STATESBORO, Ga. () — The Georgia Southern football team begins conference play this week. The Eagles are set to face a very skilled James Madison team on the road. Currently, Georgia Southern maintains a 2-2 record following a second-half rally against Maine.

Georgia Southern enjoyed its best offensive performance of the season this past Saturday. The Eagles produced 516 yards of total offense.

“We really excel at generating explosive plays for our offense with that offensive line,” head coach Clay Helton stated. “We’ve achieved our highest output today with 6.9 per play and 14.3 per catch.”

However, there were areas of concern. JC French threw an interception. He now has three touchdowns and six interceptions.

“We’ve been playing clean football up until now, and then to have two turnovers, one resulting in a non-offensive touchdown, and to have the penalties is something we can’t afford as we begin conference play and need to rectify this week,” Helton remarked.

This week, Georgia Southern commences its campaign for the Sun Belt Conference title with an away match against James Madison. The Dukes have achieved a 2-1 record this year, with their sole defeat being against Louisville.

“We must avoid committing the penalties we experienced,” Helton emphasized. “We had eight penalties which prevented us from creating separation in that first half. We allowed a non-offensive touchdown, committed two turnovers in the first half, and dropped two balls that were likely touchdowns.”

This is undoubtedly the toughest defense Georgia Southern will encounter in the Sun Belt. The Dukes currently rank second nationally in Passing Yards Allowed at 103, with their rushing defense positioned at 46th, conceding 111 yards.

“They’ve got some pretty good players,” sixth-year tight end and Georgia State transfer Ahmon Green said. “So do we. They have a pretty good game plan. They are pretty stout up front I believe. It’s probably one of the best fronts that we’ll probably play all season.”

New this year in the Sun Belt, teams will disclose injury reports for conference games. Clay Helton said the deadline is Wednesday at 8 p.m.

“It’s going to be a neat system to be able to see, but we’ve had some injuries that are right on the cusp that we hope we get some guys back, not only this game, but for Southern Miss,” Helton said.

The game at James Madison kicks off Saturday at 1:30 p.m.