The Panthers suffered a painful 44-21 loss to the University of New Hampshire Saturday afternoon, securing a losing record for the 2012 season.
This loss marked the Panther’s sixth straight loss this season, as well as the sixth straight loss by at least 21 points.
UNH began scoring early and often, capping a four-play, 68 yard drive with a 26 yard touchdown within the first two minutes of the game. The Georgia State offense quickly responded with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Ronnie Bell to Albert Wilson, tying the game at 7-7.
Neither team scored again until the second quarter, when UNH began to pull away, scoring two touchdowns to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.
The Georgia State offense struggled to respond in the second half, with Bell having a difficult time establishing himself in the pocket. He threw his second interception of the afternoon that allowed the UNH offense to increase its lead to 38-7 by the end of the third quarter.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Panthers decided to go with their backup quarterback, Ben McLane. The switch proved successful, as the Georgia State offense was finally able to find an offensive spark, ending their opening fourth quarter drive with a 26 yard touchdown pass to senior tight end, Emmanuel Ogbuehi.
UNH quickly responded with a touchdown, marking the score at 44-14.
Ben Maclane fired back with a 47 yard touchdown pass to Albert Wilson, Wilson’s fifth of the season. The effort proved too little too late, with the final score reading 44-21.
Shaky tackling and poor offensive execution were the themes for the night for the Panthers, with UNH racking up more than 600 yards of total offense, and standout running back Donald Russell rushing for a season low 52 yards.
Attendance at the game was also at an all-time low, with just over 9,000 in attendance.
Georgia State University looks to rebound in next week’s game away gainst Rhode Island at 1 p.m., hoping for more consistent quarterback plays and fewer turnovers (five in total on Saturday).
