Three storylines
Does Bo know? Quarterback Bo Schlechter was impressive in his first start last week, passing for 196 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 27 more. More important, he didn’t commit a turnover. Old Dominion’s defense, which is geared to stop the run, will offer a much better test of Schlechter’s skill and grasp of the offense than did Division II Clark Atlanta in the season opener.
Matching the pace. Coach Bill Curry said Old Dominion taught the Panthers a few lessons in last year’s loss, notably about what it means to finish a game. The Monarchs rallied with 34 points in the second and third quarters to take control of the game. Georgia State’s players said they are in better condition this year, so they won’t wear out again.
Turnovers. Georgia State had Old Dominion in trouble last year, but led 6-0 (two field goals) instead of 14-0 early because the Panthers couldn’t finish drives. And then the turnovers began, four lost fumbles in all, that turned the game on its head. Georgia State didn’t commit any turnovers in last week’s win against Clark Atlanta.
A Georgia State win would ...
- Be its first over Old Dominion.
- Be its seventh at the Georgia Dome.
An Old Dominion win would ...
- Be its seventh straight, dating to last season.
- Improve its record to 19-5 historically.
Keep an eye on ...
For Georgia State: Donald Russell and Travis Evans. Because Old Dominion likes to play at a fast pace, the Panthers may choose to try to slow things by relying on a running game that features Russell and Evans. The duo combined to rush for more than 100 yards last week against Clark Atlanta. Adding to the urgency is that the Panthers rushed for only 58 yards on 23 carries last year against the Monarchs.
For Old Dominion: Antonio Vaughan. He had 191 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns last weekend. He caught six passes for 97 yards, rushed once for 30 yards, returned a punt for 16 yards and three kickoffs for 48 yards. Coach Bill Curry said Vaughan reminds him of Albert Wilson, the Panthers’ playmaker.
The numbers game
41 Points each team scored in its season-opening win.
367 Yards passing for the Monarchs in their opener against Campbell.
The history book
Series record: ODU leads 1-0
Last meeting: Old Dominion won 34-20 on Oct. 23, 2010, taking advantage of four turnovers and an offense that simply wore down the Panthers. The Monarchs ran 81 plays in a little more than 28 minutes of possession.
The bottom line
Curry says if the Panthers can avoid the penalties and turnovers that affected them the last time they played Old Dominion, this should be a good game. Georgia State has been thinking about this game for a long time, with several players saying they felt the Monarchs taught them a lesson about what it takes to compete in the FCS (formerly Division I-AA). The Panthers’ offense and special teams looked steady last week. The key may be if the defense can pressure the quarterback better than it did against Clark Atlanta.
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