SB Nation Atlanta: All Posts by Chris Hillyardhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46601/atlanta-fave.png2012-09-22T19:50:05-04:00https://atlanta.sbnation.com/authors/Chris-Hillyard/rss2012-09-22T19:50:05-04:002012-09-22T19:50:05-04:00Richmond vs Georgia State: Post Game Reaction- Bell Could Play More Moving Forward
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<p>For the second game in a row Ronnie Bell took a significant amount of snaps at quarterback for Georgia State. Ben McLane, the starting quarterback, injured his left hand in last week’s game against UT- San Antonio. He did not play the entire second half because of numbness in his hand, but started the game today against Richmond. However, Curry said after the game that he continues to have issues with the injury.</p>
<p>But when asked, Coach Bill Curry said it was because of sporadic play and not the injured left hand that caused the coaching staff to pull him in favor of Bell in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>“No. We had been so sporadic on offense up to that point that we probably should have put him in a lot sooner,” Curry said. “I think he will play more next week.”</p>
<p>Bell has been mildly effective in his limited playing time so far this season. He has shown tremendous arm strength and athletic ability, but also displays poor decision making at times. His confidence is clearly evident every time he steps on the field, but that confidence causes him to overthrow balls or to make poor decisions in the passing game, which have led to three interceptions on the year.</p>
<p>Bell is 12 of 21 on the season for 186 yards and two touchdowns, but the turnovers are something the coaches can’t ignore.</p>
<p>The only word to describe the play of McLane thus far in the season is simply sporadic. He looks very comfortable when the running game is utilized effectively and he can get into a rhythm. But too many times McLane simply looks rattled and starts to force ball in areas they shouldn’t go, or puts the ball way over the head of his receiver. McLane on the season is 47 of 96 passing for 496 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing three interceptions.</p>
<p>Another disadvantage that McLane faces is his lack of mobility. He has decent pocket awareness and throws the ball well on the run, but Bell’s athleticism allows him to escape pressure and gain positive yards. McLane simply does not have that ability.</p>
<p>So Georgia State continues to search for the quarterback that will lead their program. Will Ronnie Bell seize his opportunity and take the lead in a struggling offense? Or will McLane provide the consistency and accuracy the team desperately needs in a signal caller? The Panthers have been asking similar questions for the last year and a half and unfortunately a positive answer does not appear to be anywhere in sight.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/georgia-st-panthers/2012/9/22/3374824/richmond-vs-georgia-state-post-game-reaction-bell-could-play-moreChris Hillyard2012-09-22T19:30:28-04:002012-09-22T19:30:28-04:00Richmond Vs. Georgia State: Panthers Fall At Home 35-14
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<p>Georgia State will remain winless on the season after falling to the Richmond Spiders 35-14 at home in the Georgia Dome. The game was Georgia State’s first conference game as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which the team will be members of for just one season since they will join the Sun Belt Conference in July 2013.</p>
<p>The Spiders wasted no time in welcoming the Panthers for their short stay as they jumped out to a 21-0 lead. After Richmond’s opening drive resulted in a punt, the Spiders would have consecutive scoring drives of 13 and 14 plays respectively as the Panther defense was on the field for 31 of the game’s first 39 plays. That amount of work gassed the Panther defense early and left the Panthers in a 21-0 deficit just six minutes to play before halftime.</p>
<p>Georgia State received a short boost in momentum starting with their next drive as Donald Russell broke off a 52 yard run to take the ball into Spider territory. A pass interference penalty would give <span class="caps">GSU</span> a first down in the red zone and the Panthers were able to convert with a 13 yard touchdown pass from Ben McLane to Albert Wilson to make the score 21-7.</p>
<p>The Panther defense seized on the momentum from the offense and forced a quick three and out, leaving <span class="caps">GSU</span> 40 seconds to try to score and bring the game within a touchdown before halftime. However, McLane’s first pass would go straight off the hands of tight end Emmanuel Obeughi and straight into the hands of Richmond safety Cooper Taylor, an Atlanta area native.</p>
