Georgia Southern used a balanced attack and a dominant second half to pull away from visiting Maine, earning a 45–17 victory Saturday night in front of 23,217 fans at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. The Eagles (3–2, 1–0 Sun Belt) rolled up 516 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on six of their final seven drives, overcoming a shaky start that saw Maine (0–5, 0–2 CAA) take an early lead.
Maine quarterback Carter Peevy opened the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, capping a 70-yard drive for a 7–0 Black Bears lead. Georgia Southern answered quickly when OJ Arnold capped a 14-play drive with a 3-yard run to tie the game at 7–7.
The Eagles added a 22-yard field goal by Tripp Bryant and a short run from Dalen Cobb in the second quarter to go up 17–7. Maine’s struck back just before halftime when Devin Vaught intercepted JC French and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 17–14 at the break.
Georgia Southern’s offense clicked into high gear after halftime. It began with a trick play when Cobb threw a 44-yard pass to Camden Brown that put the Eagles inside the 1-yard line. Freshman QB
Weston Bryan then ran for his first collegiate touchdown on the next play to make the score 24-14. French later connected with Cobb for a 25-yard touchdown strike and the Eagles never looked back, outscoring Maine 28–3 in the final two quarters.
Arnold added a 12-yard touchdown pass to Camden Brown early in the fourth quarter, and Jamarian Samuel closed the scoring with a 1-yard run.
French led the Eagles through the air, completing 19 of 31 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. Brown was his top target, hauling in six catches for 118 yards and a score. Arnold showcased his dual-threat ability, rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown while also tossing a scoring pass.
On the ground, Georgia Southern spread the ball among several backs, finishing with 206 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Maine managed 248 total yards, struggling on third down (1-for-12). Peevy led the way with 118 combined passing and rushing yards, including the team’s only offensive touchdown.
The Eagles’ defense clamped down after halftime, sacking Maine quarterbacks three times and allowing just 109 rushing yards overall. MJ Stroud stood out with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Elijah McDowell sealed the win with a late interception.
Vaught’s interception return was the lone bright spot for the Black Bears’ defense, which surrendered 28 first downs.
“I was really proud of the way our guys settled in during the second half,” Georgia Southern head coach Clay Helton said. “We challenged them at halftime to control the line of scrimmage, finish drives, and play with discipline. They came out and did exactly that.”
Georgia Southern hits the road again next week for another conference match at James Madison, while Maine has a home game against North Carolina A&T State University.
