College football season enters full force this week with a full slate of games. Georgia State’s long-awaited season opener against Kennesaw State is Aug. 30, and they will send their fans home happy.
Georgia State was slow out of the gates last season, but they look to change that trend in 2018—they will do just that. The Panthers will be fired up for their first game in 258 days and play hard for all four quarters to defeat Kennesaw State.
WHAT WILL BE GEIRGIA’S STATE’S BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING KENNESAW STATE?
The toughest challenge for the Panthers will be finding a rhythm on offense. If Kennesaw State can muster long scoring drives, Georgia State may feel the pressure to put points on the board and quickly abandon the running game. That would make the offense predictable, so it’s imperative that the Panthers’ play-callers stay disciplined and patient if the run game gets off to a slow start. The secondary, which lost three starters, would be the biggest concern, but the Owls prefer to run rather than pass the ball in their spread option offense.
WHO ARE THE PANTHERS’ BIGGEST DEFENSIVE THREATS TO THE OWLS?
Outside linebacker Victor Heyward played big minutes in the final three games of last season but contributed early as well. He is arguably the team’s next best pass rusher behind defensive end Monterious Allen. Allen had a breakthrough year in 2017 with the highlight being a three-sack performance against Louisiana Monroe. The two will play big roles as the Panthers bring new starters in the front seven. Kennesaw State is replacing several starters on their offensive line and the will try to contain
WHO WINS THE INTER-STATE GAME AND WHY?
Georgia State will win the season opener because they will overpower Kennesaw State in the second half. Entering halftime, both teams will be neck-and-neck and will want to fix sloppy offensive play. The speed of the Panthers’ athletes on defense will make separation and cause havoc to Kennesaw State’s inexperienced offensive line. That will slow down the Kennesaw State attack for just enough time for the Panthers’ offense to pull away.
