Story and photo courtesy of Georgia Southern Athletics
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern sophomore quarterback Ezayi Youyoute rushed for a career-high 164 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, and sophomore running back Dominique Swope ran for 104 yards and three scores to lead the third-ranked Eagles to a 58-0 football victory over Jacksonville Saturday night in Paulson Stadium.
Georgia Southern (1-0) rolled up 557 yards of offense, and it all came on the ground. The Eagles scored touchdowns on all four of their offensive possessions in the first quarter, and their 27 first-period points were the most the team has scored since an October 20, 2007, victory over Appalachian State.
It was Georgia Southern's 11th straight home win, and the Eagles improved to 15-2 in season openers at Paulson Stadium. The Eagles' pitched their first shutout since October 23, 2010, when they defeated The Citadel 20-0.
Youyoute carried the ball 11 times, and his first carry of the game went for a 79-yard score. Swope averaged eight yards a carry on 13 attempts. Jerick McKinnon added 71 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, and Robert Brown had three carries for 63 yards.