Georgia State coach Trent Miles said offensive tackle Grant King is practicing with first- and second-teams, but he has yet to decide if King will start when the Panthers take on Alabama on Saturday.

Miles said the decision will be made later this week.

King wasn’t allowed to participate in the season’s first four games because of an academic-related NCAA issue.

He had started every game in the program’s first three years.

A.J. Kaplan or Brandon Pertile have started at right tackle this year.

The line could use King to provide more depth and skill. The line has had issues pass-blocking and run-blocking this year, with several mistakes occurring in the overtime loss to Jacksonville State. Mistakes included holding penalties and false-start penalties.

Bye week good or bad?

If a team has to play the No. 1 team, and they aren’t favored to win, I’m not sure if I would want to play on one week’s rest to go ahead and get it over with, or have two weeks to prepare because, well, who knows what could happen?

It seems like Miles would have preferred to have one week, but not because of the reason I suggested.

Instead, he said the team wants to get rid of the taste of the defeat to the Gamecocks.

Georgia State rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game, only to lose in overtime, 32-26.

Instead of letting that loss affect them, Miles said the players had a good week of physical practices.

“Guys are fired up,” he said. “I think we are getting better.”

That’s no spy, that’s my wife

Miles’ wife Bridget graduated from Alabama. But she and her husband leave no doubt that she will be all about Georgia State on Saturday.

“She’s ‘Roll Panthers,’ all the way,” Miles said.

 Bridget said she’s excited about returning to campus, saying she hasn’t been there in 12 years for a game between the Tide and Mississippi State.

This will be the first time that any team Miles has been associated with has played Alabama, so this will be a new experience for Bridget.

She won’t wear any Alabama gear, not even something underneath her Georgia State gear. She joked that may be tougher for her 13-year-old nephew, who is a die-hard fan of Alabama.

She expects at least 15 members of her family will be at the game.

She said she’s most looking forward to going to Wings to grab some, well, wings. She’s also looking forward to the tailgating. Having been with Miles at Notre Dame and Washington before Indiana State, she’s experienced pre-game traditions all over the country.

As for the best, she said it’s a toss-up between Notre Dame and Alabama because they offer completely different atmospheres.

“At Notre Dame, there are so many different places to go and see,” she said. “Each dorm has a brat stand. It’s just different.”