GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL Game 2: GEORGIA STATE (0-1) at AIR FORCE (1-0) Saturday, Sept
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GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL Game 2: GEORGIA STATE (0-1) at AIR FORCE (1-0) Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 • 2 p.m. ET • Falcon Stadium • MWN-CI TV: Mountain West Network-Campus Insiders. Announcers are FACTS GEORGIA STATE AIR FORCE Ray Crawford, Sed Bonner and Stormy Buonantony. 2016 Records 0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt 1-0, 0-0 MW RADIO: Georgia State Radio Network, including Atlanta flagship Nickname Panthers Falcons 1340 The Fan 3. Dave Cohen is in his 34th season as the play-by-play voice of Panther athletics, while Brandon Leak and Harper LeBel Location Atlanta, Ga. Colorado Springs, Colo. join him from the booth. The broadcast is streamed for free on Enrollment 50,000 4,000 GeorgiaStateSports.com. Conference Sun Belt Mountain West Head Coach Trent Miles Troy Calhoun GEORGIA STATE vs. AIR FORCE: Georgia State (0-1) looks for Alma Mater Indiana State, 1987 Air Force, 1989 its first victory after opening with a 31-21 loss to Ball State. Air Force Record at School 7-31 (4th year) 68-50 (10th year) (1-0) is coming off a 37-21 victory over Abilene Christian. Career Record 27-67 (9th year) 68-50 (10th year) Georgia State’s trip to Colorado Springs completes a home-and- home that began in 2014, when Air Force earned a 48-38 win at Series Record Air Force leads 1-0 the Georgia Dome. That was GSU’s only previous game against a Last Meeting Air Force 48, Georgia State 38, 9-13-14 at GSU Mountain West foe. The two teams combined for nearly 1,100 yards of offense, including 532 by the Panthers. Nick Arbuckle passed for NEW FACE UNDER CENTER: Georgia State features two new 414 yards, including two scoring passes to LynQuez Blair. The Falcons faces at quarterback, where the Panthers must replace record-setting churned out 315 yards rushing. quarterback Nick Arbuckle, the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Student- Athlete of the Year who passed for more than 7,600 yards and 51 BIG GAME BY SMITH NOT ENOUGH: Jerome Smith tied the touchdowns in his two seasons. Georgia State record with two interceptions, including a 48-yard Graduate transfer Conner Manning (Utah) started the season touchdown return to give GSU the early lead in the season opener, opener vs. Ball State, going 21-for-32 for 163 yards, including a but Ball State rallied with 17 second-half points to win 31-21 at the 14-yard TD pass to Penny Hart. Redshirt freshman Aaron Winchester Georgia Dome. entered the game in the fourth quarter and directed a scoring drive, Smith’s “pick-six,” just the second in GSU history, came on Ball’s which he capped with a 13-yard scoring run. He finished with 59 State first possession. The sophomore cornerback followed with yards rushing on eight attempts while completing 4-of-8 passes for another interception on the Cardinals’ next drive, but the Panthers 32 yards. Both are likely to play against Air Force. could not convert the turnover into points. With Georgia State Sophomore lefty Emiere Scaife is also in the mix at quarterback struggling on offense, the defense wore down in the second half, while the 6-2, 230-pounder gets snaps at tight end. Sophomore when Ball State managed 267 yards rushing. transfer Jaquez Parks also joined the team in August. Coming into the season, those four quarterbacks had combined TAKE THE NEXT STEP: That is the theme for the Georgia State to complete only two passes in a Division I game. Manning, who was Panthers, who took a giant leap in 2015 by earning their first bowl a record-setting prep passer in Southern California, played in one berth and now look to keep moving forward in 2016. game as a backup at Utah, completing two passes for 28 yards vs. Under 2015 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Trent Miles, Arizona in 2014. Scaife played in three games off the bench last year Georgia State won its final four regular-season games, capped by but did not complete a pass. a 34-7 victory at rival Georgia Southern. That sent the Panthers bowling in just their sixth season of existence with a trip to the inau- DAVIS ON THE RECEIVING END: Senior Robert Davis is the top gural AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla. active receiver in the Sun Belt. He ranks sixth among all active FBS In his fourth year at the helm, Miles welcomes back 16 starters, players in career receiving yards and 11th in receptions. including nine on defense and seven on offense. That returning cast, The 6-3, 220-pounder from Warner Robins, Ga., has caught at combined with the Panthers’ strong finish in 2015, earned Georgia least one pass in every Georgia State game the last four seasons (38 State the fourth position in the Sun Belt’s preseason poll. Last season, straight). He is 12 receptions behind GSU career leader and current GSU was picked ninth but finished in fourth place with a record of Kansas City Chief Albert Wilson (175). 