After a 31-6 loss to the third-ranked Paladins last weekend, the road will not get any easier as the Bucs face the top-ranked Georgia Southern Eagles on Saturday at Memorial Center.
“We’re playing the best team in America in I-AA football,” said head coach Paul Hamilton at Tuesday’s press conference. “They are the top team in the league when it comes to I-AA football period.
“They have set the standard for everyone to reach.”
The Buccaneer football team has not had much success against the Eagles in recent years, losing the last four matchups, including a 42-7 loss in Statesboro, Ga., last season.
ETSU’s last victory against Georgia Southern was a 17-14 win on Nov. 2, 1996, and the Bucs’ last victory over the Eagles in the Mini-Dome was back in 1995, when they upset the 13th-ranked Eagles, 21-16.
“I think they are better than they were last year,” Hamilton said. “It’s not by accident that they are the kind of program they are, they have done the things it takes to get respect and be a national championship football team again.”
A huge part of the Georgia Southern juggernaut, that the Bucs will have to find some way to contain if they are going to keep the game close, is 1999 Walter Payton Award winner and Heisman Trophy candidate Adrian Peterson.
“He (Peterson) is one of the best players to come through college football at any level,” said Hamilton of the Eagles’ fullback. “His consistency and willingness to win have set the standard for that football team.”
Peterson, who has already rushed for 926 yards in Georgia Southern’s first seven games and has over 8,000 rushing yards in his career (including the playoffs), ran for only 106 yards on 13 carries in last year’s contest as quarterback J. R. Revere stole the show.
Revere ran for 148 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns and also was seven for 12 through the air for 125 yards and one touchdown.
“It all starts with the quarterback position,” Hamilton said. “J. R. Revere is a great option quarterback.
“His leadership ability is outstanding and his strength running the ball and passing makes him difficult to defend.”
Revere, however, did not play in the Eagles’ 14-6 victory over The Citadel last weekend, but Hamilton does not plan on gaining any advantage if the Eagles’ starting quarterback is unable to go this weekend.
“We have to prepare and expect to play Revere,” he said.
The Bucs not only will have to concern themselves with slowing down the high-powered Georgia Southern offense that is average 42.7 points per game and 437.4 yards of offense per game, but will have to figure out how to get more production from their own offense.
As some have criticized ETSU’s quarterback position and fifth-year senior Matt Wilhjelm, who has started all six of the Bucs’ games, Hamilton is still sticking with his starting QB and points to the game versus The Citadel where Wilhjelm made plays on the games’ final drive to give the Bucs the win.
“Matt Wilhjelm against The Citadel made some tough plays for us down,” he said. “It’s not like he hasn’t made plays, he’s played three pretty good defenses along the way.”
Hamilton said that both Wilhjelm and backup quarterback Jatavis Sanders could see playing time against Georgia Southern, but said he is going to stick with Wilhjelm as starter because he has a better understanding of the offense and has proved it every day in practice.
“He’s a fifth-year quarterback working his butt off to try to (help us) get through the season as winners,” said Hamilton of the former Science Hill graduate.
Hamilton said the Bucs are still at the point where their backup quarterback is not as good as their starting QB.
Offensive lineman Chip Pearson said, “If he’s (Sanders) not getting it done in practice, he can’t click it on and get it done in the game.”
Hamilton has not given up on Sanders either and still believes he can be a major contributor to the Buccaneer offense.
“I think Jatavis has the chance to be a good quarterback,” Hamilton said. “He has to develop to become a college quarterback.”
The Bucs will once again be playing in a televised game by Comcast/Charter Sports South-east (CSS) and they were quite successful in their last televised outing, beating The Citadel, 23-21.
The Bucs can also find some added motivation and confidence in the fact that The Citadel held the Eagles to just 14 points, as the Bucs were able to score 23 points on the Bulldog’s defense.
“It factors into everyone’s mind that we beat The Citadel and they played Georgia Southern tight so we can play them tight,” Pearson said.
Hamilton knows the Bucs have a tough task ahead of them on Saturday, but he still believes his team can get through the season with a winning record.
“This is a team (Georgia Southern), throughout any division that is in the top 35 in the country,” he said. “We have one of the toughest schedules in America in I-AA football and I want to see this team come back (and) see continued consistency in winning.”
The kickoff for Saturday’s game against Georgia Southern is set for 7 p.m.

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