Facts & Figures: Georgia Southern

Vegas line: Minnesota by 16.5
ESPN NumberFire line: Minnesota by 8.8
SP+: Minnesota No. 42, Georgia Southern No. 93
Massey Composite: Minnesota No. 31, Georgia Southern No. 82
TeamRankings: Minnesota No. 49, Georgia Southern No. 106
Massey prediction: Minnesota by 15 with an 84% chance of Minnesota victory
TeamRankings prediction: Minnesota by 16.7 with a 92.5% chance of Minnesota victory
ESPN FPI prediction: 91.2% chance of Minnesota victory

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 2018 & 2019 RESULTS

W 37-6 vs. South Carolina State
W 34-13 vs. UMass
L 38-7 at Clemson
W 28-21 vs. Arkansas State
W 48-13 vs. South Alabama
W 15-13 at Texas State
W 48-31 at New Mexico State
W 34-14 at #25 Appalachian State
L 44-25 at UL-Monroe
L 35-21 vs. Troy
W 41-17 at Coastal Carolina
W 35-14 vs. Georgia State
W 23-21 vs. Eastern Michigan
L 55-3 at #6 LSU (2019)
W 26-18 vs. Maine (2019)

GAME NOTES

-- Saturday’s game is the first matchup between the two teams.

-- Minnesota’s 17-game non-conference winning streak is the longest in the country.

-- Minnesota has never lost (10-0) to a team in the Sun Belt. The last time they played a Sun Belt team was a 2003 victory over Troy.

-- Both Georgia Southern and Minnesota were incredibly disciplined teams last season. Minnesota ranked first in the nation in fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards. Georgia Southern was No. 28 in least penalties per game, threw zero interceptions, and had just five fumbles in 643 carries last season.

-- Minnesota has won the time of possession battle in their last eight games, stretching back to last season. That could on Saturday as both Georgia Southern and Minnesota were in the top 30 in time of possession last year.

-- Rashod Bateman is 59 yards away from 1000 career receiving yards. He would be the second-fastest player to reach that mark; Ryan Thelwell reached it in just seven games.

-- The Gophers made Sportscenter’s “Top 10” in back-to-back weeks with Rashod Bateman’s one-handed touchdown catch against South Dakota State (No. 5) and then Chris Autman-Bell’s touchdown grab against Fresno State (No. 7). Gopher commit Ky Thomas also had the No. 4 play on September 7 for his leapfrogger touchdown run.

-- Georgia Southern head coach Chad Lunsford was named a Broyles Award nominee, given to the nation’s top assistant, in 2016 while at Georgia Southern. In 2017, Georgia Southern lost ten games and Lunsford took over mid-season, leading the Eagles to their only two wins. Last season, his first as the head coach full-time, Georgia Southern won ten games.

-- Georgia Southern offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse served as offensive coordinator at Minnesota from 1992-96. The Gophers under DeBesses led the Big Ten in passing offense in 1992, 1993 and 1996. Now, DeBesse’s offense is a gun/pistol option offense that passes less than almost any team in college football.

-- If Carter Coughlin were to duplicate his 2018 season, he’d finish first all-time in TFLs in second in sacks as a Gopher.

-- Minnesota set a school record in 2018 with eight players named Big Ten Player of the Week: Antoine Winfield Jr., Emmit Carpenter, Mohamed Ibrahim, Tanner Morgan, Rashod Bateman, Blake Cashman, and Demetrius Douglas.

-- Winston DeLattiboudere was named to the Wuerfell Trophy watch list, college football’s top award for community service. He recently put on his own school supply drive to support a primary school in Jamaica and Hmong International in Minneapolis.

-- Georgia Southern had 14 All-Sun Belt players last season. Seven return: cornerback Kindle Vildor, kicker Tyler Bass, defensive end Raymond Johnson, cornerback Monquavion Brinson, weakside linebacker Rashad Byrd, nose tackle Ty Phillips, and quarterback Shai Werts.

-- Both PJ Fleck and Chad Lunsford were former teachers. Fleck is a former sixth-grade social studies teacher; Lunsford was a high school special education teacher.

-- The Gophers have 12 players from Georgia: Rodney Smith, Shannon Brooks, Terell Smith, Chris Williamson, Rashod Bateman, Braelen Oliver, Sam Pickerign, Justus Harris, Michael Lantz, Rashad Cheney Jr., Abi N-Okonji and DeAngelo Carter. Georgia Southern has no players from Minnesota but have 85 players from Georgia.