Three storylines
Can the Panthers stop Case Keenum? No, they can't. The Heisman Trophy hopeful is just too good a quarterback. Can they slow him down? Sure. Louisiana Tech pressured him last week into two of the worst quarters of his career. Keenum bounced back to lead the Cougars to four consecutive touchdowns and a victory.
Establish a running game. The best way the Panthers can help their defense is by keeping them off the field. To do that, they need to give the ball to Travis Evans and Donald Russell as often as possible. The duo averages more than 4.5 yards per carry and complement each other's skills well.
No mistakes on special teams. Though the Panthers' special teams played better Saturday, it still gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown. That's 21 points that can be directly attributed to the special teams in the past two losses. There can be no such mistakes when playing an FBS (formerly Division I-A) team such as Houston.
A Georgia State win would ...
- Be its first over a FBS team.
- Be the second road win in the program's short history.
A Houston win would ...
- Be its first over Georgia State.
- Be its fourth of the season.
Keep an eye on ...
For Georgia State: Bo Schlechter. Fans already are clamoring for the return of Drew Little, last season's starter who has played mostly garbage minutes in the past two games. While Little may have more experience, Schlechter provides an elusiveness that will be needed against Houston's bigger, faster, stronger defensive line.
For Houston: Patrick Edwards. He's a threat of the caliber that the Panthers have gone against once in their short history: an NFL-caliber receiver, just like Alabama's Julio Jones last year. Edwards, who started as a walk-on, has caught a pass in 37 consecutive games.
The numbers game
204.3 Difference in the passing yards of the two teams. Georgia State averages 203.7, Houston 408.
194.2 Rushing yards per game allowed by Houston, a welcome sign for the Panthers should they try to control the clock.
History book
Series record: First meeting.
The bottom line
Georgia State needs to play almost perfectly and hope the Cougars do just the opposite, which would require lots of turnovers, lots of penalties and lots of luck. Houston put together a stinker of a first half against Louisiana Tech last week, so there’s always a chance.
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