The Eagles are headed to Louisiana for the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19 against Sam Houston. Matt and Cody preview the matchup, warn fans to not underestimate the Bearcats, recap the Sun Belt Conference coaching carousel and bring back a fan favorite — Fun Facts!!!

Show Notes:

• Thoughts on New Orleans Bowl Selection
• Getting to Know the Sam Houston Bearkats 
• Bearkats Have Solid Defense and Tricky Offense 
• Coaching Change Sends More Than a Dozen to the Portal 
• App State Has Very Underwhelming Head Coach Hire
• Marshall Loses Huff, Brings in West Virginia Native
• Georgia Southern Recruiting Class Recap
• Fun Facts About Sam Houston and New Orleans

It was a bitter-sweet final Saturday of the 2024 regular season for Georgia Southern as the Eagles beat arch rival App State but came up a play short of winning the Sun Belt East as Marshall beat James Madison in double overtime. Matt and Cody recap the App State win and breakdown the 8-4 regular season. Were expectations met? Where do we go from here? Are changes of any kind warranted? 

Show Notes:

• App State Game Was as Strange as Ever
• Crowd Was Electric and Single Season Attendance Record Set
• Honoring the 2024 Senior Class
• How Does the 8-4 (6-2) Record Stack Up to Other FBS Years?
• Defense Recap: Was It as Bad as Some Fans Think?
• Offense Recap: Eagles Regressed in 2024 
• Special Teams Recap: Placekicking and Punting Were Solid
• Does the Result of the Bowl Game Matter?
• Should We Be Concerned With Margin of Victory?

It's officially Hate Week, and there's so much more on the line than simply bragging rights. Georgia Southern is still very much in the Sun Belt East race going into the final game of the regular season against App State, needing a win and a Marshall loss to book a spot in the conference championship game. Matt and Cody discuss the lopsided win at Coastal Carolina, what needs to improve to beat App and win a title, and cover all of the postseason scenarios for the Eagles. 

Show Notes:

• It All Comes Down to the Final Week
• Defense Shines Against Coastal 
• Concerns Over Red Zone Offense and Run Game
• We Must Not Beat Ourselves Against App State
• Breaking Down Championship Game Scenarios
• Get to Paulson, Set Attendance Record, and Will the Team to Victory

Following a disappointing loss to Troy in Paulson, Georgia Southern finds itself desperate for a win to stay in the Sun Belt East race. To make matters worse, the program finds itself in the middle of drama, with underwhelming reactions from head coach Clay Helton, ensuing backlash from fans and another departure of a prominent player in Issac Walker. 

Show Notes:

• The Troy Game Was NOT 'NFL-like' 
• Response from Helton More Upsetting Than the Loss
• Play-calling Against Troy Was Atrocious 
• Coordinators Need to Answer for Their Decisions 
• Breaking Down the Isaac Walker Situation 
• Does This Program Have a Shared Goal of Championships? 
• Previewing Coastal: Hungry Team Looking for Bowl-bid
• East Title Still in Reach, But Optimism Isn't High
• Silver Lining: We're 3-0 After Losses This Season

Georgia Southern comes out of the bye week in the driver's seat of the Sun Belt East, but they will host Troy this Saturday without their backup quarterback. Matt and Cody discuss the abrupt departure of Dexter Williams II and what it may mean for the remainder of the season. The guys also preview a Troy team that is finding their identity thanks to a strong running game and a familiar face in the backfield. 

Show Notes:

• Dexter Williams Is Gone: Instant Reaction
• Who Is to Blame for This?
• Eagles Down to French and Two True Freshmen
• Claiming Dex Was Deserving of QB1 Is Short-sided
• Previewing Troy: Rough Start But Finding Their Stride
• Running Game Features Former Eagle Gerald Green
• Key to Victory Is Stopping the Run and Establishing It Offensively
• Outlook on Rest of Season and Sun Belt East Race

Georgia Southern becomes bowl eligible and moves solely into first place in the Sun Belt East after a come-from-behind victory on the road, in November, against South Alabama. Matt and Cody discuss the much needed win and the outlook for the rest of the season as well as the recent athletic director change from Jared Benko to Chris Davis.

