The game that was
There were a few positives, sparks in the first and third quarters, but Georgia State made too many mistakes in all phases to give itself a chance to defeat Murray State. The Panthers lost their fourth consecutive game, 48-24. Each of the losses has been by double digits.
What we learned
1. Georgia State's defense keeps springing leaks. With a few exceptions, the Racers didn't do anything fancy or overpowering. However, they took advantage of poor tackling by the Panthers to score numerous touchdowns, including a back-breaker with a few seconds remaining in the first half that should have been stopped for a minimal gain.
2. Georgia State's special teams took a big step backward. The defense wasn't given any help by coverage units that either missed tackles, overran running lanes or simply didn't follow instruction far too frequently. The Racers' average starting field position was their 38-yard line, far too up the field to give the Panthers a shot at a win.
3. Georgia State coach Bill Curry seems exasperated but determined to turn it around. He sounded a familiar refrain after the game: the responsibility for getting the players ready and finding a way to get them to remember the teachings falls on him and his staff. Team leaders Drew Little and Christo Bilukidi said that Curry shouldn't accept all the blame. They are the ones on the field not doing what they've worked on during practice.
Injury report
There were no injury updates.
Numbers game
459
The Panthers once again gave up more than 400 yards on defense, the fourth consecutive game that's happened.
Sound bite
“The team was defiant. The team was ready to come back, which we did, but we didn't sustain. You can't just come out and have a burst by throwing a couple of touchdowns. You have to keep fighting and we should have been able to keep scoring. We had plenty of things in our arsenal and we just didn't execute them and we didn’t get them stopped."
Bill Curry, Georgia State coach
Loose ends
Danny Williams set a school record with 151 yards on nine catches. … Georgia State's 90-yard scoring drive in the first quarter was the longest in school history … Donald Russell scored two touchdowns, giving him six in four games.
What's next
Georgia State will visit South Carolina State, which made the playoffs last season as a rep from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs (3-3) defeated N.C. Central 49-38 on Saturday. They are led by running back Asheton Jordan and linebacker Donovan Richard.
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