enjoyed his best rushing performance in an FCS postseason win at William & Mary, rushing for 171 in the 31-15 upset.

Brown will have some good company at fullback this fall, as it was learned in late winter that Ole Miss fullback Martez Eastland would be transferring to program.

The powerful 265-pound Eastland will give the Eagles an added threat in short-yardage situations, with the potential to make an impact similar to that of Jerome Felton at Furman just a few seasons ago.

Eastland, however, has already been involved in some off-field issues since arriving in Statesboro, and needs to get out of Jeff Monken's dog house quickly if he wants to play this season.

Slot back was a strength for the Eagles last season, as Darreion Robinson (61 rush att, 460 yds, 3 TDs, 7.5 YPC in 2010) and J.J. Wilcox (85 rush att, 484 yds, 6 TDs, 5.7 YPC, 22 rec, 551 yds, 3 TDs, 25.0 YPR in 2010) were solid in their respective roles last season.

Robinson has game-breaker speed on the perimeter and finished the season as GSU's third-leading rusher.

Wilcox is maybe the most explosive offensive player in the SoCon. He led the Eagles in receiving yards last fall, and was GSU's go-to deep threat. He had a spectacular evening against Chattanooga in particular, hauling in three passes for 121 yards and a TD.

McKinnon and Robinson should also be significant contributors at slot back this season for the Eagles. In fact, don't be surprised if McKinnon is able to win a starting spot at slot back this fall for the Eagles. Having his big-play potential on the field as much as possible will be paramount this fall for GSU.

The Eagles will also return some solid options at wide receiver, welcoming the return of possession-type receivers Patrick Barker (3 rec, 27 yds, 9.0 YPR in 2010), Mitch Williford (12 rec, 151 yds, 12.6 YPR in 2010) and Tyler Sumner (10 rec, 149 yds, 14.9 YPR in 2010), while speedy Tray Butler (13 rec, 168 yds, 2 TDs, 12.9 YPC in 2010) is a big-play threat.

Barker and Sumner are sure-handed wideouts, with good size and perimeter blocking skills. Butler had a solid game in the 23-21 win at Wofford in the FCS quarterfinals, where he had a 16-yard scoring reception.

The biggest area of improvement—and the primary reason the Eagles were able to get as far as they did in the FCS postseason last fall—was the offensive line. The Eagles went from having one of the worst offensive lines in the SoCon in 2009 to having one of the league's elite front five last fall.

All five starters return along the offensive front, which will be anchored by All-America right tackle candidate Brett Moore.

Moore earned second-team All-SoCon as a junior in 2010, and will team with seniors William Maxwell (RG) and Brandavious Mann (C).

Both Mann and Maxwell were solid performers a season ago, each starting all 15 games. Those two have the potential to compete for all-league plaudits in 2011. Dorian Byrd (LT) and Blake DeBartola (LG) will give GSU a strong left side of its offensive front, with Byrd selected to the SoCon's All-Freshman team last fall.

Overall, look for the GSU offense to be much better off in its second season since returning to the flexbone. With so many playmakers, the Eagles should excel at putting teams under pressure.

The Defense:

While the offense was efficient and stepped up when it needed to last fall, it was the defensive unit—which ranked seventh nationally—that was the primary reason for GSU's success.

With the return of 10 starters on the defensive side of the ball—including what many believe to be the best defensive line in the FCS, the Eagles have a chance to field a defense better than the 1988 unit, which allowed just 240.0 YPG en route to finishing as the national runner-up.

The Eagles ranked ninth in total defense last season, yielding just 286.9 YPG.

You won't find a better tandem on the defensive interior than Roderick Tinsley (55 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 4 PBUs, 6 FFs in 2010) and Brent Russell (71 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, 8.0 sacks, 2 PBUs, 2 FFs in 2010).

Russell will enter the season as a Buck Buchanan Award favorite—awarded to the best defensive player in FCS—while Tinsley will be on most everyone's preseason all-conference ballot. Both boast All-America talent.

The duo was dominant last season, combining to post 34 TFLs and 10 sacks. Russell has a chance to be the best defensive tackle to play in a GSU uniform since Alex Mash, who starred in the early 1990s, and Voncellies Allen in the latter part of that decade.

Both Mash and Allen are considered two of the best defenders ever to don the iconic navy-and-white jersey, Russell is making a case to be mentioned in the same breath as those two greats. Russell and Tinsley will no doubt be significant factors on the GSU defense this fall.

The Eagles will also be strong at the respective defensive end positions this season, returning starters John Douglas (33 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 2 FFs, 1 FR, 1 TD in 2010) and Dion DuBose (29 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF in 2010).