Show Notes:

• Cardiac Eagles Strike Again
• Total Team Effort in Fourth Quarter
• Unlike Marshall, Both QBs Were Key in Win
• JC French Played Safe, But Made the Plays When Needed
• Defense Looked Shaky at Times, but Pitched Shutout in Fourth 
• Running Game Concerns: OJ Needs More Touches
• Benko Out, Chris Davis In
• Jared Benko Is the Best Georgia Southern AD Since Bucky

After an embarrassing loss on the road against Old Dominion, Georgia Southern heads to Mobile, Alabama, to try and get back on track and do what they have been unable to do in the Clay Helton era — win a meaningful conference road game in November. In what Matt and Cody consider a must-win game against South Alabama, will the Eagles show up ready to compete in Mobile, or will it be another disappointing outcome in a stadium outside of the state of Georgia?

Show Notes:

• Eagles Showed Up 'Black Out Drunk' in Norfolk
• Why Can't This Team Compete in Conference Road Games?
• Defense That Came to Play Against JMU Did Not Show Up
• JC French's QB Play Continues to Regress
• Expectations for the Final Four Games of the Regular Season
• South Alabama Presents a Lot of Problems for the Eagles
• GS Must Stop the Run and Find a Way to Run the Football
• Eagles Must Find a Way to DRIVE When in the Driver's Seat

Georgia Southern moves into the driver's seat of the Sun Belt East race after a huge home win against James Madison. Now, the Eagles turn their attention to Old Dominion on a short week up in Norfolk, Virginia. 

Show Notes:

• Winning Despite Four Turnovers Is Telling
• Defense Delivers Excellent Performance Against JMU
• Offense Did Enough, And French Played Well
• Power of Paulson Frazzled the Dukes
• Eagles Have Target on Their Back and Will Get the Best of Everyone
• ODU Is Similar to Nevada Both on Offense and Defense
• This Game and Rest of the Season Is About GS, Not Opponents

It was one for the ages as Georgia Southern mounted a historic comeback victory against Marshall 24-23 at Paulson Stadium last Saturday. Now the Eagles have to quickly turn their attention to a James Madison team headed to Statesboro for what looks to be the East Division Championship game in the Sun Belt Conference. Matt and Cody put the comeback win into perspective, discuss the play of Dexter Williams II, blast the officiating and preview what seems to be the toughest conference test on the schedule as the Dukes roll into Paulson. 

Show Notes:

• Are We Dreaming, Or Did That Actually Happen? 
• Virtually No Coverage Despite Epic Comeback and Highlight-Reel Plays
• Defense Delivers Strong Performance on Slow Night for the Offense
• Worst Officiated Game in Recent Memory
• QB Play: Is There a Controversy?
• Previewing JMU: Dukes Are First in Offense and Defense in the Belt
• Mistake-Free Football Has to Happen, Along with Quick Start
• Power of Paulson and Expected Stadium Environment

After taking a week off for the Georgia Southern bye week and the aftermath of hurricane Helene, GATA Talk is back to get you ready for a huge White Out game at Paulson Stadium against Marshall! Matt and Cody discuss all the great things they witnessed in the Eagles win against Georgia State and break down what will need to happen to improve to 2-0 in conference play as the Thundering Herd head to Statesboro.

Show Notes:

• Hurricane Helene: Donate What You Can; Many Are Still Hurting
• Defense Look Fantastic in Atlanta Outside of Two Plays
• Offense Put on a Masterclass of Play Calling and Execution 
• Special Teams Continues to Shine Outside of Muffed Punt
• Marshall Has New Face Behind Center 
• Air Raid Not So Airy for the Thundering Herd
• Insider Trading: Eagles Have Former Marshall OC on Staff
• Thundering Herd Defense is Fast and Disruptive
• Eagles Should Win as Long as Offense is Humming
• Embrace the White Out and Be LOUD!

Eagle Nation, it's been a long time coming! After a week of online controversy leading into rivalry week versus Georgia State, the Panthers biggest advocate and personality accepted an open invite to come on GATA Talk. Ben Moore of 247 Sports and PantherTalk.com discusses the major differences between Georgia Southern and Georgia State, the state of the rivalry, the new official name, thoughts on Saturday's game and the stereotypes that need to be broken among both schools. He also discusses recent tailgating changes in Atlanta and what Georgia Southern fans need to know if they plan on attending the game. 

Show Notes:

• No Room for Bigotry on Either Side of Rivalry
• Stay Off of Recruits' Social Media Posts Other Than Commitments to Your School!
• Breaking Down GS-GS Altercation in 2022
• New Name of Rivalry: Does It Matter?
• Names of Stadiums: Acceptable to Call it Turner Field?
• Ben’s Thoughts on the Upcoming Game
• What Happened with GT, Chattanooga and Vandy?
• What to Expect from Dell McGee
• Game Day Tips and Tricks for Georgia State Home Games