Entering Georgia Southern’s final regular season game against Marshall, wide receiver Camden Brown only needed 108 receiving yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark on the season.
He left no doubt that he’d get there and didn’t even need a full three quarters to do so.
On a second-and-1 early in the third quarter, Brown caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback JC French IV. It was a reception that resembled the type of plays Brown has been making all season long as he went up over first-team All-Sun Belt cornerback Boogie Trotter and finished with a toe tap along the side of the end zone.
It was Brown’s 14th receiving score on the season, which is the most in the FBS. The senior finished the game with 157 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns.
With that outing, Brown capped the regular season with 63 receptions and 1,049 receiving yards, which are the most yards in a single season in Georgia Southern history. He’s the first player to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the Eagles. That number also ranks third in the Sun Belt.
Now Brown has an opportunity to build on his breakout campaign against App State in the Birmingham Bowl, which will kick off at 2 p.m. ET Monday, Dec. 29th.
This will be the second meeting in the “Deeper Than Hate” rivalry this year and a rare bowl matchup between conference foes. Georgia Southern won the first contest 25-23 where Brown secured six catches for 97 yards.
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Brown was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Auburn, where he spent the previous three seasons. The Monroe, Louisiana, product started six games during that span. He had more receiving touchdowns than Auburn’s whole roster combined this year, which finished with 11.
The transition from Auburn proved to be seamless for Brown, who made an immediate impact for Georgia Southern’s offense and seemed to develop chemistry with French in no time. He had five touchdowns in the first four games of the season, two of which came against USC. He had five games where he totaled at least 100 receiving yards and four games with multiple TDs.
There’s no question Brown took advantage of a fresh opportunity in Statesboro. The decision to transfer may have also created more opportunities for the 6-foot-2, 200-pound wideout as he seeks a career in the NFL. It’s hard for his playmaking and production from this year to be ignored.
He’s already accepted an invitation to the Hula Bowl and might be the next standout from Florida’s St. Thomas Aquinas High School to be playing on Sundays.
Ending the season with another big performance will only increase those chances, and I think Brown will do just that in the Birmingham Bowl.
Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. App State Prediction
I predict Georgia Southern will win and cover the spread. As of this writing, college football betting odds have the Eagles as a seven-point favorite.
App State was hit hard by the transfer portal and might have a starting QB with limited experience. I expect Georgia Southern to put up a lot of points in this outing, and I don’t anticipate the Mountaineers will have the firepower to keep up.
