Football | 4/14/2015 12:35:00 PM

VIDEO: Press Conference | Blue vs. White Spring Game | Spring Roster | Buy Season Tickets | 2015 Schedule | EFAA Raffle

STATESBORO, Ga. – Shots were fired, jabs were thrown and both sides indicated they would do whatever it takes to win as Dr. Brooks Keel, guest coach for the Blue Team, and Leonard Bevill, guest coach for the White Team, previewed Saturday's spring game in a press conference today in Bishop Fieldhouse. Click on the link above to watch full press conference.

Bevill, who served as the first GUS in school history and helped Georgia Southern go 15-0 and win the national title in 1989, talked about his experience as a mascot and master motivator.

"Being a prior mascot you gain a lot of insight," he said. "You learn how to speak softly and carry a big stick, and we look forward to doing that Saturday."

Keel fired back in his closing comments.

"We're gonna teach mascots where their place ought to be, and I'm looking forward to doing just that," he said.

A revelation came out of the Keel camp that he is the only university president to suffer a football injury well on the sideline of a football game.

"Dr. Keel was on the sidelines in the mountains against that team up that way and decided to take out one of their players and suffered a little injury in the process," explained press conference moderator and Georgia Southern radio color analyst Terry Harvin.

"I'm the only sitting president who can honestly say he suffered a football injury while being president," added Keel. "I don't think there's anybody in America who has taken one for the team like I have." 

Another surprise from the Keel camp is that he plans to cancel class for Thursday night home games in the future.

"I've given a lot of thought to this, and I do plan to cancel class Thursday, but we're going to have class on Saturday and Sunday to make up for it," said Keel.

Kickoff for the Blue vs. White Spring Game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday and gates open at noon. Fans are asked to enter the stadium through gates 1 and 12 and sit in the North Stands. Admission and parking are free, and the Rotary Corporation Field of Dreams will be open for the kids to toss the old pigskin around. There will also be inflatables, courtesy of Crazy Nick's, on the Field of Dreams.

Fans will have a chance to get to know their guest coaches and the seething rivalry among the two bench bosses in a series of videos to be released on GSEagles.com this week. Bios on each coach will be available Wednesday and Thursday, and both coaches will do post-practice interviews Friday after the weeklong preparation for Saturday's game.

While Blue and White GATA on the field Saturday, the second annual Tailgate Cook-Off will be contested in the parking lot. Tasting begins at 11 a.m. and concludes at 12:30 p.m. Eagle fans are invited to serve as tasting judges for $3 to enter the tailgate zone, sample the food and complete a ballot to determine the top four. Scores from the tasting judges will be calculated, and winners will be announced during the game.

The top-place tailgate and grill masters win a one-night stay at a hotel plus 2 tickets to the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia game in Athens Nov. 21, 2015. To enter the contest, a team or individual must register online by April 14 and pay a $20 cash fee per entry on site April 18.

Fans at the game can enter a drawing for a UniFlame Gas Grill, courtesy of the Sun Belt Conference. Fans must be at least 18-years-old to enter the drawing.

Following the game, the Eagle Football Alumni Association (EFAA) will be holding its Eighth Annual $10,000 Reverse Raffle & Auction at 5 p.m. in the Gene Bishop Field House. 

There will be a silent and live auction, which will feature an array of items such as autographed memorabilia, vacation opportunities, once-in-a-lifetime Georgia Southern game experiences, vintage Georgia Southern Football memorabilia, autographed memorabilia from local professional teams and much more. The final 10 tickets in the reverse raffle will be drawn after the live auction, and the final ticket will win $10,000! The ticket cost is $100, which will allow a total of two people into the event and one entry in the $10,000 Reverse Raffle drawing. Food and beverages will be complimentary with a ticket purchase.

Also following the football game, the Georgia Southern softball team plays host to Troy in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m., and the first 100 fans who present their roster card from the spring football game at the softball doubleheader will receive a free t-shirt.

Weekend Events
•    2nd Annual Spring Football Tailgate Cook-off – Saturday, April 18 | Tasting begins at 11 a.m.
•    Blue-White Spring Football Game – Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m.
•    EFAA Reverse Raffle and Auction – Saturday, April 18 at 5 p.m. in Bishop Field House
•    Eagle Softball vs. Troy – Saturday, April 18 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
      The first 100 fans to bring their roster card from Blue-White game will receive a free t-shirt
•    Eagle Softball vs. Troy – Sunday, April 19 at noon

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Eagle fans can follow Coach Willie Fritz's twitter account @CoachWEFritz. For tickets, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com/tickets.