Starting with their first possession against Tennessee in the season opener, the Georgia State football team has had no issues moving the ball.
The Panthers have been particularly formidable on the ground. They are coming off single-game school rushing record, running for 340 yards and six touchdowns last week against Arkansas State. It was part of a school-record 770 yards of total offense – all of it needed to ensure a 52-38 win.
Much of the production comes courtesy of a three-headed running attack made up of Tra Barnett, Seth Paige and Destin Coates, which along with quarterback Dan Ellington leaves Georgia State ranked second in rushing in the Sun Belt Conference.
“We’re not trying to do anything cute or fancy or do anything to trick people,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said. “We’re just trying to line up and block them and do the things we need to be successful.”
Georgia State averages 234.2 yards rushing per game, trailing only Louisiana-Lafayette (314 yards) in the conference. The Panthers rank fourth in passing (245.6 yards) and are No. 3 in the conference in scoring (36.4 points).
Those prolific offensive numbers are on the mind of coach Jamey Chadwell, whose Coastal Carolina (3-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) team hosts Georgia State (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday in Myrtle Beach.
“Georgia State is lighting up the scoreboard,” Chadwell said. “When we’ve won, we’ve played well on defense and has given us a chance to get ahead.”
Elliott said the Panthers are versatile enough to keep the opposition guessing.
“There’s such balance in the offense, whether it be running the football or throwing the football,” Elliott said. “It’s just great balance. You see it every day in practice. These guys come out every day to practice and really enjoy practice. They really have fun at practice. And our backs are so unselfish.”
The backs also are very productive.
Barnett is a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior from Elberton who surpassed the career 1,000-yard rushing mark this season. Barnett ran for 139 yards and one touchdown against Arkansas State and has rushed for 468 yards and three touchdowns this season. He has rushed for 1,117 yards in his career, third best in school history.
Paige is a 5-10, 180-pound sophomore from Macclenny, Fla. He ran for 68 yards against Arkansas State, giving him 188 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 341 yards as a freshman in 2018.
Coates is a 5-11, 198-pound sophomore from Tallahassee, Fla. He played six games and rushed for 137 yards as a freshman, but had his season shortened by an injury. He rushed for 66 yards and tied a school record with three touchdowns against Arkansas State, giving him 179 yards and four touchdowns for the season. Coates had a career-high 98 yards against Texas State.
Georgia State has rushed for 200 yards in all five games and in eight of its past 10. The Panthers have averaged 221.5 yards rushing during that stretch. A year ago, the team set school records for yards rushing touchdowns. The trend has continued this season.
Throw in a career day from Ellington, who celebrated his 22nd birthday with career highs in passing (382) and total offense (451) and was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for the second time.
“We’ve been very consistent on offense over the course of the season, other than that Western Michigan debacle,” Elliott said. “The rest of the games have been very consistent. The play of the quarterback, the guys up front – the entire offense in general has been doing a good job doing what they need to do as far as assignments and playing with great effort. And it seems to be working.”
This week’s game with Coastal Carolina could be a challenge for the Georgia State attack. The Chanticleers rank second in the Sun Belt Conference for scoring defense (25.6 points) and No. 3 against the rush (122.2 yards). They have allowed the fewest first downs in the conference.
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