Georgia State spotted visiting South Alabama 10 points Saturday afternoon, but came back to post a 24-10 win at the Georgia Dome, giving the Panthers their first back-to-back victories at the FBS level.
It was the best all-around effort for the Panthers (4-6, 3-3 Sun Belt), who scored their first victory over an FBS opponent at the Georgia Dome. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle broke his own single-season passing record, and the Georgia State defense allowed its fewest points in coach Trent Miles’ three-year tenure.
“They’re finally reaching their own expectation level,” Miles said. “It’s fun to see a program develop in front of your eyes and see a program turn the corner. You’re seeing young men that a few weeks ago didn’t know how to finish off games like that at the end. I’m very proud of them, very proud of where our program is going.”
Here are five things we saw in the game:
Arbuckle adds another record. Arbuckle broke his own single-season passing record that he set a year ago. The senior completed 27 of 44 passes for 311 yards, giving him 3,446 this season and eclipsing his old mark of 3,283 yards.
Arbuckle was 14-for-25 for 121 yards in the first half, but the longest completion went for only 16 yards. He had more time in the second half and converted a pair of third-and-long passes for first downs on the final scoring drive, when he connected with Penny Hart for an 11-yard touchdown.
Arbuckle found seven receivers and completed seven each to Donovan Harden (94 yards), Hart (77 yards) and Robert Davis (67 yards).
Running attack modest, but productive. Georgia State, the worst rushing team in the Sun Belt Conference at 96.7 yards per game, is starting to benefit from the return of injured running backs Kyler Neal and Taz Bateman. The Panthers rushed for only 73 yards, a 2.1-yard average, but 55 came in the second half, many in key situations.
“We didn’t run the ball like we truly wanted, but we were able to sustain a drive when it really mattered,” Miles said.
Glenn Smith led the Panthers with 46 yards on 14 carries. Demarcus Kirk and Arbuckle both ran for scores.
Another step forward for defense. The Georgia State defense continues to improve. It has allowed 23 or fewer points in four of its past five games.
“That’s the best performance we’ve had as a defense, but it’s also the most experience we’ve had,” Miles said. “These kids are getting better every game.”
Joseph Peterson led the team with eight tackles, and Shawanye Lawrence had six. Tarris Batiste had the game-clinching interception after Tevin Jones tipped a pass.
“We knew what we had to do,” safety Bobby Baker said. “We came out in the second half with the intensity that we needed to have, and it definitely showed.”
GSU wins time-of possession game. Georgia State dominated the time of possession, keeping the ball for 35:10. The Panthers kept it for 12:53 in the third quarter, when they tied the score and set up the go-ahead score. GSU converted 13 of 20 third-down plays and had three scoring drives that required double-digit plays.
“It showed the mental toughness of the offense,” Miles said. “Everyone knows we’re a big-play offense, and we’re accustomed to throwing the ball over your head and scoring in big chunks. We kept control of the ball and didn’t turn it over, and that shows the development we’ve had from past games. It shows where we’re going.”
Arbuckle said, “Everybody’s looked at us as a one-trick pony, a team that if we don’t score on big plays, we’re not going to score. We’re more than that, and if they’re going to put six defensive backs on the field, we’re going to run it down their throat.”
White jerseys equals victory. The Panthers got permission to wear their white road jerseys. Their previous three victories, all on the road, came in those white jerseys. Miles said he would discuss the matter with the team's seniors before making a decision on the attire for Friday's final home game against Troy.
Arbuckle said, “It doesn’t matter to me. We could wear purple.”
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