Georgia State humbled by Alabama

The final Thursday night was 63-7 in Alabama's favor, an entirely predictable but almost irrelevant statistic on this night between a college football giant and the upstarts from downtown Atlanta.

Said defensive end Kalan Jenkins, "It was rough out there."

The game, though, will surely have a place in Georgia State football annals, the night when the Panthers, largely made up of freshmen and junior college transfers, dared take on the defending national champions. Players like Jenkins, who tussled with offensive tackles 50 pounds heavier than him, were undone by opponents bigger, faster and stronger, and also by their own stage fright, but continued to scrap.

"I wish we had performed much, much better," coach Bill Curry said. "Next time we will."

Armed with future NFL stars and a mammoth budget, Alabama (9-2) proved the far superior unit by virtually any measure. The Crimson Tide ran for 262 yards, weren't sacked and had only two negative-yardage plays out of their 67 snaps despite dipping at least into their fourth string. Georgia State (6-5) had 165 yards of offense and gained seven first downs.

Facing little pass rush and loose coverage, starting Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy threw with the sort of efficiency he might typically have against the Crimson Tide scout team defense, going 12 for 13 before getting taken out of the game in the second quarter.

Alabama ballcarriers ran wild through the Georgia State secondary, flashing speed and moves that the Panthers had not seen in their first 10 games against NAIA and FCS (formerly Division I-AA) competition.

Crimson Tide defensive linemen knocked around quarterback Drew Little and linebackers thumped Panthers running backs. Crimson-jerseyed cornerbacks clung to Georgia State's wide receivers, giving them little room to maneuver. Little threw an uncharacteristic four interceptions and was eventually replaced by Kelton Hill.

"It was a lot faster than I anticipated," running back Travis Evans said.

Said Hill, "When they land on you, it hurts a little more than regular guys."

Curry lamented his team's performance in front of the 100,000-plus at Bryant-Denny Stadium and a national-television audience. The Panthers turned the ball over a season-high five times. It's hard to decipher the line separating Georgia State's struggles and Alabama's dominance, but the Panthers clearly were not the best version of themselves. Alabama scored six touchdowns in the first half to open up a 42-7 lead at halftime. The Tide hit the end zone four times in about a nine-minute span in the second quarter, scoring on an interception return, a pass, a blocked punt return and a run.

"We were intimidated," Curry said.

Said Wilson, "I guess the name of the team kind of shocked a lot of people. We could have done a lot better than that."

There were moments, though, that will be packed away forever. The Panthers opened their first possession with a 55-yard pass from Little to tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi. Wilson hit an opening on a second-quarter kickoff and tore 97 yards for a touchdown, lighting up the Georgia State sideline. On a first-quarter run, defensive tackle Khiry Karriem met Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram in a hole and dropped him for a one-yard gain.

Hill ran the team's Wildcat package fearlessly, sticking his nose into Crimson Tide defenders to fight for extra yards.

"The best thing is we have this experience and we know how it feels," Curry said.

Alabama met its objective – an easy win and no injuries before its Iron Bowl showdown with Auburn the day after Thanksgiving.

Georgia State left Tuscaloosa with a loss, a payout of more than $400,000 and an experience of incalculable value.

Said Hill, "I wouldn’t trade this for the world."