A week after knocking off No. 25 Appalachian State at home, Georgia Southern travels west to take on Louisiana-Monroe in a conference game with a lot of importance.

The Eagles lead the East division at 7-1, and the Warhawks are tied on top of the West with Louisiana, so this matchup could very well be a preview of the inaugural Sun Belt Championship.

Here’s four things to know:

Both teams are at the top of their divisions

As previously stated, GS leads the East division of the Sun Belt at 7-1, with their conference record sitting at a perfect 4-0, tied with Troy. The Eagles have taken down Arkansas State and App State en route to their perfect record, and will host Troy in what will likely be the game of the year next week.

Sitting at 4-4 on the season, ULM is tied atop the standings with in-state rival Louisiana, with a 2-2 conference record.

Both teams have a loss to a top 25 team

GS’ only loss of the season came when they traveled to Death Valley and lost to No. 2 Clemson. The Eagles were beat by 31 points in the game but forced four turnovers during the course of the game.

As for ULM, their top 25 loss came on the road at Texas A&M. The Warhawks got trounced in the game, 48-10, as the Aggies had their way with the defense.

ULM’s defense has struggled at times

With last week’s resurgence in the GS offense, the Eagles will look to exploit a ULM defense that has struggled at times, giving up a lot of points in the process.

The Warhawks have given up 46 points or more three times, including 70 to an Ole Miss offense that has struggled this season. If the Eagles are going to win the game, it will be on the back of the offense.

Both teams could be bowl-bound

GS already punched their ticket to the post-season. Now sitting at 7-1, they look to improve their bowl location. ULM sits at 4-4, and with four games remaining, the Warhawks only have to win two to have a post-season of their own. It’s very likely that the two teams will find the post-season in 2018.

Kickoff from Monroe is set for 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.

Ryan Kostensky, The George-Anne Sports Reporter, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu