The Dell Mcgee era of Georgia State football is officially underway and the new-look Panthers are off to a solid start.
The Panthers opened their season with a hard-fought battle for Atlanta, facing Georgia Tech on the road. Although they came up short in a 35-12 loss, the offensive line stood out, allowing no sacks against the Yellow Jackets, a Power Five opponent.
The next two weeks told a different story for Georgia State. The Panthers picked up a pair of home wins in back-to-back thrillers against Chattanooga and Vanderbilt.
The Panthers went back and forth with Chattanooga the entire game, leading up to the game-winning 12-yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Freddie Brock midway through the fourth quarter. Redshirt junior nickelback Jyron Gilmore secured the victory, with a clutch interception in the final minute of the game.
In his first game in Center Parc Stadium, Dell McGee earned his first win as head coach and the Panthers improved to 1-1
“I really appreciate our guys coming, fighting through and never giving in,” head coach Dell McGee said. “It was an ugly win, but in the long run, we will learn a lot from this.”
The Panthers found themselves in yet another thriller the next week against Vanderbilt. Junior quarterback Christian Veilleux orchestrated a clutch 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, capping it off with a pass to junior wide receiver Ted Hurst in the corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. The Panthers went on to win 36-32.
This marks the second time in program history that Georgia State has defeated an SEC opponent, with the first being their upset over Tennessee in 2019.
In their first Sunbelt matchup of the year, the Panthers fell to the rival Georgia Southern Eagles 38-21 in the inaugural Georgia Grown Bowl. Hurst put on another show, racking up 112 yards and finding the endzone for the third game in a row.
Though Georgia Southern’s run game and defense were too much for the Panthers, Georgia State still holds the lead in the all-time series 6-5.
Despite the .500 start, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has the offense off to a solid start amongst Sun Belt teams. Veilleux ranks fourth in the conference with 1,073 passing yards, while Hurst is also fourth, boasting 349 receiving yards on just 19 catches. Redshirt junior running back Freddie Brock adds to the firepower, sitting eighth among the conference’s rushing leaders with 266 yards.
On the other side of the ball, senior linebacker Kevin Swint has led the way for the Panthers’ defense with four sacks and two forced fumbles. Swint earned the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after making winning plays against Vanderbilt.
In the secondary, redshirt senior cornerback Gavin Pringle has been named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, an award that honors student-athletes for their excellence both on the field and in the classroom. Pringle has recorded an interception and five pass breakups this season while also actively contributing to several community organizations.
Both Swint and Pringle were named to the preseason All-Sun Belt team after earning All-Sun Belt honors last season.
The Panthers (2-2) will take a week off before returning to Center Parc Stadium to take on Old Dominion (1-3) in their second conference matchup of the season on Saturday, Oct. 12.
