The Georgia State Panthers continued their impressive start to the season on Saturday, defeating Marshall 41-24 at Center Parc Stadium. The Panthers improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play, their best start in program history.
Georgia State’s offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up 474 total yards and scoring six touchdowns. Quarterback Darren Grainger had a stellar game, passing for 234 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 62 yards and two more touchdowns. Running back Marcus Carroll also had a big day, rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers’ defense played just good enough to seal the victory, allowing Marshall 457 total yards and forcing three turnovers. Kevin Swint led the way with six tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Georgia State got off to a fast start, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives. Grainger capped the opening drive with a 24-yard touchdown run, and Izaiah Guy returned a blocked punt for a touchdown on the next drive to give the Panthers a 14-0 lead.
Marshall answered with a touchdown of their own, but Georgia State added another touchdown before halftime on a 74-yard pass from Grainger to Tailique Williams. The Panthers led 27-10 at halftime.
Marshall scored on the final play of the third quarter to make it a 27-24 game, but Georgia State responded with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Grainger rushed for a touchdown and Carroll added a touchdown run to put the game away.
Marshall was without their starting quarterback, Grant Wells, who was injured in the previous week’s game.
Game Stats
Total Yards: Georgia State 474, Marshall 457 Passing Yards: Georgia State 234, Marshall 301 Rushing Yards: Georgia State 240, Marshall 156 First Downs: Georgia State 25, Marshall 20 Turnovers: Georgia State 0, Marshall 3 Time of Possession: Georgia State 35:17, Marshall 24:43
Key Players
Georgia State: QB Darren Grainger (234 passing yards, 1 TD; 62 rushing yards, 2 TDs), RB Marcus Carroll (159 rushing yards, 1 TD), WR Tailique Williams (6 catches, 129 yards, 1 TD), DL Kevin Swint (6 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FF)
Marshall: QB Cam Fancher (301 passing yards, 1 TD), RB Ali Rasheen (103 rushing yards, 2 TDs), WR Xavier Gaines (6 catches, 113 yards)
Analysis
Grainger had a monster game, accounting for 296 total yards and three touchdowns. Carroll also had a big day, rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers’ offensive line deserves a lot of credit for opening up holes for Carroll and giving Grainger time to throw.
The Panthers’ defense played good enough, allowing Marshall to 457 total yards and forcing three turnovers. Swint led the way with six tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
