The members of the Georgia Southern football team probably don’t need a reminder about what can happen when you look past an FCS opponent. Many of them were in the program two years ago when New Hampshire upset Georgia Southern 22-12 in a game played at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Another CAA team will be looking to knock off Georgia Southern (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) on Saturday, when sixth-ranked Maine visits Paulson Stadium in Statesboro Ga.

“It’s not focusing on what level the opponent is, because if you watch Maine they’re a really good football team,” Georgia Southern coach Chad Lunsford said. “They could easily be in the Sun Belt. They could easily compete with anybody in the Sun Belt, so we have to be mindful of that.

“We have to concentrate on us and we have to respect our opponent. I promise you we’ll do that.”

Maine (1-0, 0-0 CAA) is coming off a 42-14 victory over Sacred Heart in which junior quarterback Chris Ferguson completed 23 of 39 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns. He passed for 404 yards in the first half and was named the CAA’s Offensive Player of the Week following that performance.

“It’s a whole different game,” Ferguson said when asked about Saturday’s matchup. “We’re not in Orono. We’re not playing an FCS team, we’re playing an FBS team that’s legit. … It’s the same kind of prep. The next game is the most important (game) and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Georgia Southern was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt’s East Division in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll. The Eagles opened with a 55-3 loss to LSU, which passed for 350 yards and five touchdowns in the victory.

“I don’t know how indicative (the LSU score is) of how good of a team Georgia Southern really is,” Maine coach Nick Charlton said. “They tackle, they’re physical. They’re a sound defensive football team. I think they play hard so that will be a challenge for us up front and in the back end.

“Offensively, they run the option, which is a challenge right away -- and it’s out of the (shotgun), so you have to be really disciplined and be good with your eyes and all those things. They have good skill as well. This is a good football team. They won 10 games last year, so we know we have our work cut out for us. We have to play well. We have to try to force some turnovers and we have to be able to move the football and get some explosions on offense, so it’s going to be a great challenge.”

Maine will be seeking its fourth victory over an FBS opponent. The Black Bears beat Western Kentucky 31-28 last season; defeated Massachusetts 24-14 in 2013; and topped Mississippi State 9-7 in 2004.

Maine is 3-17 all-time against FBS competition, and will try to become the first CAA team to defeat an FBS opponent in back-to-back seasons since New Hampshire beat Army 28-10 in 2008 and Ball State 23-16 in 2009.

Charlton said a strong finish will be among the keys to pulling off the upset Saturday.

“A lot of times you get worn down up front (against FBS opponents), and at the skill positions you have a hard time with one-on-one matchups, getting open and things like that,” he said. “We have to be able to withstand and get it to the fourth quarter. That’s the biggest thing.

“We believe it’s a very winnable game. … For us I think it’s going to be about having that longevity in the game and then being able to physically take on and FBS opponent.”

Loss at Linebacker

Maine junior linebacker Deshawn Stevens will miss the rest of the season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during the victory over Sacred Heart. Stevens, a junior, led Maine with 120 tackles last season.

“It’s disappointing that it happened, but this happens in football,” Charlton said. “Now it’s next man up. We’ve got to make sure we have that mentality.”

Stevens was named to the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team. He made five tackles against Sacred Heart before he was injured with 10:47 remaining in the second quarter.

Noteworthy

• Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between Maine and Georgia Southern. The Eagles won each of the first three games, all of which came in the postseason when Georgia Southern was an FCS program.

• Maine has a 3-3 record against current Sun Belt schools. Georgia Southern is 27-10 against current members of the CAA.

• Georgia Southern defensive end Justin Ellis, a transfer from Syracuse, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the loss to LSU.

• Ferguson’s 41 touchdown passes since the start of the 2017 season are the second-most of any active FCS player, trailing only UC Davis quarterback Jake Maier (60).

• Georgia Southern was held to 98 yards of offense against LSU.