After playing three of their first four games on the road, the Georgia State Panthers return to the confines of home. The best thing about playing so many on the road the same amount is waiting at home; three of their next four are at Panthers Stadium. They split the difference going 2-2 losing in a triple-overtime thriller at Texas State last week. What a homecoming it was scoring on their first drive 12 plays for 75 yards. Dan Ellington was hot completing 6-6 passes before Tra Barnett capped it off with a 3-yard plunge. Interestingly they ran out to a 21-0 lead but for whatever reason could not put Arkansas State to rest.
At times Dan Ellington had time to rock a baby to sleep standing in the pocket waiting for receivers to come open. Other times he threw with pinpoint accuracy. The eye test was passed.
At the end of the first quarter, the Panthers were dominating producing 186 total yards Arkansas State could muster only 27 total yards while the ball was being crammed back down their throats for -2 yards passing. It appeared to be a homecoming feast in the making. Then, bing, bang, BOOM someone hit the quick-strike mode on the controller two 75 yard scoring drives took less than two minutes off the clock.
Problem #101, each time the Panthers put together impressive drives, the defense couldn’t seem to wave the flag in front of a Bull; it was a night of Olathe. My best description of the team would be to call it an offensive Juggernaut with a defense that plays like sand through an hourglass.
After such an impressive offensive performance, they escaped with a 52-38 victory.
With 10:30 remaining in the 4th quarter, the score was 38-35 on an Omar Bayless one-hand grab for a 5-yard touchdown that complimented the 4 play 80-yard drive.
Dan Ellington turned in a phenomenal performance completing 29-41 passes for a career-high 382 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was Sam Pickney, who caught 9 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. C. McCoy didn’t want to be left out of the party, so he offered 107 yards with 8 catches.
Problem #102, they allowed Layne Hatcher to pass for 299 yards, and 4 touchdowns and Omar Bayless had a field day catching 8 passes for 154 yards.
The Panthers hung on to enjoy homecoming festivities, but they had better come up with some type of defense unless the game plan is to score fifty points in each game. At some point they are going to have to stop somebody.
