Senior Day was the final chance for the Georgia State Panthers to find their first win of the season, but were unsuccessful losing to South Alabama 38-17.
The loss marked the first winless season in Georgia State football’s four seasons. The Panthers finished 0-12, 0-7 in the Sun Belt.
There were 25 seniors playing in their final game, many of whom were players on the inaugural team such as Albert Wilson, Danny Williams, Grant King and Ulrick John.
“I’ll remember this one forever, and it’s going to hurt a lot,” John said. “I had a lot of good times with my teammates, but a lot of close relationships. I’m going to take that from it and try and stay close with all my teammates so in the future I have them to lean on.”
“I’ll remember them as a bunch of young men that believe in what were doing and had lapses in how to get it done,” head coach Trent Miles said on his first team at Georgia State.
South Alabama controlled the ball on a balanced attack and controlled the clock through the game winning the time of possession battle 38:53 to 21:07.
The Jaguars had 280 yards passing while rushing for 242 yards.
Miles said this was not the team that he had watched improve over the course of the season.
“I’m a little blind sided by this today. I didn’t see it coming,” Miles said.
“Very disappointing to end the season on that note when we had fought so hard to make grounds and gain ground and put ourselves in position to win football games and then just don’t show up today.”
The Panthers offense failed to convert on third down going 0-for-10 and acquired only 321 yards of total offense.
The defense, which held Arkansas State to 290 total yards last week, struggled allowing the Jaguars to convert 10 of their 19 third down attempts.
South Alabama quarterback Ross Metheny led the offense to victory with 19 completed passes for 280 yards and one touchdown pass. Metheny also rushed for 52 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Jay Jones pushed for the first two touchdowns of the game. Jones’ first was from 5-yards out after rushing 32 yards on three plays to put the Jaguars inside the Georgia State 10-yard line.
Jones’ second was from 17-yards out after running back Travis Evans fumbled on the Georgia State side of the field.
Evans’ fumble was the first Georgia State fumble in the game. The second came from true freshman running back Kyler Neal two plays after he caught a 28-yard pass to put the Panthers in South Alabama territory, but were not able to capitalize.
Georgia State’s only points in the first half game from kicker Wil Lutz on a 33-yard field goal.
Lutz attempted a second from 50 yards, but was no good giving South Alabama a 24-3 lead at halftime.
“We tried to bring some life to them, but it didn’t work,” Miles said. “You can’t get down and then comeback on a team and still turn the ball over and not convert.”
The second half started no differently for Georgia State as South Alabama was able to score on their opening drive of the second half.
Metheny found wide receiver Shavarez Smith who outran the corner for a 37-yard touchdown pass.
Georgia State was able to pick up a touchdown on a drive that consisted of a 80-yard pass to Robert Davis who ran half the field, but was tackled at the 1-yard line.
“I did think I had it. I didn’t see [cornerback Montell Garner] coming from the backside,” Davis said. “I got a little winded as I was running.”
Davis’ catch was the third longest pass play in school history and the longest play by anyone on the team other than Albert Wilson.
Quarterback Ronnie Bell kept it himself on second-and-goal to pick up the Panthers first touchdown of the game.
The Panthers only other touchdown came on a 1-yard run by fullback Sean Jeppeson on forth-and-goal.
Bell finished the day 17-of-34 with 321 yards and no touchdowns.
In a late rally attempt, Bell passed to the end zone intended for tight-end Kieth Rucker, but was intercepted by cornerback Montell Garner.
Bell ended the season with 10 interceptions, one less than last year’s starter Ben McLane had for the season.
Trent Miles, in his first season as a head coach, had a 0-12 with the Indiana State Sycamores, and was able to pick up a winning season two seasons later. This is the second winless season in his six years of head coaching.
Miles said his focus is now recruiting in the offseason and picking up more guys like Albert Wilson.
