By Donald Heath
Savannah Morning News
STATESBORO — In his first two years at Georgia Southern, coach Chris Hatcher approached road games by underscoring the strengths of the opponent and challenging his players.
They responded too, winning seven of eight road games against Division I-AA competition.
But not so much this year. The approach didn’t work as well with losses at South Dakota State and Elon.
“This team, with all the newcomers, it seemed the more we talked about how good the opponent was [and] building them up, the more nervous we got,” Hatcher said.
So the Eagles’ third-year coach last week declined to mention Wofford began the season as the No. 10 in the nation and forgot to bring up that league coaches and media picked the Terriers ahead of GSU in the preseason Southern Conference standings.
And Southern came away with a 26-21 victory.
So guess what the strategy is this week as the Eagles prepare for North Carolina Saturday? After a practice in a light mist Monday, no one was talking about the Tar Heels’ No. 21 ranking to begin the 2009 season.
“They already know,” Hatcher said. “You just turn on the tape. ... It’s going to be a huge challenge for our team. There’s no doubt about it. We’re outmanned at every position. Our goal this week: get better at what we do. Improve as a football team. Go up there, be loose, have a good time.
"We get to show our skills on the national stage. Who knows? You have to play the game. Anything can happen and that’s the attitude we’re taking.”
It’s already a win of sorts for the Eagles, who will pocket $350,000 to play the Tar Heels.
The UNC game filled the void in the schedule left by Navy, which asked out of its original contract with GSU to accommodate a television deal. The Eagles and Midshipmen will play next season in Annapolis, Md.
Southern’s players are looking forward to traveling to Chapel Hill, N.C.
“We get to test our skills against some of the best at the I-A level,” quarterback Lee Chapple said. “It’s exciting for some guys who might have been overlooked or passed over [by I-A teams]. Everybody’s playing with a chip on their shoulder.”
GSU has never beaten a full-fledged I-A team.
Last season, the Eagles lost to then-No. 1 Georgia 45-21 in Athens. They also lost to Colorado State 42-34 in Fort Collins, Colo., in 2007.
Eagles Sophomore kicker Adrian Mora (Dalton High) was chosen the Southern Conference’s special teams Player of the Week. He made field-goal attempts of 48 and 50 yards, the two longest of his career.
Mora, a preseason honorable mention All-America by College Sporting News, has made eight field goals in 10 attempts this season and is 18 of 22 in his career. Mora is tied for first in the conference with 1.6 field goals a game. Chapple (Greater Atlanta Christian) averages of 24.8 completions a game, fifth nationally.
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