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2017 GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL @GeorgiaStateFB | @CoachSElliott | @GSUPanthers | @GSUStadium GEORGIA STATE (6-5, 5-3) vs. WESTERN KENTUCKY (6-6, 4-4) AUTONATION CURE BOWL: Saturday, Dec. 16 | 2:30 p.m. ET Camping World Stadium | Orlando, Fla. | CBSSN THE KICKOFF: Earning their second HART HEADLINES NINE ON ALL-SUN bowl berth in three years, Georgia State will BELT TEAM: Penny Hart, the leading face Western Kentucky in the AutoNation receiver in the Sun Belt Conference and a Cure Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m. first-team all-conference selection for the at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. second time, headlines nine Panthers named > Under first-year head coach Shawn Elliott, to the All-Sun Belt Conference teams. the Panthers (6-5, 5-3 Sun Belt Conference) > Hart is just the second Panther to earn first- became bowl eligible with their Nov. 11 team All-Sun Belt honors twice, following win at Texas State (despite losing a game to receiver Robert Davis in 2015 and 2016. Hurricane Irma) and finished fourth in the > Joining Hart on the All-Sun Belt team are a Sun Belt. quartet of third-team honorees in cornerback > Georgia State’s eight-year-old football Chandon Sullivan, linebacker Michael Shaw, program is playing in its second bowl game defensive lineman Marterious Allen and in three seasons. running back-receiver Glenn Smith, who was AUTONATION CURE BOWL > The Panthers first bowl appearance was chosen as an all-purpose player. GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS vs. also in the AutoNation Cure Bowl as the > Quarterback Conner Manning, safety Bryan WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS Panthers fell 27-16 to San Jose State in the Williams, defensive lineman Julien Laurent inaugural game in 2015. See page 6 for more and offensive guard Shamarious Gilmore TV: CBS Sports Network. Announcers are details on that game. were named honorable mention All-Sun Belt. Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell. > Five of Georgia State’s six victories this RADIO: Georgia State Radio Network, season have come on the road. PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: including Atlanta flagship 1340 AM/103.7 FM Sophomore Penny Hart is enjoying a record- and WRAS 88.5 FM. Dave Cohen is in his 35th > Sophomore receiver Penny Hart is the Sun setting season and career for the Panthers: season as the play-by-play voice of Panther Belt’s leading receiver with a school-record > Hart is the Sun Belt’s leading receiver athletics. Harper LeBel joins him from the 73 catches for 1,094 yards and eight touch- with 73 receptions for 1,094 yards and eight booth with Sam Crenshaw on the sideline. downs. He is eighth in the nation in receiving touchdowns. Free audio stream on GeorgiaStateSports. yards (99.5) per game and 12th in receptions com and GSU mobile app. per game (6.6). > He ranks eighth in FBS in receiving yards (99.5 per game) and 12th in receptions (6.6 > Senior quarterback Conner Manning is per game). RECORDS: averaging 260.9 yards passing per game Georgia State: 6-5 Overall, 5-3 Sun Belt (4th) (third in the Sun Belt) with 13 touch- > He has already set a new GSU season WKU: 6-6 Overall, 4-4 CUSA (T-3rd East) downs. He leads the league in completion record with 73 catches. SERIES: WKU leads 1-0 percentage at 63.7 percent. > With 1,094 yards this season, Hart is > Senior cornerback and Senior Bowl invitee the first Panther to record two 1,000-yard LAST MEETING: WKU 44, GSU 28 (Nov. 2, Chandon Sullivan was one of 13 national seasons. He is 83 yards behind Albert 2013 at the Georgia Dome) finalists at all levels for the 2017 William V. Wilson’s GSU season record of 1,177 yards. BOWL RECORD: 0-1 Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity > After just 26 career games, Hart has Investments® for the National Football amassed 152 receptions for 2,254 yards and LAST BOWL: 2015 AutoNation Cure Bowl: Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame. The 17 touchdowns. He ranks third in school San Jose State 27, Georgia State 16 trophy recognizes the absolute best football history in all three categories, and the two scholar-athlete in the nation. HEAD COACH SHAWN ELLIOTT receivers in front of him, Albert Wilson and Robert Davis, are in the NFL. Alma Mater: Appalachian State, 1996 > Sullivan was named to the CoSIDA Record at GSU: 6-5 (1st year) Academic All-District® team for the third > Hart ranks fourth among all active FBS Career Record: 7-10 (2nd year) straight year. He is joined on this year’s team receivers with a career average of 5.96 recep- by junior offensive lineman Gabe Mobley tions and fifth with 87.3 receiving yards per 2017 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS and senior noseguard Julien Laurent. game. A. 31 TENNESSEE STATE (ESPN3) .......hL 10-17 All three are now