<p>The Spiders capitalized on the turnover and was able to score on a one yard run to take a 28-7 halftime lead. It appeared the Panthers had held on fourth down from the one as time expired, but an offside penalty would give the Spiders one untimed down in which they scored.</p>
<p>Georgia State was able to move the ball in spurts throughout the game, but continue to be hampered by inconsistency. Backup quarterback Ronnie Bell played the entire fourth quarter and was mildly effective aside from two interceptions on poorly thrown balls. Bell was 7 of 10 for 91 yards and a touchdown, while starter Ben McLane was 16 of 26 for 140 yards and a touchdown. McLane continues to deal with a left hand injury, but the decision to not play him in the fourth quarter was made because of performance and not health.</p>
<p>The Panthers were just 1 of 4 on fourth down attempts during the game. Two of the failed attempts were from less than two yards.</p>
<p>Donald Russell was the lone highlight for the Panthers as he rushed for 119 yards on 24 carries and also had 51 yards on 5 receptions. He would score his first touchdown of the season on a 1 yard carry with less than a minute to go in the game that would make the score 35-14. Georgia State would recover the onside kick, but on the ensuing possession Ronnie Bell threw on an interception to seal the deal.</p>
<p>The Spiders were not overly impressive on offense, but were efficient. They took advantage of a <span class="caps">GSU</span> secondary that continues to play a soft zone pass coverage despite giving up nearly 300 yards per game. Richmond seemed to run the same 8-12 yard out route over and over with continued success.</p>
<p>Georgia State also continues to struggle containing mobile quarterbacks as Richmond QB John Laub rushed for 72 yards and three touchdowns. Laub threw for 223 yards and a touchdown on 16 of 25 passing.</p>
<p>A continued problem for this defense is the lack of play making ability. The tackling has improved from a year ago, but is still not good enough. The secondary has taken a giant step back while the front seven looks to be much stronger. Panther defensive backs had their hands on three balls that could have all been interceptions, but were unable to reel them in.</p>
<p>One such play came when Georgia State was down 7-0 and the D’Mario Gunn undercut an out route and looked to have the endzone on his mind. Instead, he dropped the sure interception, and the Spiders would go on to score.</p>
<p>Those type of plays are why the Panthers have yet to be competitive in a game this season. The road will certainly not get any easier for them as they continue in <span class="caps">CAA</span> play.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/georgia-st-panthers/2012/9/22/3374768/richmond-vs-georgia-state-panthers-fall-at-home-35-14Chris Hillyard2012-09-22T17:46:22-04:002012-09-22T17:46:22-04:00Richmond Vs. Georgia State Score: Panthers Trail 28-7 At Halftime
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<p>Georgia State trails the Richmond Spiders 28-7 at halftime. The game is Georgia State’s first conference game in the Colonial Athletic Association.</p>
<p>The Panther defense was on the field for 14 of the game’s first 16 minutes and was already showing signs of fatigue in the second quarter. After stopping the Spiders on their first drive they allowed three consecutive scoring drives of 50 yards or more.</p>
<p>Georgia State went for fourth down conversions twice trying to get the offense going and were stopped both times.</p>
<p>Late in the second quarter the Panthers were able to score on a 13 yard pass from Ben McLane to Albert Wilson to make the score 21-7. On the ensuing Richmond drive, the Panthers were able to force a punt and retain possession with 40 seconds remaining before halftime.</p>
<p>However, the first play of the drive was a pass that was deflected by <span class="caps">GSU</span> tight end Emmanuel Obeughi and went straight into the hands of a Spider defender. Richmond responded with a 32 yards pass which set up a 1 yard touchdown as time expired to make the score 28-7.</p>
<p>Georgia State running back Donald Russell leads all rushers with 80 yards on nine carries.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Panthers be sure to check out <a href="http://atlanta.sbnation.com">SB Nation Atlanta</a>. For more college football news and notes head over to SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football">College Football page</a>. </i></p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/georgia-st-panthers/2012/9/22/3374386/richmond-vs-georgia-state-halftime-richmond-leads-28-7Chris Hillyard2012-09-15T21:31:37-04:002012-09-15T21:31:37-04:00UTSA vs Georgia State Final Score: Panthers Drop 3rd Straight 38-14
