Georgia State’s run game slowed by Georgia Southern in loss

Shawn Elliott’s GSU team fell to 7-5.

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Shawn Elliott’s GSU team fell to 7-5.

J.D. King had 107 yards rushing and three touchdowns, Wesley Kennedy III and Shai Werts each ran for a score, and Georgia Southern beat Georgia State 38-10 on Saturday night in Statesboro.

Kennedy had 11 carries for 78 yards and Werts was 7-of-10 passing for 73 yards and added 55 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Tra Barnett's 15-yard touchdown run capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive and gave Georgia State (7-5, 4-4 Sun Belt Conference) a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter but the Eagles (7-5, 5-3) scored the next 31 points before taking a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Werts tied it with a 11-yard TD run late in the first quarter, Tyler Bass made a 49-yard field goal early in the second and King's first touchdown, a 7-yard run, made it 17-7 at halftime. Kennedy and King each had 13-yard scoring runs in the third quarter and King added a 30-yard TD run with 7:06 to play to make it 38-10.

Barnett finished with 15 carries for 55 yards. Georgia State, which went into the game averaging 257.8 yards rushing per game (No. 11 in the FBS), ran 37 times for a season-low 107 yards.