While it was ugly at times, Georgia State picked up their second win of the season, knocking off Troy 36-34 in a thriller at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Panthers needed this win after losing their last conference game against Arkansas State last week.
Head coach Shawn Elliott expressed excitement on the win but acknowledged the miscommunication Saturday.
“The win was ugly,” Elliott said. “We came down to Troy and got to the win.”
The game turned out to be a roller coaster, with the Panthers having moments of brilliance and recklessness. The Panthers started hot with a touchdown in their opening possession. Quad Brown was electric in the game, throwing for 169 yards and two touchdowns.
But make no mistake, the scoreboard does not tell the story of the Panthers’ ugly play on both sides of the ball. Brown threw two interceptions, one of which turned into a pick-six, to put the Trojans up 14-10 with 6:07 in the second quarter. The redshirt freshman also fumbled on the next possession, allowing Troy to build on their lead and go up 21-10 with 5:29 left.
The Georgia State pass rush was phenomenal, with five sacks against a talented Trojans offensive line. The final minutes of the game were heart-pounding as the Panthers made costly mistakes. Running back Destin Coates had a costly fumble last in fourth when the Panthers tried to ice the game.
The Trojans scored a touchdown to make it 36-34, but they failed to convert the two-point conversion. However, the ball did not go ten yards before Troy touched it, resulting in a penalty.
The story of the game comes from a late penalty on an onside kick, which went the Panthers way. The Trojans dropped to 2-2 while the Panthers moved to .500 on the season at 2-2.
Georgia State now prepares for their biggest home game of the season against the 25th ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The Panthers face the Chanticleers in Center Parc Stadium at 12 p.m. on ESPNU.
