Upon Further Review

For Georgia State players and fans alike, this loss stings. How did this rivalry game end so badly for the Panthers? This is Upon Further Review.

It’s easy to say Georgia State played a one-win South Alabama on their schedule at the right time, given the two losses in the weeks preceding and the uncertainty which remained at the quarterback position. But the Panthers were going to have to find their identity on offense again after six quarters of struggles or they weren’t going to win against anyone on their schedule. How did they do on this Senior Day? This is Upon Further Review.

Georgia State’s history with Appalachian State is one they would quickly like to forget – five games, zero wins, zero close games. Was this the year, against all odds, Georgia State would finally draw blood against this divisional rival?

This piece is not about Dan Ellington. It could be. It’s easy to pin dropping this road game on the loss of a talismanic quarterback who should still receive Sun Belt Player of the Year votes even if he doesn’t play another down this season. But why did Georgia State really come up short in Monroe?

Georgia State football has only gone and done it, beating Troy in emphatic fashion, 52-33, to clinch bowl eligibility for the third time in school history and the second time in head coach Shawn Elliott’s three seasons in charge. How did the Panthers pull away and what’s the full extent of the significance of this win?

Georgia State came home to face the triple option test of the Army Black Knights to try and earn a winning record in out-of-conference play for the first time at the FBS level and move to one win away from bowl eligibility in the process. The result – as expected – was a fast-moving, back-and-forth slugfest, with the Panthers landing the final blow. How did Georgia State win out in the end?

After a record-breaking offensive explosion at home against Arkansas State, Georgia State took a road trip to Myrtle Beach for a big test against a stout Coastal Carolina defense that came into the game leading the Sun Belt in total defense. Who earns the plaudits for this team win and what piece is still missing from the winning formula?

After a 2-0 start, the Panthers fell in completely different yet similarly painful losses to Western Michigan and Texas State and sat at 2-2 going into their first bye week. Backs firmly against the wall, the Panther offense responded with a school record in total yards and rushing yards, putting together an all-time performance to down the Red Wolves of Arkansas State 52-38.

Saturday has come and gone, there’s been time to reflect and there’s no way to sugarcoat it – this loss to Texas State was bad, bordering on disastrous, for Georgia State. An inability to kill the game and a series of unforced errors led to this costly defeat in San Marcos. How did this happen and where can the Panthers go from here? This is Upon Further Review.

College football brings both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Unfortunately this week for Georgia State, we are at the latter. After a 57-10 beat down in Kalamazoo, let’s take a peek at what the Panthers did, or didn’t do, that caused such a lopsided result. This is Upon Further Review.