Quarterback Conner Manning and the Georgia State offense entered the season expecting to be among the Sun Belt Conference’s elite. A few weeks in, they have scored 10 points and lost two games.
Saturday’s loss wasn’t unexpected. The Panthers traveled to Penn State, leaving with a 56-0 loss but a sizeable paycheck. The offense actually moved the ball adequately, gaining 21 first downs against Penn State’s 19, and winning the possession battle by roughly 17 minutes.
But the talent discrepancy and turnovers loomed large. Manning threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, resulting in 28 Penn State points.
“It was disappointing,” Manning said. “We were able to move the ball pretty good. I know we had a very good third-down ratio. We just couldn’t stay on the field, and obviously when you turn the ball over, a lot of that was on me. I take full responsibility of that and my play. It’s hard to keep drives going when we’re not fully executing and turning the ball over.”
New coach Shawn Elliott and offensive coordinator Travis Trickett have preached protecting the football and taking each possession as its own. Manning, who struggled turning the football over last season, is still working on that aspect.
He’s not afraid to throw – Manning led the Sun Belt with 268.4 passing yards per game a year ago – but his decision-making is something the staff continues to address. He feels if everyone does their job well, not necessarily outstanding, they’ll be in contention.
“I think if everyone does their job, do what they have to do, no one has to go out there and make spectacular plays, do anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “If we just go out there and execute, do what we have to do, we’ve been able to move the ball. It’s just finishing drives. We have to get better at that.”
Manning spent three seasons at Utah, where he appeared in one game, completing two passes for 28 yards against Arizona in 2014. Coaching connections finally pulled the California native from the West Coast and took him to GSU as a graduate transfer. It took one visit to realize he was in the right spot, he said.
“It’s experience playing at that high level, going against guys who are in the pros now,” Manning said of his time with the Utes. “A lot of my teammates, I’m happy for them. It helped me build as a player, playing with elite talent all the time.”
Manning has had moments of brilliance. He produced five 100-yard receiver games, second most in the FBS. He missed two games with a shoulder injury, but returned quickly and threw for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns over the next three games, including a win over rival Georgia Southern. He was named a 2016 Sun Belt Conference All-Newcomer.
And with Manning finishing his time with the Panthers, his sole mission is to send the school to its second bowl game. That will require six wins, a task that may have become more difficult with Georgia State losing a Sept. 30 home game against Memphis as a result of the Tigers needing to face conference opponent Central Florida. Their originally scheduled game was postponed due to Hurricane Irma.
“For me, it’s just leading our team to a bowl game,” Manning said. “I think my biggest goal was to lead us to a bowl game. We just have to take it one game at a time, and where we’ve started so far, we have to be a lot better throughout the year. But I’m still very excited and positive for what we can do.”
To do that he’ll need to awaken a sleeping offense, starting Saturday in Charlotte.
About the Author
