Georgia Southern’s longest running rival is Appalachian State—their first game taking place in 1932 resulting in a 33-0 win for the Eagles.

Since then there have been 32 meetings between the two teams with ASU collecting 18 wins, GS claiming 13 and one tie between the two teams.

“The feeling deeper than hate” began back in 1987 when ASU shut out GS 19-0 in the I-AA Quarterfinals after ASU fans wrote “Can you score?” in the snow for the Eagles to see.

One of the more memorable games that fueled the rivalry though was in 2003 when ASU broke the Eagle’s winning streak over them by completing an upset of 28-21 over GS. To celebrate, the Mountaineers tore down the Eagle’s goalposts and proceeded to put that goalpost through the window of one of the Eagle’s sacred yellow buses.

To end the night and yp continue to add fuel to the fire, a pizza order intended for the Eagle locker room and players was intercepted by ASU students and stomped on.

“This one’s not just a game, it’s something special,” Head Coach Chad Lunsford said. “But we also have to understand that we have to go into each game just like we do every week.”

The Eagles did not take the events of 2003 lightly, as they demolished ASU in their meeting the following year 54-7.

Fast forward ahead ten years and the Eagles and the Mountaineers competed against each other for their first year in FBS play where GS took to win 34-14, breaking a three-game losing streak to ASU. Throughout the game the Eagle fan section was rowdy and even threw pieces of cardboard on the field and at ASU players, resulting in an unsportsmanlike penalty against the Eagles.

“It isn’t just another game,” starting quarterback Shai Werts said. “Of course there’s a lot of hype with them coming in ranked 25, but we have to go out there and play.”

ASU has claimed a three-game win streak over the Eagles since 2015, but the Eagles will have the opportunity to break that streak Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Paulson Stadium.

Kaitlin Sells, The George-Anne Assistant Sports Editor, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu