Eagles lose first game in Charleston in 10 years

CHARLESTON, S.C. - There was a time when Georgia Southern was tough to catch. These days, the Eagles are doing the chasing.

Trying to overcome a double-digit deficit most of the Saturday afternoon, Georgia Southern fell short against The Citadel, 24-21, before 12,129 fans at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

And when the final seconds ticked down, the cadets swarmed the field. A Bulldog win meant upperclassmen were granted an extended leave and didn't have to be back to the military campus until this afternoon.

It was the first time The Citadel beat Georgia Southern in Charleston since 1996. Last year, the Eagles won 49-14 in Statesboro.

"It shows everyone in the Southern Conference is getting better," Georgia Southern wide receiver Jayson Foster said. "We have to get better, too."

But the Eagles (3-5, 2-3 Southern Conference) took a step backward Saturday, according to first-year coach Brian VanGorder.

A late flurry gave Georgia Southern some good statistics, outgaining the hosts 421-340 in total yardage, but it wasn't good enough to make up for a 14-0 deficit less than 10 minutes into the game.

For the second consecutive game, Eagles sophomore quarterback Travis Clark of Lincoln County struggled, completing just 13 of 32 passes. His passing yardage ballooned to 220 in the fourth quarter only after Foster took a short slant pass 85 yards for the longest touchdown reception in school history.

Clark broke school single-season passing record in attempts (224) and completions (120) and moved into fourth in yardage (1,490), but he hardly seemed happy with his performance.

"Put (the blame) all on me," Clark said. "I'm the leader of the team. I don't care."

Forty-three seconds before the Clark-Foster hookup, Bulldogs kicker Blake Vandiver booted a 23-yard field goal, providing the winning margin.

Georgia Southern has now lost four games by a total of 15 points.

"Bottom line is you get it done when it's time to get it done, that's what the really good teams do," VanGorder said. "We're not a good team right now. We're always right there. We had our bits and pieces of good football play, but where we want to go is consistency, and we haven't had that this year."

The Bulldogs (3-5, 3-2) have been consistent lately, winning their past three games at home.

Junior quarterback Duran Lawson threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns during an efficient 18-for-27 day.