GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL Game 1: GEORGIA STATE (0-0) vs. CHARLOTTE (0-0) Friday, Sept. 4 • 3:30 p.m. ET • Georgia Dome • Atlanta, Ga. GAME COVERAGE: Television coverage is on ESPNU, the FACTS CHARLOTTE GEORGIA STATE second straight year for the Georgia State opener on the network. 2014 Records 5-6 1-11, 0-8 SBC Announcers are Jason Benetti and Charles Arbuckle. Nickname 49ers Panthers Every Georgia State game this season will be televised, including every Sun Belt Conference game on one of the ESPN platforms. Location Charlotte, N.C. Atlanta, Ga. Radio coverage is available on the Georgia State Radio Network, Enrollment 27,251 32,000 including Atlanta flagship 1340 The Fan 3. Dave Cohen is in his 33rd Conference Conference USA Sun Belt season as the play-by-play voice of Panther athletics, while Brandon Head Coach Brad Lambert Trent Miles Leak and Harper LeBel join him from the booth, and Sam Crenshaw Alma Mater Kansas State, 1987 Indiana State, 1987 adds sideline coverage. Record at School 10-12 (3rd year) 1-23 (3rd year) Career Record 10-12 (3rd year) 21-59 (8th year) THE KICKOFF: Georgia State opens the 2015 season by hosting Series Record First Meeting Charlotte in a nationally-televised game at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers return 49 letterwinners and all but five starters and quarterback Matt Johnson, who passed for 1,941 yards and 13 touch- have added a number of impact newcomers, including freshmen and downs in eight games. transfers. At running back, Kalif Phillips rushed for 1,436 yards and 20 Headlining the Panthers are five returning All-Sun Belt Confer- touchdowns last fall. ence players, led by receiver Donovan Harden and tight end Joel Ruiz Head coach Brad Lambert has led the program from its begin- on offense and linebacker Joseph Peterson on defense. ning. A former Georgia assistant, Lambert also coached on the same Record-setting quarterback Nick Arbuckle and talented receiver staff with Georgia State’s Trent Miles at Oklahoma. Robert Davis also return for a passing attack that ranked among the Georgia State will play a return game at Charlotte in 2017. The best in the Sun Belt and the nation a year ago. teams also have a four-year series scheduled from 2020-23, meaning Arbuckle, a senior, passed for 3,283 yards and 23 touchdowns they will play six times in nine years. in his first season with the Panthers. He led the Sun Belt in passing yards per game (273.6) and was second in touchdowns. PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Three Panthers enter the season Harden (60 receptions, 885 yards, 7 TDs), who will miss the on watch lists for major college football awards. Tight end Joel Ruiz opener due to injury, and Davis (50-732-2) lead a receiving corps that was tabbed to the John Mackey Watch List, wide receiver Donovan is the strength of the team. GSU also returns Glenn Smith, Todd Boyd Harden earned a spot on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, and line- and Avery Sweeting while adding transfers Nyiakki Height and Kam backer Joseph Peterson is on the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. Myers and freshman Penny Hart. All three are also on the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, while To bolster the running back position, Kyler Neal returns after placekicker Wil Lutz was named to the second team. a season-ending knee injury to join junior college transfers Taz Bateman and Kendrick Dorn and senior Marcus Caffey. ARBUCKLE REWRITES RECORD BOOK: In his first season at Peterson, the Panthers’ top tackler the last three years, leads a Georgia State, quarterback Nick Arbuckle set or tied nearly every GSU defense that looks to be much deeper with key additions on the line, single-game, season and career passing mark. at linebacker and in the secondary. The only season records that Arbuckle did not surpass are pass Senior placekicker Wil Lutz is one of the best in the Sun Belt. efficiency and completion percentage. Arbuckle’s pass efficiency rating of 134.4 trails the record of 144.5 by Kelton Hill, who threw just ABOUT CHARLOTTE: The Charlotte program is even newer 126 passes in 2011. Arbuckle completed 60.4 percent of his passes, than Georgia State, having begun play in 2013. The 49ers played two just behind Drew Little’s mark of 62.1 percent in 2010. seasons as an FCS independent, and this year, they begin their two- After just one season, Arbuckle is already Georgia State’s career year FBS transition, the same process that GSU began in 2013. leader in passing yards, completions, touchdown passes and The 49ers, 5-6 in 2014, return nine starters on offense, including touchdowns responsible for. 2015 SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times Eastern) Date Opponent Time TV Site Series Result Sept. 4 (Fri.) CHARLOTTE 3:30 p.m. ESPNU GEORGIA DOME 0-0 Sept. 12 at New Mexico State 8 p.m. ESPN3 Las Cruces, N.M. 0-1 Sept. 