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<p>For the second time this season Georgia State was manhandled on its home field, falling to UT-San Antonio 38-14 in the Georgia Dome. Georgia State was outgained 442-307 on the game and turned the ball over four times.</p>
<p>"We have a gutty bunch, but we are not doing what we need to do," said Coach <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Bill Curry</a>. "We fight and scratch, but that isn’t enough… we need to eliminate the mistakes that have been plaguing us. The players are giving effort, but that’s not enough. And these are all things I have said repeatedly, but there is nothing left to say."</p>
<p><span class="caps">UTSA</span> converted on seven of their first eight third down attempts which lead to long drives, an overwhelming time of possession advantage, and a gassed Georgia State defense. The roadrunners scored on all four of their first half possessions.</p>
<p>UTSA’s first possession featured a 42 yard run by running back David Glasco II. That 11 play drive went all the way down to the Georgia State nine yard line before the road runners settled for a field goal. The ensuing Georgia State possession lasted only three plays as McLane found Albert Wilson down the sideline for an 85 yard touchdown pass, the longest in Georgia State history.</p>
<p>The 7-3 lead would be the only time the Panthers were ahead the entire game as the Roadrunners then scored 35 unanswered points.</p>
<p>Ben McLane injured his wrist late in the first half and he returned briefly, but was benched for Ohio University transfer Ronnie Bell. McLane finished 6 of 14 for 126 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Bell was 5 for 11 for 95 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He is the fifth quarterback to appear in a game for the Panthers in the last 14 games.</p>
<p>Bell flashed a very strong arm on a number of occasions and showed ability to make plays with his feet by rushing for 22 yards on three carries. He showed poise in the pocket and delivered a number of good balls. But Bell also showed a little bit of over confidence in his ability by forcing two passes that should never have been thrown, resulting in two interceptions. <span class="caps">UTSA</span> scored 21 points off of Panther turnovers.</p>
<p><span class="caps">UTSA</span> quarterback Eric Soza was effective throughout the entire game. His mobility proved to be an issue for the Panthers as he ran for 51 yards on nine rushes and Georgia State failed to record a sack for the third straight game. Soza managed the game well, took chances when he could, and was efficient running the option. He finished the game 17 of 24 for 206 yards and two touchdowns.</p>
<p><span class="caps">GSU</span> had no answer for Soza on defense. The secondary was consistently out of position and when they were in position they didn’t make the play. On a 20 yard touchdown pass from Soza to Marcellus Mack that made the scoore 31-7, Jamal Ransby had perfect position to make a play on the ball, and instead of doing so he watched as Mack came across him to catch the touchdown pass.</p>
<p>While the game was already in hand, it is plays like those that have exemplify the Panther’s struggles. The defense simply does not make enough big plays to get teams off the field. Meanwhile, the offense remains stagnant and without identity.</p>
<p>Georgia State’s running back Donald Russell carried the ball just 10 times on the day. He finished with 76 yards and a 7.6 yards per carry average, which brings his total on the season to 266 yards on 37 carries and a 7.1 yards per carry average.</p>
<p>Curry said after the game that they would reassess the quarterback position once they find out the extent of McLane’s injury.</p>
<p><i>For more on this game be sure to check out <a href="http://atlanta.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Atlanta</a>. For more college football news and notes head over to SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football">college football page</a>.</i></p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/9/15/3339648/utsa-vs-georgia-state-final-score-38-14Chris Hillyard2012-09-15T19:41:23-04:002012-09-15T19:41:23-04:00UTSA Vs. Georgia State Score: Panthers Trail 24-7 at Halftime
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<p>Georgia State’s defense has been gashed for the third week in a row, giving up 107 yards to <span class="caps">UTSA</span> QB Eric Soza, who came into the game averaging only 187 yards per game. <span class="caps">GSU</span> has particularly had issues getting off the field on third down as <span class="caps">UTSA</span> converted on seven of their nine third down attempts, which lead to the Roadrunners scoring points on each of their first four possessions and taking a 24-7 lead into the half. </p>
