The Panthers are finally in the win column.
Thanks in large part to a 24-point second quarter, Georgia State (1-4, 1-1 Sun Belt) earned its first victory of the season, 41-21 against Texas State (2-3, 0-1) in the Georgia Dome on Saturday.
1. Robert Davis carried the GSU passing attack
The senior wide receiver had his best game of the season when the Panthers needed him most. The program’s career leader in receptions added nine catches to his total, good for 149 yards and a touchdown.
“I can’t say I didn’t expect it,” Davis said.
To start the second half, Davis hauled in a 55-yard touchdown to highlight his performance.
2. GSU showed a balanced offense
The Panthers have struggled to run the ball, but the ground game showed some signs of life.
“(The offensive line) did a good job of making sure that they got hats to the right people,” coach Trent Miles said. “For the most part, they were able to get up in tandem to the right people.”
Led by running back Kyler Neal and his 91 yards on 13 carries, GSU was able to gain 196 rushing yards.
3. Time of possession finally went Panthers’ way
For the first time this season, GSU held the ball for longer than its opponent. The Panthers had the ball for a season-high 32 and a half minutes.
Following a tough first quarter that saw the defense allow the Bobcats to pick up third downs at will as the offense struggled to stay on the field, GSU turned the tables. Texas State went 6-for-19 on third downs for the day while the Panthers went 7-for-15.
“The first downs that (Texas State) got on third down, most of them were in the first two drives of the game,” Miles said. “So that’s a big credit to our defensive staff and defensive players for making the right adjustments and being able to shut them down for the rest of the game.”
4. GSU defense made key plays
It was a shaky start for the defense as it allowed the Bobcats to score on their first two possessions, but once the Panthers got one stop, they began to pile up.
The unit forced three turnovers and it did not let Texas State score off any of the Panthers’ three blunders.
5. Conner Manning got into a groove
Coming off a 19-for-44 performance with four interceptions, the only place for Manning to go was up. He went 27-for-40 for 340 yards and two scores.
He even showed off his legs on two third-down scrambles that moved the chains and a rushing touchdown.
“I give credit this game to the O-line,” Manning said. “They were holding up the whole game, letting us take those shots down the field. And when I got guys like that on the outside, I just trust them. Make sure I get the ball to them and they are going to make plays.”
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