The Georgia State football team didn’t get any breaks when the Sun Belt Conference released the league’s schedule on Monday.
After opening the season with the most competitive non-conference schedule in the program’s history, the Panthers jump into league play against Appalachian State, the league’s bellwether program, to start Sun Belt play on Oct. 2. Georgia State has never beaten Appalachian State.
After a road trip to Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 9, the Panthers return to Center Parc Stadium to play Texas State on Oct. 23.
Then the fun really starts. Georgia State will go nearly a month between home dates and faces a trio of the league’s best. The Panthers travel to Statesboro to play rival Georgia Southern on Oct. 30, visit Louisiana for a nationally televised Thursday night game on Nov. 4, then visit reigning Sun Belt champion Coastal Carolina on Nov. 13.
Georgia State beat Georgia Southern in 2020, lost a heartbreaking overtime game to West Division champion Louisiana – a team it has never beaten -- and suffered a 51-0 thrashing against Coastal, a loss that ironically seemed to turn the season around. Coastal Carolina was 11-1 and finished No. 14, while Louisiana went 10-1 and was ranked No. 15.
GSU completes the season with home games against Arkansas State on Nov. 20 and Troy on Nov. 27.
The non-conference schedule features the home opener against Army on Sept. 4, at North Carolina on Sept. 11, home against Charlotte on Sept. 18 and at Auburn on Sept. 25.
Georgia State is coming off a 6-4 season, their second straight winning season, and a victory over Western Kentucky in the LendingTree Bowl. The Panthers return all 11 offensive starters from a team that averaged 33.3 points and nine starters on defense from a team that finished No. 7 in the nation in sacks.
GEORGIA STATE 2021 SCHEDULE
Sept. 4 vs. Army
Sept. 11 at North Carolina
Sept. 18 vs. Charlotte
Sept. 25 at Auburn
Oct. 2 vs. Appalachian State
Oct. 9 at Louisiana-Monroe
Oct. 23 vs. Texas State
Oct. 30 at Georgia Southern
Nov. 4 at Louisiana
Nov. 13 at Coastal Carolina
Nov. 20 vs. Arkansas State
Nov. 27 vs. Troy
