STATESBORO — Georgia Southern’s secondary expects a test in its initial game of the 2013 football season.
The Eagles open Saturday night with Savannah State and Tigers’ first-year coach Earnest Wilson, a disciple of the Hal Mumme Air Raid offense — a spread attack that softens defenses with short passes before looking to strike deep.
“Everyone talks about how they throw the ball and how effective (Wilson) has been as a coach coaching a passing offense,” GSU coach Jeff Monken said. “We can only get ready for everything.”
And the Eagles will need some new players to step in to fill voids of highly regarded graduated stars. Safeties J.J. Wilcox and Darius Eubanks have graduated to NFL camps.
Will linebacker John Stevenson, the team’s leading tackler from a year ago and a key in pass defense, also graduated.
And defensive lineman Brent Russell, the school’s career leader in sacks, is gone as well.
The losses meant Southern needed to rearrange some of its returning talent. Junior Deion Stanley, who started at nickel last season, moves to strong safety and reserve Matt Dobson is getting the nod at free safety.
Kyle Oehlbeck, who was slightly undersized at middle linebacker, moves back to will.
But how will the Eagles fare against the spread? As the offensive coordinator at Jackson State in 2011, Wilson directed an attack that led the Football Championship Subdivision in total offense (490.9 yards a game), was third in passing (348.1 yards a game), and ninth in scoring (35.8 points a game).
Jackson State’s quarterback Casey Therriault averaged more than 40 passing attempts a game while finishing the year second in the nation in total yardage (355.6 yards a game).
“I’d compare (the offense) to App State’s,” Eagles senior cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks said. “They like to throw it around but want to keep you off balance by putting in some run.”
GSU is experienced on the corners with returnees Westbrooks and Valdon Cooper. Westbrooks garnered preseason All-Southern Conference honors at the league’s football rouser last month. Cooper transferred to GSU from Illinois last season.
To strengthen the corner, Darius Safford, a second-team All-Patriot League performer at Lafayette in 2012, transferred to GSU as a graduate student and has a final year of eligibility.
“They’re definitely going to test our secondary,” Safford said. “All we can do is prepare ourselves in the film room. … It’s what we like to play against, teams that air it out, so we’re excited.”
Bad memories
Eagles slotback Johnathan Bryant doesn’t have very good memories of his last game with Savannah State.
Bryant broke his leg against the Tigers in the 2010 season opener and missed the remainder of the season.
He was able to use that year as a red-shirt year and is back this season as a fifth-year senior.
“Breaking my leg was a heartbreak, but at the same time it was a learning experience,” Bryant said. “Basically what I learned is you have to take every play like it’s going to be your last. Who knows when your last chance is going to be? Now I go out on the field with a purpose.”
The Cairo native has had a stellar career for the Eagles, averaging 22.6 yards a catch and 8.7 yards a carry in the triple option offense.
Injury report
Monken said slotback Ezayi Youyoute, wide receiver Zach Walker and fullback Nardo Govan would be out for the Savannah State game.
Outside linebacker Antwione Williams suffered a torn tendon in his elbow and was lost for the season a few weeks ago.
Youyoute and Walker are nursing shoulder injuries. Walker had shoulder surgery in the offseason, but injured his other shoulder in camp.
This and that
GSU is 8-0 all-time against Savannah State. The Eagles have won the last three games by a combined score of 152-9. The first game between the area rivals was played in Savannah on Nov. 24, 1983 with Southern winning 15-0. … A crowd of 20,430 — 20th largest all-time at Paulson Stadium — watched the Eagles top SSU 48-3 in Monken’s head coaching debut on Sept. 4, 2010. The GSU-SSU game drew 23,167 on Sept. 1, 2001, ranking as the fifth largest in stadium history.