GSU Football: How many miles the team will travel in 2014 compared to past seasons.
*Distance in miles; estimated by Google Maps
The upcoming Georgia State football season will be a well-traveled one for the Panthers as they will travel more in 2014 than in any season since the birth of the program in 2010.
This year, the team will rack up 4,153 miles of travel, and the team’s trip to Seattle, Washington will account for more than half of that total at 2,638 miles from the Downtown campus to the home of the Washington Huskies, Husky Stadium.
The Panthers’ schedule will include non-conference road game trips to Washington and Clemson, along with the four Sun Belt Conference games against Louisiana-Lafayette, South Alabama, Appalachian State and Troy.
The journey to Seattle provides the Panthers with a unique opportunity while marking the longest road trip in program history. The previous longest trip was in 2012 when the team journeyed north to face the Bears of the University of Maine.
The expedition to Washington should prove to be a challenge on the body as the Panthers will travel through three time zones and meet a solid football program in the Washington Huskies. The Huskies will be breaking in a new head coach in Chris Peterson after the departure of Steve Sarkisian.
The Huskies will be coming into 2014 coming of a nine-win season, but will be replacing former quarterback Keith Price, now a member of the Seattle Seahawks.
The Panthers will travel 300 miles north to Boone, North Carolina to welcome Sun Belt Conference newcomer Appalachian State Mountaineers on November 1, 2014.
The Panthers’ road tour will conclude against perennial ACC powerhouse Clemson making the 122-mile trek up to legendary Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley. This will be the Panther’s first game against an opponent from the ACC.
The Panthers will also be making their second trip to Mobile, Alabama to face the South Alabama Jaguars in what will be the fourth meeting overall between the schools. The Panthers’ first trip to Mobile resulted in a 34-39 defeat in the team’s first season.
The Panthers look to even up the series while trailing 1-2 against the Jaguars, which included a 17-38 loss to close out 2013 season at home. The team’s sole win against South Alabama came in 2011 in a thrilling 27-20 victory in double overtime.
The Jaguars will become the Panthers’ most recurring opponent in the four-year lifespan of the program.
The Panthers open their season at home against Abilene Christian in the first game of the college football season Wednesday, Aug. 27.