19 at Oregon 2 p.m. Pac-12 Eugene, Ore. 0-0 Oct. 3 LIBERTY (Homecoming) TBA ESPN3 GEORGIA DOME 0-0 Oct. 10 APPALACHIAN STATE TBA ESPN3 GEORGIA DOME 0-1 Oct. 17 at Ball State TBA TBA Muncie, Ind. 0-0 Oct. 31 at Arkansas State TBA ESPN3 Jonesboro, Ark. 0-2 Nov. 7 UL LAFAYETTE TBA ESPN3 GEORGIA DOME 0-2 Nov. 15 at Texas State TBA ESPN3 San Marcos, Texas 0-2 Nov. 21 SOUTH ALABAMA TBA ESPN3 GEORGIA DOME 1-3 Nov. 27 (Fri.) TROY TBA ESPN3 GEORGIA DOME 0-2 Dec. 5 at Georgia Southern 2 p.m. ESPN3 Statesboro, Ga. 0-1 2015 GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL NOTES, PAGE 2 GAME 1: GEORGIA STATE vs. CHARLOTTE GENERAL INFORMATION Arbuckle has 3,293 yards of total offense return senior Avery Sweeting (16-224-1) and Full Name Georgia State University (rushing and passing) and needs just six sophomores Todd Boyd (8-119-2) and Glenn yards to break that career record (3,298 by Smith (7-83-1). Two key additions are UAB Location Atlanta, GA Ronnie Bell). transfer Nyiakki Height, a senior who had 17 Founded 1913 receptions for 136 yards and one TD last year, Enrollment 32,000 SINGLE-GAME RECORDS and junior college transfer Kam Myers, who Nickname Panthers Yards Passing: 414 vs. Air Force, 2014 (tied had 51 catches for 836 yards and 11 TDs in Colors Blue & White with Drew Little vs. Old Dominion, 2010) two seasons at NJCAA champion East M issis- Affiliation NCAA Division I FBS Pass Completions: 32 vs. Texas State, 2014 sippi C.C. True freshman Penny Hart could (tied with Drew Little vs. Old Dominion, Conference Sun Belt Conference also contribute. 2010) President Mark P. Becker TD Passes: 4 vs. vs. Abilene Christian, 2014; EVANS ANCHORS O-LINE: Senior Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb Georgia Southern, 2014; Texas State, 2014 Taylor Evans will start for the Panthers at (Tied with 3 players/4 games) center, his third different position on the COACHING STAFF Total Offense: 438 vs. Abilene Christian, 2014 offensive line in two seasons. Head Coach Trent Miles Last fall, Evans was the starter at left SEASON RECORDS guard when left tackle Michael Ivory went Assistant Head Coach/ Harold Etheridge Yards Passing: 3,283, 2014 Offensive Line down with a season-ending injury. Ivory’s Pass Completions: 259, 2014 injury caused the line to shuffle, and Evans Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski Pass Attempts: 429, 2014 started the final six games at right tackle. Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter TD Passes: 23, 2014 Ivory’s return at left tackle, coupled with Wide Receivers Tim Lappano Total Offense: 3,293, 2014 the addition of UAB transfer Kelepi Folau at Quarterbacks Luke Huard Touchdowns Responsible For: 25, 2014 left guard allowed Evans to play center, his Secondary Eric Lewis position in junior college. Junior right tackle CAREER RECORDS Jah-Mai Davidson and sophomore right Outside Linebackers Larry Knight Yards Passing: 3,283, 2014-present Defensive Line Tony Samuel guard Davis Moore round out the starting Pass Completions: 259, 2014-present five. Linebackers/Recruiting Coord. P.J. Volker Completion Percentage: .604, 2014-present Graduate Assistants Ben McLane (off.), TD Passes: 23, 2014-present NEW FACES: Georgia State bolstered Chris O’Leary (def.), Reid Sanders (off.) Touchdowns Responsible For: 25, 2014 its lineup with experienced players from the Liam Smith (def.) junior college and transfer ranks. Strength & Conditioning Scott Holsopple HOGAN RETURNS: Mark Hogan, the Three starters (G Kelepi Folau, LB Alonzo Athletic Trainer Bob Murphy first scholarship football player in Georgia McGee, S Bobby Baker) and a key backup Equipment Manager Nick Vogt State history, is now a graduate assistant (WR Nyiakki Height) joined the program in coach for the Charlotte program. Director of Operations Dusty Bennett January from UAB after the Blazers discon- Hogan, a linebacker, collected 157 tackles Director of Player Personnel Justin Pierce tinued their football program. in three seasons for the Panthers before Junior college transfer Kaleb Ringer finishing his playing career at Charlotte in his immediately earned a starting role at inside FACILITY INFORMATION hometown. linebacker. Several backups are also junior Home Field Georgia Dome college transfers, including Tyler Simonsen Capacity (Total/Lower) 71,228 / 28,155 SCAIFE FACES HOMETOWN TEAM: and Dom Roldan on the offensive line, Georgia State’s backup quarterback, redshirt Surface Field Turf receiver Kam Myers, and defensive linemen freshman Emiere Scaife, hails from Charlotte, Julien Laurent and DeQueszman Kelley. Opened 1992 N.C. He led Mallard Creek High School to the state semifinals as a junior in 2012, passing FRESHMEN EXPECTED TO MAKE PROGRAM INFORMATION for more than 2,500 yards and 26 touch- IMPACT: Another starter playing his first First Season of Football 2010 downs, but missed much of his senior season game in a Georgia State uniform is redshirt due to injury.