The Georgia State Panthers (0-7, 0-2 Sun Belt) go on the road for a second straight week for their first meeting with the University of Louisiana of Monroe Warhawks (3-4, 1-1 Sun Belt).
Both teams last matched up with the Texas State Bobcats having opposite results.
The Panthers fell short to the Bobcats by a touchdown while the Warhawks were able to pick up their first Sun Belt victory of the season defeating the Bobcats by a touchdown snapping their three-game losing streak going into their bye week.
The Panthers and Warhawks are evenly matched on paper being within 19 yards of each other in total offense. Georgia State has 2,352 yards compared to ULM’s 2,332 yards.
The Warhawks defense will go against a Panthers offense that is trying to come back from injuries to the offensive line.
According to head coach Trent Miles, senior left tackle Ulrick John will be back on the offensive line for the Panthers, but left guard Tim Wynn is still questionable and center Cade Yates out.
“Ulrick [John’s] coming back; that’s obviously a bonus,” Miles said.
The offensive line protected quarterback Ronnie Bell majority of the time in the game against Texas State. Bell completed 20 of his 36 pass attempts for one touchdown. In addition, Bell rushed for the first touchdown of the game.
Bell has thrown late interceptions in back-to-back games to end the Panthers’ chances of securing a win thus continuing the Panthers losing streak.
Miles has said repeatedly that the team has beaten themselves in recent games with avoidable mistakes.
“There’s no magical combination of things. It’s go out, work hard, practice well, execute in practice, [and] execute when it counts in the game,” Miles said when asked how his team can win in the fourth quarter. “It’s really that simple.”
The running game was on an upswing last week against Texas State picking up 160 yards, a season high.
Senior running back Travis Evans picked up 71 yards against the Bobcats putting him within 10 yards of surpassing former Georgia State running back Donald Russell and becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher.
“It’s going to be a good feeling when it happens cause it’s gonna happen,” Evans said. “It would be better for it to happen with a win.”
ULM was poised to be at the top of the Sun Belt standings with 19 of last season’s starters returning to the team including senior quarterback Kolton Browning.
Browning was thought to be out for the season on a quad injury that occurred the game against Tulane.
However, thenewsstar.com is reporting Browning has been 100 percent cleared by doctors after a recent MRI.
Head coach Todd Berry told reporter Tabby Soignier that he will decide this week if Browning will play based on his progress in practice.
Browning was the 2013 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and on the watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Before his injury, Browning threw for 967 yards and seven touchdowns.
True freshman Brayle Brown has started the last two games for the Warhawks, but has played in all seven games this season.
In two starts, Brown has completed 37 of 72 passing attempts for 387 yards and no touchdowns.
The Warhawks have struggled in turnovers this season committing 19, ranked 119 in the NCAA.
The Warhawks have 12 interceptions and seven lost fumbles this season.
Brown threw three interceptions in his two starts and six total for the season.
On the other side of the ball, safety Isaiah Newsome recently became the fourth college football player in FBS history to have two interceptions for touchdowns in a game.
Newsome’s interceptions came in the victory against Texas State with one of them returned for 75 yards.
Newsome has four interceptions this season for 175 yards.
Linebacker Cameron Blakes leads the Warhawks defense in tackles with 48 total, 26 of them unassisted.
Blakes and defensive end Joey Gautney each have 2.5 sacks this season for 15 yards and 13 yards respectively.
The Sun Belt battle kicks off Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN 3 and can be heard on 1340 AM The Fan 3.
