The Georgia Southern Eagles get the 2023 season underway Saturday at 6 p.m. at Paulson Stadium as they host the Citadel Bulldogs for the first time since 2015 when the Eagles won 48-13. 

The Eagles return plenty on offense, but will also be seeing some players make their first start at Paulson Stadium. One of the keys to success this year will be the play at quarterback where Tulsa transfer Davis Brin takes over for Kyle Vantrease who set virtually every passing record at Georgia Southern last season. 

“Davis actually reminds me so much of Kyle to be honest with you,” said coach Clay Helton. “You have an experienced quarterback who started two years, so it’s not his first time back there. He has been through a lot of battles and you aren’t worried about game day jitters or things like that. He started earning the respect of his teammates in winter strength and conditioning. In the spring he learned the playbook and helped implement it, and then perfected his craft in fall training camp.” 

Helton said Brin knows 100 percent of the playbook. Like most quarterbacks Brin has a handful of plays he feels the most comfortable with and Helton said those are probably the plays they will script to start off with. 

“We have total trust in him,” Helton said. “I meet with the quarterbacks at the end of each week to find out what they are comfortable with and what they are not. We did the same thing with Kyle last year. We vary a pretty large bible and he knows all of it, but there are things he feels more comfortable with and that’s what we will start with Saturday. I am excited for him to get back out on the field and do what he does for a living.” 

Brin comes to Georgia Southern from Tulsa where he threw for 2,138 yards and 17 touchdowns to go with 8 interceptions. Brin has developed a close bond with Vantrease and knows he has some big shoes to fill, but is excited about the opportunity to finally get on the field for a Georgia Southern game day. 

“It has been great getting to know Kyle and he is a big reason why I came to Georgia Southern,” Brin said. “He has definitely set the bar high here, but I am confident in myself and I’m excited to hit the field and show what I can do. Having a head coach and offensive coordinator who have both played this position provides a huge advantage for a quarterback. Having that kind of experience in the coaching room is so valuable because they know what I am about to go through and they have a lot of advice and are leading me in a great direction.” 

Defensive coordinator Brandon Bailey spent many of his college gamedays at Paulson Stadium watching the Eagles play as a member of the student body. Saturday Bailey will be up in the coaching booth as defensive coordinator coaching his first game at Georgia Southern. 

“To be back home and have a chance to represent his alma mater he has to be bouncing off the walls,” Helton said. “He has brought energy since day one, but he has taken it to another level this week. There was a reason we brought Brandon here as his defense at Buffalo was seventh in the country in turnover margin and third in third down efficiency.  I watched the play count numbers last week and I saw how they have decreased with the new rules. I think his defense gives us a great chance to get the ball back quickly and go to work offensively.” 

The new rules Helton is referring to is in regards to the NCAA adopting a similar rule to the NFL as the clock will not stop for first downs as it has in the past.

"I think this will really help the teams that go no-huddle and use tempo," Helton said. "If you look at all the winners last Saturday almost all of them had at least 50 plays, and then you see a team like USC who are up-tempo and they got to 69 plays. I think you are now going to have to make the most of your opportunities and also have to have an increased tempo is going to help you have more chances for playmakers and have a chance to put more points on the scoreboard."

As for the game itself Helton says it is tough to get a gauge on what to expect from the Citadel with a new coaching staff. Head coach Maurice Drayton was defensive coordinator with the Bulldogs, but brings in a new offensive staff which makes it difficult to game plan for. 

“Any time you get ready to compete against a new staff with new coordinators you don’t know what they are going to throw at you,” Helton said. “There is not a lot of evidence on tape of what is going to happen with this personnel. For us it is more about doing what we do very well. We told our players it is about us out executing our opponent and living up to our standards.” 

Last year The Citadel was 4-7 and averaged 18 points per game while giving up 25 points per contest. Out of the option attack they rushed for over 2,500 yards and threw for 1,652. The Bulldogs lost last year’s starting quarterback Derrick Peyton but return leading rusher Cooper Wallace. Backup quarterback Ahmed Green has moved to wide receiver and Drayton has not announced who the starting quarterback will be. Drayton was very candid when speaking to reporters about his team’s progress entering game week. 

“We don’t have a starting quarterback right now,” Drayton said. “The truth is we are not playing very well and are a poor football team and are not happy with our progress at this time. Everyone wants to know the truth until you tell it, and I am telling the truth. We have some work to do and we are currently not in a good place as a football team.” 

Georgia Southern and The Citadel are set for a 6:00 start Saturday at Paulson Stadium.