Three storylines
Will the fourth-quarter blues stop? The Panthers have scored 13 points in the fourth quarter this season. That futility has cost the team a chance to earn at least three victories. Coach Bill Curry said the issue is not of conditioning or desire, but it's one he has to solve. Running back Donald Russell (ankle) will be a game-time decision.
Can the defense bounce back? After seemingly having its early-season issues ironed out, the Panthers were gouged by NAIA St. Francis for 475 yards Saturday. The total was more than a hundred more than they allowed in each of the previous three weeks. Curry said his players had trouble getting off blocks and making tackles. The team will be without linebacker Mike Hall (undisclosed injury), but linebacker Jake Muasau will play.
Will the special teams ever get better? The hope has become a broken refrain each week, and each week something else breaks down, culminating in the out-of-bounds kickoff followed by an onside kick that St. Francis recovered Saturday. The team will be without Christian Benvenuto, who will miss the game with an injury.
A Georgia State win would ...
- Be its first on the road this season.
- Snap a two-game losing streak.
A West Alabama win would ...
- Be its eighth this season.
- Be its first over an FCS (formerly Division I-AA) opponent this season.
Keep an eye on ...
For Georgia State: The offensive line. Georgia State rushed for 158 yards Saturday, a respectable total, but less than expected against a front four smaller than the Panthers' offensive line. After rushing for 200 yards in back-to-back games, the team hasn't cracked that mark in its past two games.
For West Alabama: Matt Willis. He is 89 yards away from tying the school's single-season rushing record (1,325). He has scored 13 touchdowns this season and has averaged 123.7 rushing yards per game.
The numbers game
3 Georgia State has played in three consecutive overtime games.
2 The Panthers have lost the past two, missing long field goals in each overtime.
The history book
This is the teams’ first meeting.
The bottom line
Can the Panthers control the game this week by dominating the line? They weren’t able to in Saturday’s loss, despite having a significant advantage in size. This week, the Panthers’ offensive line outweighs West Alabama’s defensive line by an average of 34 pounds. West Alabama’s offensive line outweighs the Panthers’ defensive line by an average of 24 pounds. This is one the Panthers should win, but they can’t overlook the Tigers.
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