A freshman a season ago, Douglas enjoyed his most memorable play in that quarterfinal win over Wofford. Late in the opening quarter of that contest, Douglas gave the Eagles a two-touchdown advantage (14-0), when he picked up a Wofford fumble and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown late in the opening quarter.

DuBose made the conversion from middle linebacker to defensive end in his first season as a starter in 2010. It proved to be a terrific move, as he was able to more effectively utilize his athleticism on the line. He battled injuries towards the end of the 2010 season, but returned in the spring and enters the upcoming season as a starter.

Set to add depth to the bookend positions for the 2011 season will be Josh Gebhardt (33 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 FR, 1 INT in 2010) and Terico Agnew (10 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks in 2010).

Both Gebhardt and Agnew are capable of challenging for starting positions at defensive end for the Eagles. At most other schools in the SoCon, the two would be starters. Gebhardt was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last fall, taking over the starting responsibilities after the late-season injury to DuBose.

While the Eagles weren't as strong at linebacker last season as they were along the defensive front and in the secondary, this unheralded group will continue to play with a chip on their shoulder.

Leading the unit is All-SoCon middle linebacker Josh Rowe (104 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF in 2010). Rowe led the Eagles in tackles last season, and while he lacks the athleticism of former star John Mohring in the middle of the GSU defense, he does have a constant motor similar to that of the former Eagles standout.

The lone loss on the defensive side of the ball is at weakside linebacker, where the Eagles must replace E.J. Webb. Set to step in for Webb is junior John Stevenson (21 tackles, 1.5 TFLs in 2010).

Stevenson saw plenty of action as a reserve at the position last fall, and he enters the 2011 season coming off a strong spring.

Rounding out the starters at linebacker for the Eagles will be 'bandit' linebacker Darius Eubanks (56 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 4 PBUs, 1 FR, 2 FFs in 2010). Eubanks is a hard-nosed player, and will heads into the season as a trendy all-league candidate.

Eubanks had one of his best games of the 2010 season in the regular-season finale win at Furman, as he broke up two Paladin passes in the come-from-behind win.

The Eagles will also have some strong reserves set to go at linebacker this fall, returning Carlos Cave (33 tackles, 4.5 TFLs) and Kyle Oehlbeck (18 tackles, 1.0 TFL) to the fold.

Georgia Southern's secondary had a strong season in 2010, finishing the campaign ranking second in the SoCon in pass defense, yielding just (116 YPG). The top returnees from that talented unit are hard-hitting safety Derek Heyden (98 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 5 PBUs, 3 INTs, 3 FFs in 2010) and cornerback LaRon Scott (44 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 6 INTs, 10 PBUs in 2010). Both players are legitimate All-America candidates.

Heyden enjoyed some strong performances in 2010, as did Scott. In the 27-10 loss to Delaware in the playoffs, Heyden recorded a career-high 14 tackles. Scott recorded his top performance in GSU's shutout, 20-0, win over The Citadel, as he picked off two passes. Scott also had an INT return for a score in GSU's 38-21 win over No. 10 Elon.

Joining the aforementioned standouts in the GSU secondary as starters will be free safety Michael Butler (36 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Lavelle Westbrooks (32 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2 INTs, 5 PBUs, 1 sack) at cornerback. Both were solid last season, as Westbrooks started eight games, with seven starts at cornerback. Butler ended up starting seven games at free safety for the Eagles last fall.

Not only are the Eagles talented in the secondary heading into the 2011 season, they are also deep. GSU returns Deonte Watkins (6 tackles) at cornerback and A.J. McCray (13 tackles, 1 INT) at free safety to add solid, experienced depth returning for GSU for the 2011 season.

The Special Teams:

Another area that the Eagles should be strong in this fall will be special teams, where Adrian Mora (19-of-21 on FGs, 45-of-45 PATs) returns as one of the top place-kickers in the SoCon. Charlie Edwards (39.2 YPP, 19 I20 in 2010) returns at punter, where he will have a chance to compete for all-league honors this fall. Scott ranked second in kickoff return average, posting 26.4 yards-per-return in 2010.

Final Analysis:

On paper, Georgia Southern has few weaknesses entering the 2011 season.

For the first time since 2004, this team has the talent to be considered a legitimate SoCon and national-title favorite, thanks in large to its stellar defense.

If GSU can somehow find a way to get a victory in Boone on Oct. 29, an undefeated conference season is not out of the realm of possibility. It would be the first time since 1998 the Eagles have accomplished that feat, and would mark just the second time the Eagles done so since joining the Southern Conference in 1993.