State, Not Southern: Panthers rally to beat Eagles 30-24

Georgia State lines up against Georgia Southern during their home win at Center Parc Stadium. Photo by Matt Siciliano-Salazar | The Signal

Georgia State (5-4, 4-4 Sun Belt) rallied to beat Georgia Southern (6-4, 4-3) with a 30-24 victory. The Panthers fought back from behind 24-13 to defeat the Eagles in a thriller.

The Panthers ended their three-game skid against the Eagles to win their final game of the season and retake the lead in the series. With the win, the Panthers now have a 4-3 series lead against the Eagles.

After an impressive drive that saw the Panthers take a 3-0 lead, the Eagles smothered the Panther offense, holding the Panthers to 41-yards and rushing with 12:34 in the fourth quarter. 

At one point, the Eagles built a 24-13 lead going into the fourth quarter, and it seemed too steep for the Panthers to climb. But the Panthers held their composure and refused to back down. 

Though it was not his best game, Quad Brown helped the Panthers retake the lead in the fourth, thanks to a one-yard run with 3:07 to go up 25-24. 

The Panthers went for two, and Brown completed a pass to Sam Pinckney to take a 27-24 lead with 2:54 remaining.

On the Eagles’ ensuing drive, the Panthers forced a fumble deep in Eagles territory, which set up a crucial field goal to go up 30-24 with 1:58 remaining.

The final dagger for the Eagles came when Southern quarterback, Shai Wertz, threw an interception, killing any hope of a comeback for the Eagles.

With the victory, the Panthers are in a good position for a bowl game and have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in program history.