eligible for the CoSIDA > The 2015 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Academic All-America® team. S. 16 at 5/5 Penn State (BTN) ..................... aL 0-56 and Freshman All-American played sparingly S. 23 at Charlotte (WCCB) ......................... aW 28-0 in just two games before his 2016 season S. 30 MEMPHIS ....................................Cancelled O. 7 at Coastal Carolina (ESPN3) .........aW 27-21 GEORGIA STATE BY THE NUMBERS O. 14 at ULM (ESPN3) ................................aW 47-37 O. 21 TROY (Homecoming) (ESPN3) ..hL 10-34 O. 26 SOUTH ALABAMA (ESPNU) ..... hW 21-13 Glenn Smith3 is one Penny Hart4 ranks fourth Senior13 CB Chandon N. 4 at Georgia Southern (ESPN3) .....aW 21-17 of just three active among all active FBS Sullivan was one of 13 N. 11 at Texas State (ESPN3) ...................aW 33-30 FBS players with at receivers in career national finalists for the N. 25 APPALACHIAN STATE (ESPN3) ..hL 10-31 least 1,000 career receptions per game (5.96) Campbell Trophy® as D. 2 IDAHO (ESPN3) ............................hL 10-24 yards each of rushing, and fifth in receiving yards the top football scholar- D. 16 Western Kentucky (CBSSN) ..........2:30 p.m. receiving and returns. per game (87.3). athlete in the nation. 2017 GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL NOTES, PAGE 2 GAME 12: AUTONATION CURE BOWL GENERAL INFORMATION Full Name Georgia State University Location Atlanta, Ga. Founded 1913 Enrollment 51,000 Nickname Panthers Colors Blue & White Affiliation NCAA Division I FBS Conference Sun Belt Conference President Mark P. Becker Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb COACHING STAFF Head Coach Shawn Elliott “Pete” Petit Field at Offensive Coordinator/QBs Travis Trickett Defensive Coordinator/OLBs Nate Fuqua GEORGIA STATE STADIUM Safeties Chris Collins Defensive Line Skylor Magee was ended by a broken foot. As a rookie in Receivers Trent McKnight 2015, Hart led the Sun Belt with 5.5 recep- Cornerbacks Sam Shade tions and 84.5 receiving yards per game, Running Backs/Tight Ends Josh Stepp and he set the Sun Belt freshman record for Offensive Line Cedric Williams receiving yards (1,099). ILBs/Special Teams/RC Rusty Wright ELLIOTT IN THE POSTSEASON: Strength & Conditioning Scott Holsopple Although he in his first bowl game as a head Athletic Trainer Bob Murphy coach, Shawn Elliott is no stranger to bowl Equipment Manager Tim Davis games and postseason success. THE 2017 SEASON marks the Asst AD-FB Operations Steve Wojcikowski Formerly the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at South Carolina, inaugural year of “Pete” Petit (pronounced Director of Player Personnel Daniel Wilcox Elliott helped the Gamecocks reach six bowl puh-TEET) Field at Georgia State Stadium, Dir. of High School Relations Ginny Thompson games in his seven seasons there (2010-16). the former Turner Field and venue for the Graduate Assts Tyler Nemec, That includes a pair of victories in Orlando’s Atlanta Braves that has been converted Travian Robertson, John Russ, Hayden Wilks Capital One Bowl (vs. Nebraska in the 2012 into the new home of Panther football. game and Wisconsin in the 2014 game), as Georgia State Stadium features 25,000 well as wins in the 2013 Outback Bowl (vs. seats, a FieldTurf playing surface, the FACILITY INFORMATION Michigan) and 2014 Independence Bowl (vs. Panthers’ 7,500-square foot locker room, Home Field “Pete” Petit (puh-TEET) Field Miami). and a 5,600-square foot video board that at Georgia State Stadium Before South Carolina, Elliott spent 13 is the eighth-largest in college football. Capacity 25,000 seasons as an assistant coach at Appalachian The conversion process incorporated Surface FieldTurf State, his alma mater. He helped the Moun- the existing seating areas on the north, taineers to 10 appearances in the NCAA FCS west and south sides of the stadium with Opened as Georgia State Stadium 2017 playoffs, highlighted by three consecutive a new grandstand constructed on the east Originally Built 1996 NCAA titles from 2005-07, along with two side, formerly the baseball outfield. trips to the national semifinals and three Georgia State Stadium was originally PROGRAM INFORMATION appearances in the quarterfinals. constructed as the 85,000-seat Centennial Olympic Stadium and used for the 1996 First Season of Football 2010 PANTHERS vs. WKU: Georgia State and Centennial Olympic Games. Following the Joined Sun Belt Conference 2013 Western Kentucky have met once before, Olympic Games, much of the north end Full FBS Eligibility 2014 a 44-28 victory for the Hilltoppers on Nov. of the stadium was removed in order to All-Time Record 26-67 (8th year) 2, 2013 at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers convert it to the 49,000-seat baseball park were playing their first season of FBS and that served as the home of the Atlanta Sun Belt football, while WKU was in its final Braves from 1997 through 2016.