Georgia State’s Jarrell Robinson attended Statesboro High before graduating from Portal High, five minutes away.
He grew up with season tickets to Georgia Southern football, so Saturday’s game against the Eagles at the Georgia Dome is very important to him.
“When I go home and have my Georgia State gear, my friends rag on me and tell me to take it off,” he said. “My best friends all went to Georgia Southern.
“I don’t want to hear them talk when I go home, ‘We beat y’all.’ It can’t happen. That’s why this is really big to me.”
Robinson was recruited by Georgia Southern, but he said his father decided it was time for his son to leave the nest.
Robinson, a senior and starting outside linebacker, is Georgia State’s all-time leader in tackles for loss (19) and this season is tied for the team lead in sacks (three).
He is one of a handful of Georgia State players who grew up near Statesboro. Georgia Southern has 48 players who are from Metro Atlanta. Between state championships and the Corky Kell Classic, 12 players have played at least once in the Georgia Dome, according to Georgia Southern.
Injury update: Wide receiver Nathaniel Minor suffered an injury to his left knee during practice Tuesday and is doubtful for Saturday's game. Minor sat out last season after suffering an injury to his right knee. He has three catches for 16 yards this season.
Linebacker James Traylor returned to practice Tuesday. Coach Trent Miles said starting inside linebacker Trey Payne remains questionable, as does starting linebacker Sean Jeppesen, who has strep throat.
Week off: Georgia Southern is the third of four consecutive opponents who have an open date the week before facing the Panthers.
Louisiana-Lafayette and South Alabama were off the week before facing Georgia State. Appalachian State is off this week and will face Georgia State next week.
“It’s the luck of the draw,” Miles said. “I can’t explain it.”
The final two Sun Belt opponents, Troy and Texas State, will play on Thursdays the week before facing Georgia State, giving them two extra days of rest.
Member schools are given the schedule before it is released so that they can raise any questions. Miles said he looked at his team’s schedule and did ask to trade bye weeks with New Mexico State to break up what was a going to be a long break after the season opener, followed by a stretch of eight consecutive games. Miles said he, coach Doug Martin and the athletic directors worked out the switch.
There are several factors that affect each team’s schedule, according to a Sun Belt spokesman, starting with ESPN and its networks hosting the Tuesday and Thursday games. Also affecting the schedules are no-play dates teams ask for (Georgia State asked for and received two, Oct. 4 and Nov. 1, and the conference usually only can accommodate one), class schedules and breaks, the distribution of home and away conference dates, as well as the nonconference games that the Sun Belt allows its member teams to schedule when the games work best for them.
Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said he thinks Georgia State’s schedule is an anomaly and defended the results of the process.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of fair or unfair,” he said. “It’s to try to create as balanced a schedule as you possibly can taking into considering many different factors.”
Attendance: There could be a sizable Georgia Southern crowd in the Dome for Saturday's game.
The Eagles have purchased at least 3,884 tickets as of Monday night, according to Georgia Southern. The university said it has sold out of its allotment of 3,500 and is referring those who want to purchase tickets to Georgia State’s ticket office. Georgia Southern said it can’t account for all of the tickets purchased from vendors other than the two universities, which means there may more tickets sold.
The Eagles have traveled well this season, topped by the 9,225 who bought tickets for the game at Georgia Tech earlier this season.
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