Going into any new football season there are lot of questions to be answered and at Georgia Southern perhaps the biggest question surrounded the quarterback position.

In Coach Clay Helton’s first two seasons he had picked up veteran quarterbacks in Kyle Vantrease and Brin Davis out of the transfer portal. Basically, guns for hire they had proven track records at Buffalo and Tulsa, respectively, and were excellent fits for Helton’s offensive scheme.

Each did what he was brought in to do:  in 2022 Vantrease threw for 4,253 yards and 27 touchdowns and Davis followed a year later with 3,781 yards and 24 touchdowns.

It wasn’t until a week prior to the opener with Boise State that Helton announced JC French had emerged as the Eagles’ starter which led fans scrambling to find out who is this guy French.

While his resume may have seemed to be lacking—he had taken 48 snaps last year-- French’s performance against Boise State indicates the Georgia Southern offense is in capable hands.

At the end of the day, he had completed 28 of 50 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns while logging a team high 39 yards rushing. Not bad numbers for a guy making his college debut against a defense ranked as one of the best in the Mountain West Conference.

French is a product of the portal, too, having transferred to Georgia Southern after a redshirt season at Memphis. He had signed with the Tigers after a stellar high school career at first Wesleyan and then Trinity Catholic in Roswell where he passed for 6,820 yards in four years as a starter.

Although the Eagles wound up on the short end of the stick, losing 56-45, it was the offensive outburst against a Broncos defense which returned eight starters that was most impressive as was the play of French as the game progressed.

The Broncos were a 13-point favorite and they were living up to their billing as they held a 28-9 lead with 2:33 left in the second quarter.

However, French and the Eagle offense showed its mettle as it scored the next 21 points to take a 30-28 lead. French gave Georgia Southern momentum going into the half when he hit Dalen Cobb for an 18-yard touchdown with 18 seconds on the clock.

French then capped a 75-yard drive to start the second half with an 11-yard run and the Eagles scored on a 1-yard run by Jalen White on their next possession for what proved to be a short-lived lead.

Afterwards French was not buying into the moral victory scenario after having nearly pulled off an upset against a team heavily favored to be the Group of 5’s representative in the expanded college football playoffs.

“I thought we played well (offensively) but there were ample opportunities in the fourth quarter,” French said. “We had chances to come back and we need to take advantage of that and that’s on me ultimately. I thought the offense played great and I know we’re going to get better each and every week.”

While Helton admitted “we’ve got some stuff to clean up” going into this week’s game at Nevada he was pleased with French’s play, especially since it was his first start as a collegian.

“We know how talented JC is,” Helton said. “I thought he continued to get better and better and better as the game went on.

“After he took the first hit it was like his eyes opened up and he said, ‘Okay I’m good, let’s go play,’ and from that point on it was lights out,” Helton said. “I thought for his first opportunity to start a football game he did a wonderful job. To put 45 points on the board, doesn’t turn the ball over in the passing game…he does what you want in trying to put the ball in the end zone.”