Bowl eligibility at stake as Georgia State, Georgia Southern rivalry resumes
This week’s football game between Georgia Southern and Georgia State will have more than the usual bragging rights on the line. It will have postseason implications. And, for Georgia Southern, the pathway to a possible conference championship.
The winner of the “Modern Day Hate” game will not only take possession of the coveted Commissioner’s Cup; they will become bowl-eligible.
Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta.
The victorious side also claims ownership of the “Southern Not State” or “State Not Southern” hashtag. That refers to the school’s initials, since both institutions are abbreviated as GSU. Both sides have argued for years over which school is the “real” GSU.
“This is a rivalry game and we don’t shy away from that,” Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton said. “We know how special it is for both universities, both alumni groups, and there’s a trophy involved, so we take a lot of pride in that.”
This year’s game is expected to be the most competitive in years. The series is tied 6-6, but Georgia Southern has won the last three meetings, each by 17 points. Georgia State won three in a row from 2020-22.
“We’re not thinking about bowl eligibility, but it is big for our fan base, our student body, but we’re just trying to go 1-0 this week,” Georgia State coach Dell McGee said. “We’re playing our in-state rival and they have all our attention, so we’ve got to make sure we prepare the right way and let the outcome be the outcome.”
Georgia Southern is 5-4, which includes nonconference losses to Clemson and No. 25 Houston. The Eagles are 4-1 in the Sun Belt and in position to play for the conference championship for the first time since 2014 if they run the table. They have played in a bowl game in four straight years under Helton and in seven of the last eight seasons.
Georgia State is 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference after last week’s first-ever victory over traditional Sun Belt kingpin App State. A win would make the Panthers eligible for postseason for the first time since 2023, when they played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Both teams have benefited from excellent quarterback play this season. Southern’s Max Johnson, the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson and nephew of ex-Georgia coach Mark Richt, is in his seventh college season. He has thrown for 2,195 yards and 15 touchdowns, including four last week against Marshall, which earned him Sun Belt Player of the Week honors.
“It starts with Max and him distributing the ball and taking what the defense gives him,” Helton said. “He’s spreading the ball around so effectively and trusting his guys. You know, these guys came here for the opportunity to make big-time plays and they’re doing that for us.”
The receivers include sure-handed Josh Dallas (49 catches) and speedy Alex Taylor (38 catches, four touchdowns), who are among the nine players with double-digit catches. Dallas had nine receptions against Georgia State in 2024.
“We’ve got a motto here that if we touch it, we catch it,” Helton said. “And they’re making a lot of tough catches. We just want Max to give them the opportunity to make a play and we got several one-on-one opportunities last week. It’s not an offensive system that looks to one guy. It’s a system that takes what the defense gives them.”
Georgia State’s offense is directed by Ayden Pereira, a fifth-year transfer from Merrimack. Pereira took over as starter three weeks ago when starter Cameran Brown was injured. Pereira has thrown for 478 yards and seven touchdowns during that stretch.
“Very proud of Ayden,” McGee said. “The completions we had (against App State) were very important where he was able to convert on some third downs, which was instrumental in the victory.”
The Panthers’ big-play receivers have been DJ Riles (33 receptions) and Rodshaun Dorsey, who has replaced Ted Hurst (now playing for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Bucs) and has 29 catches and nine touchdowns, matching the school’s single-season record.