Georgia State came out with a lot of energy to their home crowd, starting the game accordingly. How they fared during the rest of the game is a different story –the Panthers ended up falling to the Villanova Wildcats 49-24 at the Georgia Dome.
The Wildcats ran all up and down the Panther defense, amassing 256 rushing yards and 112 passing yards before the fourth quarter even began.
They jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the first quarter elapsed, and a 21-0 lead just after the second quarter began. The Villanova offensive first unit didn’t punt the entire game, and by the third quarter, the game was well out of hand.
And on top of that, Georgia State running back Donald Russell went down with a knee injury serious enough that he didn’t come back after halftime. A warm homecoming this was not.
Yet, there were some positives for the Panthers.
Albert Wilson caught six passes for 106 yards and had a 55-yard touchdown, making this his third game of the year with at least 100 yards receiving. Also, he returned five kicks for 176 yards, nearly breaking one that went for 61 yards.
The Panthers’ time of possession was nearly identical to the Wildcats’, but it wasn’t enough to garner the win.
Georgia State had the same problems it’s had since day one — poor tackling, and woeful coverage. Several times, the Wildcats went straight up the middle for six or seven yards, and the Panthers had no answer.
Villanova quarterback John Robertson alone had 11 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, often turning broken plays into big gains for Villanova.
Overall, the Wildcats rushed for 353 yards on just 53 carries, at 6.5 yards a clip. Even in the passing game, where Villanova only passed for 112 yards, they still managed to throw three touchdown passes.
Georgia State sits at 1-7 going into next week’s game against James Madison.
