On Dec. 29, 2025, App State and Georgia Southern met somewhere other than Boone or Statesboro for the first time in 41 games. It took a bowl invitation to Birmingham, Ala., to make it happen. Georgia Southern won 29-10, and the rivalry both fan bases call “Deeper Than Hate” got a new chapter.
Here is the premise: App State still leads the all-time series 21-19-1, but Georgia Southern has won the last three meetings and four of the last five. Game 42 is Saturday, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ from Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, and a Sun Belt East contender comes out of it.
The series at a glance
| All-time record | App State leads 21-19-1 (41 meetings) |
|---|---|
| First meeting | Nov. 25, 1932, in Statesboro: South Georgia Teachers (now Georgia Southern) 33, App State 0 |
| Last meeting | Dec. 29, 2025, JLab Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern 29, App State 10 |
| Trophy | None |
| Current streak | Georgia Southern, 3 games |
| 2026 game | Sat., Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Ga. |
The teams played sporadically from 1932 to 1939, met in the 1987 playoffs, and have played every season since 1993, when Georgia Southern joined the Southern Conference. Both won multiple FCS national titles. Both moved to FBS and the Sun Belt in 2014.
Recent results
| Year | Winner | Score | Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | App State | 27-3 | Boone, N.C. |
| 2022 | Georgia Southern | 51-48 (2OT) | Statesboro, Ga. |
| 2023 | App State | 55-27 | Boone, N.C. |
| 2024 | Georgia Southern | 29-20 | Statesboro, Ga. |
| 2025 | Georgia Southern | 25-23 | Boone, N.C. |
| 2025 (bowl) | Georgia Southern | 29-10 | Birmingham, Ala. |
Four games that define it
1987, I-AA quarterfinals: App State 19, Georgia Southern 0. The modern rivalry starts here. App State shut out the Eagles in Boone in a playoff game. Georgia Southern got its own playoff win over App State in 2001, the year the teams met twice.
2022: Georgia Southern 51, App State 48 (2OT). The highest-scoring game in the series. It was the third overtime game between the two, after 2006 (App State in 2OT) and 2010 (Georgia Southern in OT).
Nov. 6, 2025: Georgia Southern 25, App State 23. The Eagles led 19-0 in Boone and held on as App State rallied. Quarterback JC French IV threw for a season-high 352 yards.
Dec. 29, 2025, Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern 29, App State 10. The first neutral-site meeting and the first postseason meeting since both moved to FBS. OJ Arnold ran for 152 yards on 11 carries, and Dorrian Smith had two interceptions. It was the Eagles’ first bowl win since 2020 and Clay Helton’s first as head coach.
The 2026 teams
App State: 5-2, 2-1 Sun Belt. Dowell Loggains is in his second season in Boone. The Mountaineers are coming off a 34-31 overtime win over previously unbeaten James Madison on Oct. 22. James London hit the winning 40-yard field goal in front of a sold-out Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Georgia Southern: 3-4, 2-1 Sun Belt. Helton is in his fifth season. The Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak with a 23-15 win at Old Dominion on Oct. 15, then had a bye on Oct. 24. Seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson left the ODU game with a shoulder injury. Turner Helton, the coach’s son, replaced him and threw for 205 yards. Johnson is listed as probable for Saturday. App State lost offensive lineman Devon Manuel for the season. Defensive lineman MJ Stroud was a 2026 preseason first-team All-Sun Belt pick.
App State has the better record. Georgia Southern has home field and three straight wins in the series. The Sun Belt stakes are real too: both teams sit at 2-1 in league play, and the winner moves to 3-1 and stays in the East race with James Madison. Georgia Southern is a 5.5-point favorite at FanDuel. Paulson Stadium has been the Eagles’ edge before. Georgia Southern won the last meeting in Statesboro, 29-20 in 2024.
The NIL angle
Both schools set up NIL collectives before revenue sharing arrived. Georgia Southern’s Eagle Nation Collective launched in July 2023, and App State named TIGMA its official NIL collective in March 2024. Since July 1, 2025, the House settlement lets schools pay athletes directly, and third-party NIL deals over $600 go through the NIL Go clearinghouse. For more on how Boone handles it, read our App State NIL breakdown.
Make your pick
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FAQ
What time is App State vs. Georgia Southern in 2026?
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. ET at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. The game streams on ESPN+.
What is the App State vs. Georgia Southern all-time record?
App State leads the series 21-19-1 through 41 meetings. Georgia Southern has won the last three, including the 2025 Birmingham Bowl.
Why is it called Deeper Than Hate?
It’s the name both fan bases use for the rivalry, which dates to 1932 and has been played every season since 1993, from the Southern Conference through the Sun Belt.
Is there a trophy for App State vs. Georgia Southern?
No. The rivalry has no trophy.
