The campus is shut down, tailgates are everywhere, and Paulson Stadium is packed with eager students and fans. Georgia Southern football is back.

Georgia Southern hosted the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs in the Eagles’ season opener and came out with the win.

Struggles on both sides of the ball resulted in a 30-25 win, much closer than the team anticipated.

“That’s not Georgia Southern football,” head coach Chad Lunsford said. “We should have went ahead and put that game away.” 

“What I will say is the great thing is, when I got in the locker room, I didn’t have to talk about it… They already talked about [that] it’s not acceptable. This is not the way we’re going to play games, this is not the way Georgia Southern football is going to be.”

Running back and Tulane transfer Amare Jones started under center, but split time with true freshman Cam Ransom. In the air, the two combined to go 12-20 with 135 yards and a touchdown courtesy of Ransom.

Logan Wright led Georgia Southern’s rushing attack with 178 yards and a touchdown. The team as a whole combined for 365 yards and an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

Despite a strong start, the Eagles lost momentum and were outscored 19-10 in the second half.

“It’s a win, of course, we celebrate a win,” nose tackle C.J. Wright said. “But at the end of the day, that’s not our standard.”

Following the win, GS moves to 1-0 on the season. The Eagles will be back in action next Saturday as they travel to Boca Raton, FL to take on the Florida Atlantic Owls. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised on Stadium.