gseagles.com
O.J. Arnold ran for 153 yards and the defense created four turnovers as the Georgia Southern football team downed Appalachian State University 29-10 Monday afternoon at Protective Stadium to capture the JLab Birmingham Bowl.
The Eagles started hot, going 11 plays in 66 yards to take a 7-0 lead on Terrance Gibbs’ first career touchdown. Tripp Bryant added two field goals, including a 36 yarder into a stiff wind to end the half to give the Eagles a 13-3 lead going into the break.
Southern started the second half the same way it started the game, marching right down the field to score on a Weston Bryan 3-yard touchdown and followed that up with a Marcus Sanders Jr. 32-yard touchdown catch from JC French IV to make the score 26-7. Bryant added a late 27-yard field goal to ice the win for the Eagles.
Arnold was named MVP of the game as he went over 1,000 yards for the season, finishing with 1,043. He became the first Eagle to top the 1K mark since Wesley Fields ran for 1,050 in 2018.
Dorrian Smith led the way with a pair of interceptions, tying the school bowl record for picks in a game (Justin Birdsong, 2020 New Orleans Bowl). Tracy Hill Jr. and Devin Collier each had an interception of their own.
The Eagles out-gained the Mountaineers on the ground 242-187 and were 5-for-5 on red zone opportunities.
Georgia Southern finishes the season 7-6, posting its second consecutive winning season. The bowl game marked the fourth straight bowl appearance for the Eagles, a first in program history.
