A first time meeting between two former FCS powerhouses. That’s what the 2024 New Orleans Bowl is delivering as the Sam Houston State Bearkats and the Georgia Southern Eagles face off Thursday, December 19.

The two teams ended up in the New Orleans bowl with similar records, but the Bearkats (9-3 overall, 6-2 CUSA) and Eagles (8-4 overall, 6-2 Sun Belt) are very different teams this season.

Georgia Southern’s identity is found mostly in its passing attack that could still use a bit of improvement. Meanwhile, Sam Houston got to 9 wins thanks to their rushing attack and defense.

Now the two teams will meet up in New Orleans. Here’s everything you need to keep up with the action:

How to watch the 2024 New Orleans Bowl: TV channel, live stream, live stats, radio

• 📅 When: Thursday, December 19
• ⏰ Kickoff time: 6:00 PM CT
• 🏟️ Venue: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
• 📺 TV channel: ESPN2
• 📱💻 Live stream: Watch ESPN
• 📻 Audio Broadcast: Georgia Southern Audio | Sam Houston Audio
• 📊 Live stats: Statbroadcast.com

The Bearkats will face off against the Eagles without their head coach as KC Keeler left Sam Houston State for Temple. That puts Brad Cornelsen in the driver’s seat for this game with Phil Longo taking over once it’s all said and done.

Meanwhile, Clay Helton has seen a bit of criticism and frustration from Georgia Southern fans because of the way his offense hasn’t exactly exceeded expectations (and in some cases it really hasn’t met expectations). So, a win here to secure a 9-win season and build some momentum going into the offseason would go a long way to easing some of the tensions that might exist around Georgia Southern fans.

Keep an eye on how Sam Houston’s defense (ranked 19th nationally) matches up against Georgia Southern’s offense (specifically a passing attack from Eagles quarterback JC French who is completing 65 percent of his passes). Sam Houston has lost a few defensive stars to the transfer portal, so that could impact this game a bit.