Georgia State’s football season came to a merciful end with a 54-31 loss to Texas State on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.
The university band, which performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, got the loudest ovation of anything involved with the game to that point just before its halftime performance. By then, the Panthers trailed 27-3 and had shown little production (most would come later with louder cheers after the result was out of reach) in front of an announced attendance of 14,312. The actual attendance provided by Georgia State was 3,485, the smallest in program history.
“We didn’t do much early offensively,” coach Trent Miles said. “Too many three-and-outs left our defense out to dry.”
The Panthers (1-11, 0-8 Sun Belt Conference), who Miles said suited up only 16 scholarship players on defense, bounced back with 28 points in the second half, but it was too little, too late.
The Panthers did have some things to play for Saturday. The team said goodbye to 14 seniors before the game, including five who were on the inaugural 2010 team.
“You are seeing a process here, and I told our seniors that they are kind of like our parents,” Miles said. “My life is better because of what my dad did for me. My goal is to make my children’s lives better. These seniors have laid the foundation and paved the way for these young guys coming back.”
Additionally, there was the chance to earn a second win, something not done since the 2011 team won three games.
Instead, the team displayed a lack of poise and ability to execute in the worst moments in the first half, problems that plagued the team throughout what can best be described as a bizarre season, one in which it gave up more than 600 rushing yards in one game, followed the next week by posting less than 60 yards of offense.
The early problems against Texas State were typical.
A delay-of-game penalty was called against the offense after a timeout in the first half. A few plays later, Nick Arbuckle was intercepted when he didn’t see Craig Mager lurking near the 25-yard line. It was Arbuckle’s eighth interception in the past five games. Texas State took advantage with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Jones to C.J. Best, who was wide open in the right half of the end zone, for the halftime margin.
Arbuckle, who wore 1 on his right cheek and 3 on his left cheek to honor senior LynQuez Blair, finished with 356 yards and four touchdowns on throws to Robert Davis, Blair and freshmen Glenn Smith and Todd Boyd, but his two interceptions resulted in 14 points for the Bobcats. The touchdown pass to Blair, which came in the fourth quarter before the team scored two more, gave Arbuckle the school’s career mark for touchdowns responsibility (23). Earlier in the game Arbuckle set the career mark for passing yards (3,124), set by Ronnie Bell last season. Arbuckle finished the season with 3,283 passing yards and 23 touchdowns but 17 interceptions.
“Turnovers … are something that won’t happen next year,” Arbuckle said. “Everything I do will be to make sure I don’t turn the ball over.”
