STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) – Marshall was in complete control of Georgia Southern for 50 of the 60 minutes Saturday night in Statesboro. It wasn't until a safety midway through the fourth quarter that the momentum shifted toward the Eagles and led to one of the greatest comebacks in program history.

Georgia Southern defeated Marshall 24-23 at Paulson Stadium on Saturday to secure sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt East.

“Man, we fought. You have to have the will to win,” said linebacker and team captain Marques Watson-Trent. “The coach actually talked about it before the game, he said we would be hit by adversity. So much for being down.” In the fourth quarter, your starting quarterback is out, and when someone comes in, it shows what’s special about this team. It's a group effort where we all work together. We believe in each other. It's just a special evening. God is truly amazing.

How did the Eagles pull off such a quick comeback? On Georgia Southern's ensuing possession after the safety, JC French suffered an apparent concussion. Dexter Williams II was inserted at quarterback and the rest is history.

Williams led Georgia Southern down the field on its first possession, eventually scoring the team's first touchdown of the game. Two costly Marshall fumbles with less than four minutes to play allowed the Eagles to get back into the game.

The game winner came with 1:55 to play when Williams connected with Derwin Burgess Jr. for a 34-yard touchdown. It gave Georgia Southern its first lead of the night.

Marc Stampley secured the win with an interception on Marshall's final possession. It was Stampley's second interception in as many games.

Williams finished the night 10 of 14 for 135 yards and added a touchdown run and a touchdown pass. In addition to his game-winning touchdown catch, Burgess had seven catches for 84 yards.

Georgia Southern (4-2, 2-0) looks to remain undefeated in Sun Belt play when James Madison comes to Statesboro next Saturday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.

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