<p>On the first drive of the game <span class="caps">UTSA</span> took advantage of a 42 yard run by David Glasco II and advanced all the way down to the <span class="caps">GSU</span> nine yard before settling for a field goal.</p>
<p>The ensuing Georgia State possession was capped by Ben McLane hitting a streaking Albert Wilson for an 85 yard touchdown pass, the longest in Georgia State history. That pass would be the lone bright spot for a struggling Panther team over the first 30 minutes.</p>
<p><span class="caps">UTSA</span> responded immediately to the touchdown by returning the kickoff to the Georgia State 16. They would score on a five yard touchdown pass from Soza to Aaron Grubb to make the score 17-7.</p>
<p>Georgia State’s would use hard running by running back Donald Russell on their next possession to move the ball all the way to the <span class="caps">GSU</span> 26 before the 46 yard field goal attempt by Christian Benvenuto was blocked.</p>
<p><span class="caps">UTSA</span> would score on a 1 yard touchdown run to make the score 24-7 with 5:27 remaining.</p>
<p><i>For more on this game be sure to check out <a href="http://atlanta.sbnation.com">SB Nation Atlanta</a>. For more college football news and notes head over to SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football">college football page</a>. </i></p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/9/15/3339284/utsa-vs-georgia-state-score-24-7-at-halftimeChris Hillyard2012-09-11T14:31:23-04:002012-09-11T14:31:23-04:00Georgia State Football: Bill Curry Discusses UTSA Matchup
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<p>Here are some notes and quotes from the weekly <span class="caps">GSU</span> football press conference. Head coach Bill curry was joined by Grant King this week who is the only Georgia State player to have started every game in which the Panthers have played.</p>
<p>Curry Opening remarks:</p>
<p>“Every game is a big game for us, for obvious reasons… Larry Coker is a wonderful coach. He was an offensive wizard as a coordinator and then was coach of the year twice at Miami. His system requires a lot of discipline. They run the option like a good option team. They run drop back passing like a good drop back passing team. They run the power run game good like a good power run team.</p>
<p>Eric Soza is their QB and has been their QB, which is a big advantage for them. I am very impressed with their WR Cam Jones who is number one. He is very fast.</p>
<p>They have a very well drilled offensive line. Their place kicker is 6 for 5 this season including a 51 yarder to win the game against South Alabama. He is 17 of 24 for his career, so he is human but this year he has been excellent.</p>
<p>The leader of their secondary is Brandon Reeves. Free safety Tristan Wade is an excellent player.</p>
<p>Last week we got a great lesson in hustle plays. Jarrell Robinson made a hustle play that saved a touchdown on a kick return. Our defense ended up holding and Tennessee missed a field goal. We have to hustle like that on every play.</p>
<p>Enthused about the improvement of our team. Particularly the offensive and defensive lines. Both lines are providing goo leadership.</p>
<p>McLane has continued to take steps forward. Coach Bond assured me that our center-qb exchance will be fixed. McLane said he simply didn’t have his eye on the ball because he was trying to read the Tennessee blitz.</p>
<p>Have to improve in our pass defense.</p>
<p>There was a moment where a hustle play actually cost us a touchdown. Grant King pulled and ran all the way across the field to try to set up a touchdown run by Donald Russell. Russell didn’t see him coming and tripped over his foot, so we had to settle for a field goal.</p>
<p>Injury update- The injury situation is day to day. Giles has a shoulder issue that they are continuing to run tests on. Williams moved better today but is still hobbled. We will never make excuses because of injuries."</p>
<p>Curry on Pass coverage- "The soft coverage was not by design. We did not line up and say hey try to make a tackle in the back of the endzone. Guys were too tentative and gave the receivers way too much room.</p>
<p>Curry on whether they thought about playing Bell- We had a guy that was hitting passes when somebody was open. Said he wasn’t looking at the ball, he was reading the blitz. Wasn’t wide eyed at all.</p>
<p>Curry said Ben McLane hasn’t dropped a snap in practice this week.</p>
<p>Grant King on how has Ben changed- As a new QB he has been doing a great job, especially with a new no huddle system. He didn’t miss a check Saturday.</p>
