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  • Eagles defeat WCU, 28-6

    CULLOWHEE, N.C. - For the second straight week, Georgia Southern held its opponent scoreless for three quarters and came away with a 28-6 win over Western Carolina at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, N.C. The Eagles improved to 6-4 on the year with a 4-3 record in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina fell to 2-8 and 1-6 in the league. The win also gave Georgia Southern the longest active win streak between current SoCon teams with 16 straight wins over the Catamounts.

    Freshman running back Robert Brown (Macon, Ga.) ran for a game-high and career-best 153 yards, which included the Eagles' longest rush of the year, an 80-yard touchdown score in the third quarter. Junior quarterback Jaybo Shaw (Flowery Branch, Ga.) tied his career best with two rushing touchdowns today.

    Sophomore slotback J.J. Wilcox (Cairo, Ga.) gave the Eagles their first touchdown after Western Carolina's Blake Bostic hit a 36-yard field goal on the Catamounts initial drive. Bostic would connect on a 38-yarder with 4:52 remaining in the first quarter for the Catamounts only other score. Georgia Southern held a slim 7-6 lead after the first quarter.


    Shaw's six points of the night came at 11:32 in the second quarter after Eagles cornerback Laron Scott (Warner Robins, Ga.) intercepted a Zac Brindise pass at midfield and returned it for 12 yards to the Catamount end of the field. Shaw threw a 22-yard pass to Tyler Sumner (Pooler, Ga.) and then escaped a sack while throwing a perfect 46-yard pass to Wilcox to put the Eagles at first-and-goal. Sophomore slotback Darreion Robinson (Bishop, Ga.) powered the ball to the two and then Shaw crossed the goal line. Shaw's score gave the Eagles a 14-6 advantage.

    Neither team could get the offense rolling the rest of the second quarter. Brindise was sacked by Brent Russell (Comer, Ga.) for a loss of 12 yards, putting the Catamounts at a third-and-23 at their own three-yard line. On the next Catamount series, sophomore linebacker Josh Rowe (Opelika, Ala.) recovered a fumble at midfield to end that drive . Georgia Southern went three and out on two of its next three drives, losing its other possession on an interception. Western Carolina punted on its last possession of the half.

    Following Georgia Southern's three-and-out to open the second half, Western Carolina drove to the GSU 15-yard line, converting first on a third-and-seven as Brindise competed a nine-yard pass to Josh Cockrell. The Catamounts picked up another first down on an Eagle personal foul and then Sidney Rhodes had back-to-back carries of 14 and 22 yards, respectively, to get to the GSU six-yard line. A WCU holding penalty moved the Catamounts back to the 12 and Russell tackled Michael Johnson for a loss of three yards to move the ball to the 15. Brindise threw incomplete to Jacoby Mitchell. On his next attempt, Brindise's pass went into the hands of Scott for his second interception of the night, tying his career best and in the process, tying the Georgia Southern single-season record for interceptions.

    The Eagles gave the ball right back to the Catamounts. The Eagles converted on third-and-one, but Catamounts converted defender Chris Everett forced the ball loose on the carry. Western Carolina began its drive at midfield with Brindise completing two straight passes to Deja Alexander and Mitchell for two straight first downs. Defensive end Roderick Tinsley (Soperton, Ga.) stopped Michael Johnson for a loss of five yards, but Mitchell grabbed an eight-yard pass to put the Catamounts at the GSU 18. Mitchell dropped the next attempt and Bostic set up for a 36-yard field goal. A low kick and charging Tinsley met at the point of impact, blocking the field goal. Georgia Southern took over at its own 20 with 3:39 left in the third.

    On the first play from scrimmage, Brown found the end zone on the 80-yard run and Mora hit the PAT to put the Eagles up 21-6.

    Carrying over from the end of the third quarter and at third-and-10, Shaw broke loose for a 15-yard carry and had an 18-yard rush two plays later to the WCU 41. Georgia Southern's next play, a Shaw-to-Williford 29-yard completion put the Eagles at the Western 12. Darreion Robinson ran for 10 more yards to the two-yard-line giving the Eagles four tries at the goal line. Shaw picked up one yard on his first carry and then ran in for the one-yard touchdown. Shaw's second touchdown gave Georgia Southern some insurance, and the final margin, 28-6, in a hard-fought game.


    Freshman Jerick McKinnon (Marietta, Ga.) took over for the Eagles for the remainder of the quarter. The Catamounts drove 10 plays to the Eagles' 38, but failed to progress as time expired.
    Rowe led all Eagles with eight tackles while Russell, Michael Butler (Stone Mountain, Ga.), Derek Heyden (Atlanta, Ga.) and E.J. Webb (Roanoke, Va.) and seven each. Russell registered 3.5 tackles for loss, topping his previous career best of 3.0 in a single game last week against Appalachian State.

    NOTES: The 80-yard TD run by Brown was the longest rush by an Eagle this year and the one-play drive the shortest drive of the season in terms of time at 11 seconds... Western Carolina and Georgia Southern, conference leaders in tackles for loss, combined for 19 with the Catamounts' 11 and Eagles' 8... Mora remained perfect in his career with 81 straight PATs, adding four to his total on Saturday... attendance was 6,244 on Hall of Fame Day at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.