Mark the date September 2, 2017 on your calendar football fans of Georgia Southern. So what exactly is the significance of this date? For the second time in Georgia Southern’s football program they will take on Auburn University in Jordan Hare Stadium. Although it is two years away, this is a huge announcement for the former FCS powerhouse Eagles as it solidifies a quality opponent in one of the most dominant conferences in the past decade.
While it is difficult to project how both programs will look two years from now here’s a quick look at both programs as they stand currently.
Auburn has won three national championships at the FBS level with it’s most recent being in 2010, led by current Carolina Panther Quarterback Cam Newton.
On the flip side, Georgia Southern in the genesis of its’ FBS program has won six national championships at the FCS or former Division 1AA level.
Both programs have combined for a total 1107 wins and 23 conference championships while placing 273 players in the NFL over the course of their football history.
Georgia Southern is no stranger to taking on big college programs in recent history on the road as they have taken on Alabama (2011), Georgia (2012), Florida (2013) and NC State and Georgia Tech (2014).
Despite Georgia Southern being familiar with playing perennial powerhouses, this game will be special. As mentioned before, this is the second time both schools will meet up with the last meeting in 1991 going to the host Tigers by a score of 32-17.
The game that took place on August 31, 1991 connects both programs, but the connection extends deeper than that.
Legendary Georgia Southern coach, Erk Russell, was a football player for the Tigers from 1946 to 1949, and began his illustrious coaching career as an assistant for Auburn from 1958 to1962, before taking over Georgia Southern from 1982 to 1989.
Both teams are connected by a man, but what also connects them is their ability for success as both are predicted by the media to win their respective conferences in 2015.
Twenty-eight years and three days from original taking the field against one another both schools will meet once again on “The Plains” in Auburn, Ala.
