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The Georgia Southern Eagles lost in the FCS semifinals for the third straight year, falling to North Dakota State, 23-20. It was a tough loss, in which Georgia Southern actually led for all but nine minutes. It's always tough to lose that kind of game, on any level in any sport.
Coach Jeff Monken was incredibly emotional in the press room after the game. According to The Augusta Chronicle, he had to leave the room for five minutes to regain his composure before continuing to speak to the media.
"It hurts to see those kids who you love suffer like that because I know how much they put into it -- from way back in March all through summer," Monken said. It's clear he's very empathetic toward his team, and he went go on to note that he's proud of them.
He said that you can't take the playoffs for granted, and that it took a tremendous effort to get to this point for his team, saying that he's proud of each and every player.