Panthers put 1-11 behind them

Georgia State offensive lineman Davis Moore slightly shakes his head in a way that indicates the question isn’t the best he’s ever been asked.

“Why do you want it more?” he is asked — turning around something he said — about Friday’s season-opening game against Charlotte at the Georgia Dome.

“Because we went 1-11 last year,” he answers, waving a hand to indicate the obviousness of his reply.

That record, a win in the opener followed by 11 Ls on the right side of the win-loss column, has driven the Panthers since being blown out by Texas State in a get-it-over-with 2014 finale at the Dome.

Though few expected the Panthers to boast a winning record, not many predicted they would go 1-11 on the heels of an 0-12 debut the year before for coach Trent Miles and his staff.

The problems that contributed to both sub-optimal seasons seems as if they are almost gone now: the roster is mostly balanced by class and position, the team is deeper along the offensive line and defensive line, the players bought into new strength and conditioning program and worked very hard into the offseason to turn themselves into players that look as if they are FBS quality.

Now, with an influx of talent of six players who transferred from UAB and the experience gained through two years of lumps, the Panthers seem ready to take a few steps forward.

“A win, a win in the win column would be ideal for me,” said junior wide receiver Robert Davis, who will likely be the focus of the passing game until Todd Boyd and Glenn Smith prove their consistency, and Joel Ruiz proves he is 100-percent healthy.

To earn a few more wins, Miles repeated the same formula he also said the day before camp started:

• Take care of the football ( at -1.83 per game, the Panthers had the worst turnover margin in FBS last year);
• Aggressive on defense (the Panthers had one of the worst rush defenses and pass rushes in FBS last year);
• Establish the run (the Panthers averaged less than 100 yards per game last year);
• Play well on special teams (field goals and kickoff coverage were OK last year, punt coverage was terrible);

It may seem like a mountain, but Miles doesn’t seem deterred.

“What these young men have shown me since I’ve been here is that when they put their mind to something they will find a way to get it done,” he said the day before camp started.