In its two-year buildup to this season, Georgia State has fashioned itself as an underdog trying to stake its turf in the college-football world.
Saturday, Lambuth rightfully assumed that role and celebrated its upset over the Panthers. Earlier this year, the school faced financial difficulties, missing payrolls and risking closure.
"It means everything," offensive lineman and North Gwinnett High grad Josh Profit said. "The type of game it was speaks volumes to the type of people that are at Lambuth, working there without getting paid for months at a time, just staying the course until you see the light, the victory at the end of the tunnel."
Slippery running back Marquis Williams, from Social Circle, ran with the motivation of playing in front of 13 family members and against a team that didn't recruit him. He ran for a game-high 149 yards and a touchdown on only 17 carries.
"It feels good," Williams said.
No-Star rating
Despite the struggles of the offense, backup quarterback Star Jackson did not play. The transfer from Alabama stayed on the sideline with his helmet off, typically a signal that he wasn't expecting to get into the game.
Coach Bill Curry said he relieved starter Drew Little with backup Kelton Hill because "he has such obvious play-making capacity and he understand the offense better than Star right now, and he had a hot hand."
Curry did not make a decision on the starter for next Saturday's game against Jacksonville State.
Off the field
If the football team isn't making progress, at least the tailgating apparently is. Kathy Hodges, a law school grad, and her husband, Don, made the drive from Anderson, S.C., to get to their spot at 11 a.m., two hours before kickoff. The Hodgeses, who often tailgate at Clemson games, noted that fans were mingling more and had more tents up than the first game.
Said Kathy, nursing a Blue Moon beer and wearing a Georgia State jersey, "I see a lot more Cornhole than I did last week."
The 140-member marching band delivered another solid halftime show, a performance with a patriotic theme. However, playing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" as Lambuth neared the end zone on its game-winning drive might be a selection that needs to be re-considered.
Starters disciplined (lightly)
Linebacker Olufemi Opanubi and safety Fred Barnes were held out of the starting lineup for being late for a team meeting during the week. Brad Chahoy and Jocquez Fears started in their place, respectively. Opanubi and Fears got into the game before end of the first quarter.
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