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Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

Eagles return home for win over Mocs

STATESBORO — Georgia Southern played its first home game in a month and found comfort in the familiar surroundings as it rolled to a 30-20 win Saturday night over Chattanooga.

On a wet, cold, windy night, sophomore Adam Urbano ran for a career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles (4-3, 3-1 Southern Conference) before a Paulson Stadium crowd of 17,357.

It was a disappointing night for the Mocs, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Chattanooga was off to its best start since 1997.

The temperature was 57 degrees at game time and dropped rapidly. But the conditions did little to slow down the Eagles, who rushed for a season-high 212 yards.

“The conditions were horrible,” Urbano said. “When I wasn’t on the field I just wanted to be up in the stands under my mom’s blanket.”

Urbano also caught three passes for 37 yards. Freshman Jamere Valentine led Georgia Southern with four catches for 21 yards while freshman Tyler Sumner had a 9-yard touchdown catch.

Adrian Mora kicked three field goals for Georgia Southern, which also saw quarterback Lee Chapple complete 16-of-24 passes for for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Chattanooga, playing without leading rusher Bryan Fitzgerald, who was out with an ankle injury, was limited to 33 yards rushing on 23 attempts.

Mocs quarterback B.J. Coleman completed 23-of-43 attempts for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Blue Cooper had seven receptions for 60 yards.

Georgia Southern punter Charlie Edwards also contributed to the Eagles’ defense as he got off back-to-back punts of 61 and 62 yards, the latter into a strong wind, to get his team out of poor field position.

“I think it’s the coldest I’ve ever been on a football field,” Chapple said. “We felt we controlled the ball, and we were able to put points on the board and capitalize. This should give us some momentum going into (Appalachian State this week).”

The game against the Mocs was the Eagles’ only home game in October. They last played at home on Sept. 19 when they beat Western Carolina 27-3. Their next home game is Nov. 14 against Furman.

“I’m soaking wet, but I feel dry,” Georgia Southern head coach Chris Hatcher said. “It’s good to get a win coming off three straight tough road games. We made some mistakes early, but we overcame them, and late in the game, we did a good job in all three phases. We’re playing with tremendous confidence on defense.”

“We shut down their running game and made them one dimensional. Under these kinds of conditions, it’s pretty hard to sling the ball around. The field was slick, and the ball was wet, and that makes it tough to throw it.”

Georgia Southern led 13-10 at the half, but the Mocs tied it on a 23-yard field goal by Craig Camay on their first possession of the third quarter to tie the game.

The Eagles, however, responded with back-to-back touchdowns to take control of the contest.

Urbano, who opened the game by scoring on a 9-yard run, scored from 2 yards out with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter to cap an eight-play, 65-yard drive.

Georgia Southern then drove 70 yards with Chapple finding Sumner in the end zone for a 27-13 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

Mora kicked a 20-yard field goal before the Mocs got a touchdown with 1:16 to play when Coleman and Terrance Davis teamed up on an 8-yard touchdown.