<p>Curry on the <span class="caps">NCAA</span> Delic ruling- Was a very big one. <span class="caps">NCAA</span> has procedures, and we understand, and we have worked diligently. We were told reasons that we will not reveal. It’s a big loss. He will get stronger. He promised us that he would do everything he could to help us on the scout team. We have been told there isn’t any kind of appeal, but if there is I would recommend we do it.</p>
<p>Curry- Last year’s loss to <span class="caps">UTSA</span> was devastating. I had a big hand in it. Not so much we owe <span class="caps">UTSA</span> one, but we owe ourselves. We let that one get away. I made some dumb calls.<br> King- The players had a hand in it too. We could have executed better in that game.</p>
<p>Curry on simplifying the offense- we were thinking way too much in the first game. We cut some things. <br> King- We learned to play and just have fun. Some of us took it too seriously because of our record last year and we played tight.</p>
<p>King on scoring the first offensive TD against an <span class="caps">FBS</span> opponent- It felt great. We come in expecting nothing less but to play hard. No matter who we are playing, we expect to win. Being in that venue it was exciting to score against them. We were playing how we should have been already.</p>
<p>Grant King on opening drive and Donald’s trip- Things happened for whatever reason. We didn’t score a TD, but you can’t hang your head on that play. That play is over, you have to focus on the next play.</p>
<p>King- Tennessee was just one step for us. We knew we had another level and we had another gear. Coming off UT our practices are a lot more crisp.</p>
<p>Curry on the improvement of Special Teams- We’ve got starters and athletes playing there and we implemented special teams drills in the off season. Every day. So that has been why we improved.</p>
<p>Curry on whether he believes in the cliche that teams improve most from week 1 to week 2- I don’t believe that week 1 to week 2 deal. I expect our team to improve every week. There was some improvement. But there was still way too much that we left in the tank. It was obvious with 25 minutes left that we had a chance to compete. What was clinic talk by me became reality. We were in it. But we didn’t cover, we played tentative. We played hard, but that wasn’t the objective. The goal is to be in the game and win the game.</p>
<p>Curry on timeouts at the end of the game- We want to make sure we use every instant we have to continue to play our hearts out. We aren’t going to leave timeouts on the board.</p>
<p>Curry on Midget’s reaction to secondary play- He takes responsibility. That’s what coaches do. It hasn’t been good enough. His job is to correct it. We also have had very little pass rush and have yet to record a sack.</p>
<p>King on the improvement of the offensive line- Majority of the line is young. That first game helped them get the jitters out. Either you get 2 percent better or worse. It doesn’t matter if we have a bad game or a good game, we have to improve 2 percent every day. With the OL, we are getting more confident with how each other plays. It’s my job to keep everybody’s mind focused. We could do a lot better job of recognizing blitzes and taking that pressure off of Ben McLane.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/9/11/3316756/curry-press-conference-9-11Chris Hillyard2012-08-28T14:50:06-04:002012-08-28T14:50:06-04:00Notes from Georgia State's weekly Press Conference- 8-28
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<p>Georgia State Coach Bill Curry held his first weekly press conference of the season this afternoon at the Georgia State practice facility. Curry was joined by redshirt freshman quarterback Ben McLane, who will start on Thursday, and junior outside linebacker Akeen Felder. Here are some of the notes and quotes as the Panthers prepare to kickoff the college football season in just two days.</p>
<p>Curry Opening remarks- “We are are so glad to have finally gotten to the regular season and to be able to play. Our team has demonstrated marvelous work ethic from the very beginning. The day after last season we went to work. Football is no longer a six month sport. If we are serious about competing we have to go to work every day.”</p>
<p>“Our opening opponent is formidable. South Carolina State is one of the perennial fcs powers and have a tradition of excellent football.”</p>
<p>“Our game with the last year was a lesson. We played hard. They played harder. We have used film of them to show our team how to play and they always have 11 people flying to the ball. The game was a good physical match and was won by the team that was more determined. We have got to do that. We have got to be more determined in the fourth quarter. We have improved in many ways but we have got to do it when it counts.”</p>
