Expect adversity: Georgia State gears up for fast-paced Ole Miss
The Georgia State football team’s journey of self-discovery begins this weekend.
The Panthers, with 67 new faces on the roster, will learn a lot about themselves in Saturday’s season opener on the road at Ole Miss, one of the top teams in the SEC.
Although the opposition is stiff and Georgia State enters the game as a 35-point underdog, second-year coach Dell McGee is eager to see how his team reacts to the difficult circumstances.
“We have a chance to find out who we are as Panthers, and that’s the biggest thing we’re looking for as a staff, just creating what our identity will be, how our kids will play to the standard, and how they respond to adversity,” McGee said.
Kickoff will be at 7:45 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network. It can be heard locally on WRAS-FM 88.5 or the Georgia State sports app.
“There will be a lot of adversity in this game,” McGee said. “There will be a lot of growing moments for our players and coaches, and we’re really just looking forward to going into Oxford and competing and putting our best foot forward.”
No. 21-ranked Ole Miss had to replace 20 starters and 64 lettermen from last season’s 10-win team that ranked among the nation’s best all-around teams. On offense, the Rebels set school records in total yards, yards per play, passing yards and led the nation in passing efficiency and were second in total offense (526.5 yards). On defense they ranked No. 1 in the nation in points allowed, tackles for loss and sacks, and were second in scoring defense (14.4 points).
The GSU defense will be under the gun from the start because of the tempo at which Ole Miss plays. The Rebels take 14-16 seconds to run a play, a fast pace that can cause confusion and mix-ups.
“It’s very hard to replicate their tempo, but that is the key to the drill for us to be successful,” McGee said. “It’s all going to be about what we do on first down on defense. If they can have a negative play or we can hold them to 3 (yards) or less, the tempo will kind of slow down. Our expectation is to see a lot of speed.”
Inside linebacker Josiah Robinson said, “They’ve got a lot of new people coming in, as every team does. We’re just trying to focus on their team as a whole.”
The GSU offense is again led by quarterback Christian Veilleux, who will work behind a bigger line this season. The lack of size was an issue throughout the 2024 season, as the offense ran for only 133.3 yards per game and allowed 22 sacks.
“It’s obvious when you look at us, we’re way bigger than last year,” Veilleux said. “That’s just a number on a scale, but I think the guys have what it takes internally to play hard, play physical. It makes me feel good to have some big guys up front.”
The Panthers will be challenged by a mayhem-making Ole Miss defense that includes preseason All-American linebacker Suntarine Perkins (10½ sacks, 14 tackles for loss in 2024) and LSU transfer Da’Shawn Womack.
Georgia State has experience playing SEC competition; last year the Panthers knocked off Vanderbilt 32-26 in Atlanta and will play the Commodores in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 20. The Panthers beat Tennessee in 2019 in the program’s signature win and threatened Auburn until the final moments of the game in 2021. Georgia State is 2-16 against Power Four opposition.
Veilleux said he has encouraged his teammates to look around the stadium and enjoy the environment during pregame warmups.
“Admire it when you first get in, be like, ‘Wow, this is cool,’” Veilleux said. “It’s a great experience. From a guy who’s been in it, I feel like once you’re in the game, once you’re on the field, all that stuff kind of disappears. The only time you feel it is when it gets super loud and you can’t hear yourself think or you can’t hear other guys talk. That’s when it gets really difficult.”
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
