2017 GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL @GeorgiaStateFB | @CoachSElliott | @GSUPanthers | @GSUStadium GEORGIA STATE (4-3, 3-1) at GEORGIA SOUTHERN (0-7, 0-3) Saturday, Nov. 4 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN3 Allen E. Paulson Stadium | Statesboro, Ga. THE KICKOFF: Winners of four of the State has another four weeks away from last five games, Georgia State plays at home before finishing the season with two in-state rival Georgia Southern Saturday at straight game at Georgia State Stadium. 3 p.m. on ESPN3. After knocking off South Alabama 21-13 last Thurday, the Panthers SERIES VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN: (4-3, 3-1 Sun Belt) trail only undefeated > Georgia State has won the last two meet- GAME 8 Arkansas State (4-0) and Appalachian State ings to take a 2-1 lead in the series, which GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS at (4-0) in the Sun Belt standings. began in 2014. GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES > Sophomore receiver Penny Hart leads the > In 2016, in its last game at the Georgia Sun Belt with 7.6 receptions per game (8th Dome, Georgia State won its second straight TV: ESPN3. Announcers are Matt Stewart in FBS), 97.7 receiving yards per game (11th over Georgia Southern with a 30-24 win. and Tyoka Jackson. in FBS) and seven touchdowns (12th in FBS). Conner Manning passed for 318 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and > Senior quarterback Conner Manning is RADIO: Georgia State Radio Network, Glenn Smith scored touchdowns rushing averaging 244.4 yards passing per game with including Atlanta flagship 1340 AM/103.7 and receiving. Manning hit eight of his first nine touchdowns. He leads the Sun Belt in 10 passes to lead touchdown drives on the FM. Dave Cohen is in his 35th season as completion percentage at 64.8 percent. the play-by-play voice of Panther athletics. Panthers’ first three possessions for a 20-0 Brandon Leak and Harper LeBel join him > Sixth-year senior safety Bryan Williams is lead. from the booth with Sam Crenshaw on the the Panthers’ top tackler (39) and leads the > In 2015, Georgia State recorded a record- sideline. Free audio stream on Georgia- Sun Belt with four interceptions (tied for third setting and bowl-clinching 34-7 victory in StateSports.com and GSU mobile app. in the nation at 0.6 per game). Statesboro. The Panthers handed Georgia > Junior outside linebacker Michael Shaw Southern their worst home loss ever as RECORDS: leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss, and the GSU defense limited the Eagles to 135 Georgia State: 4-3 Overall, 3-1 Sun Belt he is the Panthers’ career leader with 24.5. yards rushing and a school-record 203 yards Georgia Southern: 0-7 Overall, 0-3 Sun Belt of total offense. After a 7-7 first half, the Panthers scored touchdowns on their first The A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE: four possessions of the second half. Penny SERIES: Georgia State defense set a school record by Hart had six catches for 119 yards, including Georgia State leads 2-1 holding South Alabama to a net of 41 yards a 63-yard touchdown. Glenn Smith rushed rushing in the Panthers’ 21-13 victory. South for 83 yards, and Kyler Neal ran for two LAST MEETING: Alabama running back Xavier Johnson is touchdowns. Georgia State 30, Georgia Southern 24 (Nov. the Jags’ career rushing leader and entered 19, 2016 at the Georgia Dome) the game averaging 6.0 yards per carry and > GSU head coach Shawn Elliott is very 64 yards per game, but GSU held him to familiar with Georgia Southern interim COACHES: minus-3 yards. T coach Chad Lunsford. Lunsford spent two Georgia State: Shawn Elliott The Panthers limited South Alabama to seasons (2001-02) as the tight ends coach Alma Mater: Appalachian State, 1996 338 total yards, 70 of them coming on USA’s at Appalachian State while Elliott was the Record at GSU: 4-3 (1st year) late touchdown. In addition to interceptions offensive line coach. Career Record: 5-8 (2nd year) by Bryan Williams and Cedric Stone, the Panthers broke up seven passes, including RIVALRY SERIES: In-state and Sun Belt Georgia Southern: Chad Lunsford (interim) two each by Jerome Smith and B.J. Clay, Conference rivals Georgia State and Georgia Record at GS: 0-1 (1st year) and collected six tackles behind the line of Southern compete in an annual all-sports Career Record: 0-1 (1st year) scrimmage. challenge called the Rivalry Series. Georgia State has captured the first two Rivalry Series 2017 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS ROAD WARRIORS: Georgia State is trophies in 2015 and 2016, and the Panthers the only FBS school this season to play four currently lead 2.5-0.5 in 2017-18. A. 31 TENNESSEE STATE (ESPN3) .......hL 10-17 straight road games and the only one to win S. 16 at 5/5 Penn State (BTN) ..................... aL 0-56 three straight road games (with no home PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: Soph- S. 23 at Charlotte (WCCB) ......................... aW 28-0 games in between). omore Penny Hart was named to the Watch Due to the Memphis cancellation, the S. 30 MEMPHIS ....................................Cancelled List for the Biletnikoff Award, presented to Panthers went 51 days between home the outstanding receiver in college football. O. 7 at Coastal Carolina (ESPN3) .........aW 27-21 games (from Aug. 31 to Oct. 21). Now, after O. 14 at ULM (ESPN3) ................................aW 47-37 playing two home games in six days, Georgia > The 2015 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year O. 21 TROY (Homecoming) (ESPN3) ..hL 10-34 and Freshman All-American played sparingly O. 26 SOUTH ALABAMA (ESPNU) ..... hW 21-13 GEORGIA STATE BY THE NUMBERS N. 4 at Georgia Southern (ESPN3) ............3 p.m. N. 11 at Texas State ...........................................4 p.m. N. 25 APPALACHIAN STATE ......................... TBA 3 6.0 4 D. 2 IDAHO ................................................... TBA GSU is the only FBS team Penny Hart ranks fourth Safety Bryan Williams to win three straight road among all active FBS leads the Sun Belt with All times Eastern. games (with no home receivers with a career four interceptions (T-3rd games in between). average of 6.0 receptions in FBS at 0.6 per game). per game (131 catches, 1845 yards, 16 TD in 22 games). 2017 GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL NOTES, PAGE 2 GAME 8: GEORGIA STATE vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN GENERAL INFORMATION Full Name Georgia State University Location Atlanta, Ga. Founded 1913 Enrollment 50,000 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 Offensive Coordinator/QBs Travis Trickett “Pete” Petit Field at Defensive Coordinator/OLBs Nate Fuqua GEORGIA STATE STADIUM Safeties Chris Collins Defensive Line Skylor Magee Receivers Trent McKnight in just two games before his 2016 season THE 2017 SEASON marks the was ended by a broken foot. As a rookie in inaugural year of “Pete” Petit (pronounced Cornerbacks Sam Shade 2015, Hart led the Sun Belt with 5.5 recep- puh-TEET) Field at Georgia State Stadium, Running Backs/Tight Ends Josh Stepp tions and 84.5 receiving yards per game, the former Turner Field and venue for the Offensive Line Cedric Williams and he set the Sun Belt freshman record for Atlanta Braves that has been converted ILBs/Special Teams/RC Rusty Wright receiving yards (1,099). into the new home of Panther football. Strength & Conditioning Scott Holsopple > Hart is again leading the Sun Belt with 7.6 Georgia State Stadium features 25,000 Athletic Trainer Bob Murphy receptions, 97.9 yards per game and seven seats, a FieldTurf playing surface, the touchdowns. Panthers’ 7,500-square foot locker room, Equipment Manager Tim Davis and a 5,600-square foot video board that Asst AD-FB Operations Steve Wojcikowski > He has accounted for 36 percent of the Panthers receptions (53) and 38 percent of is the eighth-largest in college football. Director of Player Personnel Daniel Wilcox the receiving yards (685) this season while The conversion process incorporated Dir. of High School Relations Ginny Thompson catching seven of the team’s 10 TD passes. the existing seating areas on the north, Graduate Assts Tyler Nemec, > After just 22 career games, Hart has west and south sides of the stadium with Travian Robertson, John Russ, Hayden Wilks amassed 131 receptions for 1,845 yards and a new grandstand constructed on the east 16 touchdowns. He ranks third in school side, formerly the baseball outfield. FACILITY INFORMATION history in all three categories, and the two Georgia State Stadium was originally receivers in front of him, Albert Wilson and constructed as the 85,000-seat Centennial Home Field “Pete” Petit (puh-TEET) Field Robert Davis, are in the NFL. at Georgia State Stadium Olympic Stadium and used for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Following the Capacity 25,000 > Hart ranks fourth among all active FBS receivers with a career average of 6.0 recep- Olympic Games, much of the north end Surface FieldTurf tions per game. of the stadium was removed in order to Opened as Georgia State Stadium 2017 convert it to the 49,000-seat baseball park Originally Built 1996 MAKING HISTORY: Safety Bryan that served as the home of the Atlanta Williams now owns a share of the Georgia Braves from 1997 through 2016. State records for interceptions in a game (2), The Braves played their final game at PROGRAM INFORMATION season (4)and career (6). Turner Field on Oct. 2, 2016. In November First Season of Football 2010 > Williams grabbed this fourth intercep- 2016, the Board of Regents approved Joined Sun Belt Conference 2013 tion of the season and sixth of his career on Georgia State University’s purchase of 38 Full FBS Eligibility 2014 the second play of the game against South acres of the 68-acre site for $22.8 million, and the conversion process began in early All-Time Record 24-65 (8th year) Alabama and returned it to the 8-yard line to set up a touchdown.