Three story lines
-- Establish a QB. Bo Schlechter will make his first start as a quarterback, and he brings a little of the best of the other two quarterbacks. He has a strong arm like Drew Little, last year’s starter, and is a good runner like Kelton Hill. Building confidence is important because Little will be gunning for the job next week, and Hill likely will return soon.
-- Establish a running game. The Panthers averaged 123.3 yards per game last season, far below what coach Bill Curry wants to see. Because the offensive line was playing together for the first time, it struggled with communication. Center Ben Jacoby said those issues shouldn’t occur again this season.
-- Establish a run defense. The Panthers' schedule is very tough. To give themselves the best chance, they must decrease the 187.4 rushing yards per game they allowed last season. Like the offensive line, the linemen and linebackers should be able to take advantage of their experience. They’ve also been helped by an infusion of talent at most of the positions.
A Georgia State win would ...
-- Be its first over a team from Atlanta.
-- Be its third over a team from Georgia.
A Clark Atlanta win would ...
-- Be its first over Georgia State.
-- Send notice that the Panthers are ready to be a Division II heavyweight.
Keep an eye on ...
For Georgia State: A.J. Portee. The Mays High alum transferred from Connecticut. He quickly climbed the depth chart and is now running with the first team. His speed and pass-rushing moves should reduce the amount of time the secondary has to stay in coverage as well as free defensive end Christo Bilukidi on the other side of the line for single-blocking assignments.
For Clark Atlanta: T.J. Smith. The junior from Lawrenceville won a four-way competition at quarterback during camp. Smith arrived at Clark last season from junior college and appeared in only four games. He will lead an offense that looks to pull its weight alongside the Panthers' stout defense.
The numbers game
1 Pass thrown by Georgia State quarterback Bo Schlechter in his college career. Schlechter will start at quarterback for the Panthers on Friday.
28,200 The difference in the enrollments between Georgia State (32,000) and Clark Atlanta (3,800).
The history book
Series record: The teams have never played.
The bottom line
This is not a game Georgia State should lose for many reasons. However, the Panthers can’t look ahead to next week’s game against Old Dominion, the next in an extremely tough stretch, or Clark Atlanta could provide a scare. If Georgia State can take a big lead, look for the depth chart to get turned over because the coaches are still making decisions about playing time and situational starters.
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