6-7 overall, 5-3 in the Sun Belt. 2016 SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times Eastern) Date Opponent Time TV Site Series Result Sept. 2 (Fri.) BALL STATE 7 p.m. ASN/E3 GEORGIA DOME 1-0 hL 21-31 Sept. 10 at Air Force 2 p.m. MWN-CI Colorado Springs, Colo. 0-1 Sept. 17 at Wisconsin 12 p.m. BTN Madison, Wis. 0-0 Oct. 1 at Appalachian State TBA Boone, N.C. 0-2 Oct. 8 TEXAS STATE TBA GEORGIA DOME 1-2 Oct. 15 at Troy TBA Troy, Ala. 1-2 Oct. 22 UT MARTIN (Homecoming) TBA GEORGIA DOME 0-0 Oct. 29 at South Alabama TBA Mobile, Ala. 2-3 Nov. 3 (Thu.) ARKANSAS STATE 7:30 p.m. ESPNU GEORGIA DOME 0-3 Nov. 12 UL MONROE TBA GEORGIA DOME 0-1 Nov. 19 GEORGIA SOUTHERN TBA GEORGIA DOME 1-1 Dec. 3 at Idaho TBA Moscow, Idaho 0-0 2016 GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL NOTES, PAGE 2 GAME 2: GEORGIA STATE vs. AIR FORCE GENERAL INFORMATION FBS ACTIVE LEADERS - RECEIVING YARDS The defense was particularly stout in Full Name Georgia State University 1 Corey Davis, Western Michigan .........3,855 GSU’s four-game winning streak to end the 2 Zay Jones, East Carolina .......................2,713 regular season, allowing just 14.25 points Location Atlanta, GA 3 Austin Duke, Charlotte .........................2,688 and 328 yards per game in that stretch. Founded 1913 4 Taywan Taylor, WKU ...............................2,669 Enrollment 50,000 5 Gabe Marks, Washington St ................2,667 MOST IMPROVED - SCORING DEFENSE Nickname Panthers 6 Robert Davis, Georgia State ...........2,484 1 GEORGIA STATE ................................................. -15 Colors Blue & White 2 North Carolina ................................................... -14.5 3 Western Kentucky ............................................ -14 Affiliation NCAA Division I FBS FBS ACTIVE LEADERS - RECEPTIONS 1 Zay Jones, East Carolina .......................... 251 Conference Sun Belt Conference 2 Corey Davis, Western Michigan ............ 242 MOST IMPROVED - RUSHING DEFENSE President Mark P. Becker 3 Gabe Marks, Washington St ................... 237 (Yards Per Game) Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb 4 Austin Duke, Charlotte ............................ 199 1 GEORGIA STATE ................................................. -122.3 5 Trent Taylor, La Tech .................................. 199 2 UNLV ..................................................................... -76.4 COACHING STAFF 6 Artavis Scott, Clemson ............................. 172 3 New Mexico........................................................ -76.3 7 Tyler Winston, San Jose St ...................... 171 Head Coach Trent Miles 8 River Cracraft, Washington St ................ 159 MOST IMPROVED - RUSHING DEFENSE Assistant Head Coach/ Harold Etheridge 9 KeVonn Mabon, Ball State ...................... 167 (Yards Per Carry) Offensive Line 10 Keevan Lucas, Tulsa .................................. 165 1 GEORGIA STATE ................................................. -1.92 Offensive Coordinator Luke Huard 11 Robert Davis, Georgia State .............. 163 2 Troy........................................................................ -1.58 Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter 3 Florida Atlantic .................................................. -1.51 PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Five Assistant Coach Jeff Jagodzinski Panthers were named to the Preseason PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: 2015 Outside Linebackers Larry Knight All-Sun Belt Conference team: Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and first-team Wide Receivers Tim Lappano Bobby Baker, S (first team) all-conference receiver Penny Hart capped Secondary Eric Lewis Robert Davis, WR (first team) his sensational rookie season with selection to the FWAA Freshman All-America team, the Defensive Line Rick Minter Penny Hart, WR (first team) Keith Rucker, TE (second team) first Freshman All-America in GSU history. Linebackers/Recruiting Coord. P.J. Volker Shawanye Lawrence, DE (second team) Hart LED IN THE SUN BELT with 5.5 recep- Senior Offensive Analyst John McDonell tions and 84.5 receiving yards per game, Strength & Conditioning Scott Holsopple Preseason Watch Lists and he set the Sun Belt freshman record for Athletic Trainer Bob Murphy Senior Bowl: Bobby Baker, Robert Davis receiving yards (1,099). Fred Biletnikoff Award (Receiver): Robert He ranked second among all freshmen Equipment Manager Nick Vogt Davis, Penny Hart receivers in the FBS in receiving yards and Asst AD-FB Operations Steve Wojcikowski John Mackey Award (Tight End): Keith Rucker touchdown (8) and fourth in receptions. Director of Player Personnel Liam Smith Rimington Trophy (Center): Gabe Mobley Hart already ranks in the top five in GSU Graduate Assts Ben McLane, Tyler Nemec Jim Thorpe Award (Defensive Back): Bobby history in career receptions, receiving yards Chris O’Leary, Reid Sanders, Collins Ukwu Baker and touchdowns. Wuerffel Trophy (Community Service): Keith Rucker TERRIFIC TRIO: Georgia State’s pass- FACILITY INFORMATION catching trio of receivers Robert Davis and Home Field Georgia Dome GO WEST: Georgia State is no stranger to Penny Hart and tight end Keith Rucker Capacity (Total/Lower) 71,228 / 28,155 long road trips. In the last three seasons, the combined for 171 receptions for 2,601 yards Surface Field Turf Panthers have played at Washington (2014), and 20 touchdowns in 2015.