SPARTANBURG, S.C. — A bull’s-eye on Georgia Southern’s back for the 2013 football season? When haven’t the Eagles had bull’s-eyes on their backs, their coach Jeff Monken asks.
GSU, a co-champion in the league last season, was the favorite to end up on top of the conference again in a voting of both the SoCon coaches and league media Wednesday afternoon at the Marriott.
Southern received six of the nine coaches’ first-place votes to outdistance second-place Appalachian State.
In the media poll, the Eagles collected 15 of the 28 votes. Wofford was second, followed by Appalachian State.
“(A bull’s-eye) on our chest, our back ..., hopefully, it’s on our back, that means we’re ahead of them,” said Monken, whose squad was 10-4 last season after falling to eventual national champion North Dakota State in the FCS semifinals.
GSU and Appalachian State, in their year of transition to the FBS’ Sun Belt Conference, won’t be eligible for the Southern Conference crown because they will be playing with more than the FCS-maximum 63 scholarships.
Monken said the Eagles must average 76.2 scholarships during their two transition years into the FBS. They will compete in the Sun Belt in 2014 but won’t be eligible to play in a bowl.
“Our goal is to try and win every game in the conference, and if we do that, it would be hard to argue that we weren’t the Southern Conference champions,” Monken said.
Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield expressed similar sentiments toward the upcoming season. The Mountaineers return quarterback Jamal Londry-Jackson, the league’s preseason offensive player of the year, and talented rising sophomore wide receiver Sean Price.
“We’re not casting the year off,” said Satterfield, in his first year replacing ASU’s longtime coach Jerry Moore.
There wasn’t much negative talk about the two schools leaving. Elon is also leaving, but will be eligible for the league title because it is moving to the FCS’ Colonial Athletic Association.
“We just wish them the best,” said Wofford offensive lineman Jared Singleton.
“It’s just another game,” said teammate linebacker Mike McCrimon in agreement.
Chattanooga coach Russ Huesman said he will miss the competition and the atmosphere Georgia Southern and Appalachian State brought to games.
The Mocs lost a thriller to the Eagles in Statesboro in 2011 when they failed to make a two-point conversion in the final minutes of a 28-27 game.
Last season, Chattanooga went three overtimes before falling to Southern.
“I’m 0-4 against one of them (ASU) and 1-3 against the other, so you’d think I’d be glad to see them out of the league, but I’m not,” Huesman said. “Those games were special, and I think we all enjoyed being in those atmospheres.”
GSU players report to camp July 31. Camp opens Aug. 1. The Eagles’ opener is Aug. 31 in Paulson Stadium against Savannah State.
All-SoCon selections
Georgia Southern placed three players on the SoCon’s preseason first team: junior fullback Dominique Swope, senior offensive lineman Dorian Byrd and senior defensive back Lavelle Westbrooks, who started 12 games a year ago and made 43 tackles and two interceptions.
Eagles junior offensive lineman Garrett Frye and senior defensive lineman Javon Mention made the league’s preseason second team.
Missing from preseason’s honors was senior quarterback Jerick McKinnon, who ran for 1,817 yards and 20 touchdowns while keying the team’s postseason run to the semifinals.
GSU injury list
Swope and wide receiver Zach Walker are coming off shoulder surgeries on March 15 and will be limited when camp starts, Monken said.
Linebacker Patrick Flowe will be out for the season after injuring his knee in a spring scrimmage. Reserve offensive lineman Austin Hagan (torso) is medically disqualified but will remain with the program to help in other capacities.
Reserve defensive end George Osunde, who suffered a leg injury, is expected to be out until Oct. 1.
Eagles transfers
GSU picked up two transfers during the summer: Florida International redshirt quarterback Favian Upshaw and Navy safety Zander Yost.
Monken said the NCAA considers GSU an FBS program right now so both players will have to sit out a year. Monken said GSU will appeal to the NCAA to get the players eligible for this season.
New, old returnee
A familiar face in the Southern Conference will be leading a new school into the league in 2014. Former Furman coach Bobby Lamb will be coaching newcomer Mercer, which will be restarting football this season.
Mercer stopped playing football during World War II but will come back this season to compete in the nonscholarship Pioneer League. The Bears, along with Virginia Military, will begin play in the SoCon in 2014. East Tennessee State begins league play in 2016.
“When it was announced we were joining the Southern Conference, our phone lines were flooded,” Lamb said. “There will be a little heartache as we go, but we’re excited.”
Lamb said Mercer will have 30 scholarship players for 2014 and 47 for 2015 before moving to maximum 63 scholarships in 2016.
SOCON COACHES PRESEASON POLL
1. Georgia Southern (six first-place votes); 2. Appalachian State (2); 3. Chattanooga (1); 4. Samford; 5. Wofford; 6. The Citadel; 7. Furman; 8. Elon; 9. Western Carolina.
SOCON MEDIA PRESEASON POLL
1. Georgia Southern (15 first-place votes); 2. Wofford (4); 3. Appalachian State (6); 4. Chattanooga (2); 5. Samford; 6. The Citadel; 7. Furman (1); 8. Elon; 9. Western Carolina.
ON THE WEB
Go to savannahnow.com/sports to watch video of Georgia Southern football coach Jeff Monken talking about five high-profile conferences trying to redefine the FBS and what it means to the Eagles.