Georgia Southern vs. Southern Miss 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

The Georgia Southern Eagles prepare for their first of two Thursday Night games, hosting the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Paulson. Georgia Southern is currently listed as a 3.5-point underdog at home, with a point total of 59.5. Both teams are coming off their bye week entering this clash of the Eagles. With that in mind, let’s dive into this Georgia Southern vs. Southern Miss 2025 game preview.

Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Matchup History

This is the first time these two teams have met on the football field since 1941. That was when Georgia Southern was still known as Georgia Teachers College. Southern Miss won that contest 70-0.

The Golden Eagles will enter this matchup with a record of 3-2. Southern Miss’s biggest wins come from a 42-25 triumph over Jacksonville State and a 38-22 domination against App State. The Golden Eagles have a 1-0 conference record and look to take a seat at the top of the conference with a win against the Eagles. The Georgia Southern Eagles come into this game with a 2-3 record and 0-1 in the conference after a crushing defeat at James Madison University.

Georgia Southern vs. Southern Miss 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

Key Players for Southern Miss

Southern Miss will want to get their run game going. Georgia Southern has struggled all year stopping the run, and the Golden Eagles have two studs in the backfield in Jeffery Pittman and Robert Briggs Jr. Pittman is the starter and leads the position group in yards with 268 and four touchdowns. Pittman has had a 15-yard rush in every game so far, and it will not be easy to bring him down if the Georgia Southern defense is not flowing to the ball quickly.

Golden Eagle quarterback Braylon Braxton is a playmaker. Braxton currently ranks 22nd in passing touchdowns this season and also averages around 30 yards on the ground. Southern Miss will need Braxton to continue his impressive season if they want to air it out on a solid Georgia Southern secondary.

The Golden Eagle defense will be a major factor in this game. Southern Miss currently ranks 13th in FBS in sacks per game as well as 13th in takeaways per game. They also have four defensive backs with over 10 solo tackles. If they can put the clamps on Southern, they can win this game.

Key Players for Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern needs a better offensive game this week. James Madison was able to take away just about everyone from the game plan. Although wide receiver Camden Brown had 100 yards, it was because the Eagles were forced to pass after going down early. They will need to avoid falling behind if Coach Helton wants to open up his playbook.

Eagles quarterback JC French will need to get wide receiver Dalen Cobb involved. Against JMU, Cobb only had four receptions and three carries. Cobb is a dynamic weapon in both the run and passing game and helps keep defenses honest. French also had a rough game rushing against JMU, with 13 carries for -8 rushing yards. That cannot happen again; French’s legs are too useful to be shut down that easily. The Eagles quarterback also took seven sacks against JMU. The only other team to sack French this year was the University of Southern California, who only had three.

The defense has been the talk of the town all year; and that is because it clearly needs to be better. James Madison struggled early trying to pass the ball last week. Yet once they leaned on the running game, their offense opened right up. Georgia Southern can defend the air, but if they cannot stop the Southern Miss run game it will not make any difference. Linebacker Brendan Harrington had a big game against JMU with eight solo tackles and one tackle-for-loss, and the Eagles need him to keep performing well. After losing the Sun Belt player of the year, Marques Watson-Trent, to Nebraska in the portal, the linebacker room needs someone to step up, and Harrington fits the bill.

How Georgia Southern Gets the Win

Georgia Southern will want to get up early on Southern Miss to avoid putting additional pressure on the defense and JC French. Dalen Cobb will need to be more involved in the offense to help facilitate a strong rushing attack. Against JMU, Georgia Southern could only rush for 27 yards which made it almost impossible to catch the defense off-guard. Running back OJ Arnold will also need more than four carries if the Eagles want to control the game.

If Georgia Southern can get up early and force Southern Miss to air it out, they will play right into the Eagles defensive strengths.

Game Prediction

This game could be a shootout. Georgia Southern has struggled defensively all year. It’s hard to imagine a bye week will fix all of their problems. However, it could help get the offense back into rhythm after a crushing loss. Expect Camden Brown to continue his superstar campaign and for OJ Arnold to be a much larger part of the gameplan.

Georgia Southern will have a tough time slowing down the Southern Miss defense but if they can answer with their own offense then it may not matter. The home field advantage is real in college football, and could be a deciding factor in a game that comes down to the final drive.

Score prediction: 41-38, Georgia Southern.