Georgia Southern football: Can Eagles finally make run at Sun Belt title?

After back to back bowl appearances in his first two seasons, can head coach Chad Lunsford lead Georgia Southern football to the Sun Belt title?

Chad Lunsford has had a successful first two seasons at Georgia Southern, but there is question if there have been some games left on the table for the Eagles.

In his debut season in 2018, Lunsford lost a tough game early to eventual national champion Clemson and then went on a five-game winning streak, that included a 20-point win over No. 25 Appalachian State. The Eagles were getting votes in the AP Top 25 and were just a couple of wins away from securing the Sun Belt East title and playing for the conference crown.

The Eagles proceeded to lose by 19 to a bad ULM team and then returned home to lose to Troy by two touchdowns. The Eagles regrouped and won their final two and won their bowl game, but a conference title slipped through their fingers.

Last season, the Eagles had Minnesota on the ropes and had the Golden Gophers backed up on a third-and-29, but let them convert in two plays and eventually score the game winning touchdown with 13 seconds left. That would have been one of the signature upsets of the season, but the Eagles could not close the deal.

Now in 2020, the Eagles have an opportunity to contend for the division title, but a lot of that will depend on whether the Eagles win the games they should and if they can find a way to pull off their third straight win over hated rival Appalachian State, which is no easy task.

A tough non-conference schedule awaits, but Georgia Southern is a tough out for just about any team because of the physical and disciplined style of football that they play.