Photo by Jade Johnson | The Signal
The fall sports season is coming to a close as the semester is approaching its end. Keeping up with all the Georgia State fall sports and their records is no easy task. So why not give the fans the records that matter most, the ones against arch nemesis Georgia Southern. The Georgia State Panthers may not have won any fall Sun Belt championships this season, but they did win the series against Georgia Southern in fall sports, 4-3.
Men’s soccer 1-1
The Panthers may have lost the regular season matchup after blowing a 1-0 lead, but they won when it mattered most. The Panthers beat the Georgia Southern Eagles 2-0 in the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament to advance to their second straight Sun Belt Championship game. Freshman Kwaku Adu played lights out on the big stage scoring two goals in the second half to give the Panthers the upset. Goalie Yannic Horn also contributed in a big way with his second straight shutout game in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Women’s Cross Country 1-0
Men’s soccer wasn’t the only sport the Panthers won where it mattered most against an arch rival. In the Sun Belt Championship Meet, the Panthers finished in fourth place while the Eagles finished in seventh. With the fourth place finish, the Panthers qualified for the NCAA South Regional where they finished in 24th place.
Women’s soccer 1-0
The women’s soccer team may not have made to the Sun Belt Championship Tournament for the Panthers, but they did manage a meaningful victory over Georgia Southern. The Panthers beat the Eagles 2-1 and got their first conference points of the season thanks to freshman Brooke Shanks two goals. The Panthers (5-6-6) finished with a better record than the Eagles (6-10-1), and had more conference points with 10 compared to the Eagles nine.
Football 1-0
Both the Panthers (3-8) and the Eagles (4-7) came into this game with disappointing records, but anything can happen in a rivalry game. The Panthers came out on top 30-24 despite having an interim head coach. Starting quarterback Conner Manning had his best and most efficient game of the season completing 21 passes and throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Seniors Keith Rucker and Robert Davis played outstanding for their final home game. Rucker had eight catches for 145 yards and Davis had four catches for 76 yards and one touchdown. This is the second straight season State has prevailed over Southern, and the Panthers lead the series 2-1.
Volleyball 0-2
Volleyball is the only sport where the Panthers did not beat the Eagles this fall season. The Panthers lost their two final regular season games to Georgia Southern 3-1 in both matches. Despite qualifying for the Sun Belt Conference tournament and improving from the squad’s previous season record, Georgia State would also end up losing in straight sets to Arkansas State in the first round of the conference tourney. Eagles freshman Lauren Reichard led the charge for Georgia Southern, putting up 11 and 14 kills against Georgia State, respectability.