<p>Curry quick hits on <span class="caps">SCSU</span>- They have a good running quarterback and run the read option as well as anyone…. Their turnover margin in 2011 was +10, that is how you win football games…. They have two excellent running backs. We are hearing Asheton Jordan may be injured, but I never believe that stuff. We want to see them at their best… Tammerick Hemmingway is a freshman running back that could be a weapon for them, but not sure if the coach is playing games and just building him up… They have a veteran offensive and defensive line… Joe Thomas (starting middle linebacker) is all man. He had 100 tackles last season and we are very impressed with him…. Their secondary is led by Darius Drummond who is also an excellent punt returner… <span class="caps">SCSU</span> kicking game is a question mark. Starter has a calf injury.</p>
<p>- The offensive captain for this game is Jordan Giles. Defensive Captain is Demazio Skelton. Special Teams captain is Scott McQueen</p>
<p>- <span class="caps">GSU</span> is relatively injury free. Two season ending injuries but neither were expected to be contributors ( I believe it is Nick Henderson and Jamaal May ).</p>
<p>- Still no word from <span class="caps">NCAA</span> on Delic and Agnew. Delic has a high ankle sprain and probably wouldn’t be available for Thursday either way.</p>
<p>- Curry singled out Demarius Matthews, John Kelly, David Huey, and Joe Peterson as guys he has been very impressed with. Said he doesn’t know if he’s ever had two true freshmen that will make as much of an impact as Joe Peterson and Joe Lockley. Said you will see why immediately why Peterson is starting.</p>
<p>- Said he wouldn’t trade Grant King and Ulrick John for any tackles in America.</p>
<p>- Benvenuto will be suspended for the first game. If keeps his nose clean it will remain only a one game suspension. Said based on his performance he wouldn’t be the starter anyway. Miller is the starter but Ehasz has made an incredible push over the last week.</p>
<p>- Said he is excited to open the college football season on Thursday night. The players love doing it and the fans seem to like it also.</p>
<p>- Talked about the no huddle and said football has become a track meet. Defense has to play football full speed for sixty minutes, and that is how they will play on offense now too. Said the team structured their entire off season towards being an up tempo football team.</p>
<p>- Felder on Petrerson and Lockley- Said he could tell from the first day that Peterson is going to be a big leader on this team. Said he already is. Felder said he gets confused sometimes, but when he is where he is supposed to be he is pretty close to perfect. Said Lockley is the strongest guy on the team.</p>
<p>McLane on how to prepare for a big game like this- The only way to prepare for a big game like this is to not make a big deal out of it. We have had a long a rigorious training camp, there is a lot of lead up to this game, so we have to slow down and just approach it like any other game.</p>
<p>- Curry said Felder is the embodiment of what they want at Georgia State. He came to <span class="caps">GSU</span> as a walk on, paid his own way for a while, and has earned his spot.</p>
<p>- Felder talked about the affect Curry has had on him and how he has taught him to be a man.</p>
<p>- Felder then went off on a tangent I barely understood. He was asked about the keys that he looks for when defending the read option. Talked about the different sets and how those can give you a hint of whats coming, how the way the wide receiver releases gives a hint, and how the first step of the offensive tackle can give a hint of what is coming. It was very impressive.</p>
<p>- Curry said you will see a good deal of Kelton Hill on the field Thursday. Would not go into more detail obviously for game planning reasons.</p>
<p>- Michael Davis is suspended for the first series because of an altercation in practice. Ronald Martin will be the center for the first drive. Curry said Davis has handled the situation well and how he has played and carried himself since the incident is why it is only for one series. Curry praised Davis and said he has taken his game to a whole other level. Also said Georgia State could have started a freshman at that position, but would rather not do that (Mark Ruskell).</p>
<p>- Jamal Ransby has been banged up but will be ready to go Thursday night.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/8/28/3274783/notes-from-georgia-states-weekly-press-conference-8-28Chris Hillyard2012-08-27T15:37:42-04:002012-08-27T15:37:42-04:00South Carolina State Injury Update
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<p>South Carolina State’s starting running back, Asheton Jordan, will miss the Georgia State game on Thursday according to <a href="http://www.panthertalk.com/georgia-state-football-know-your-opponent-sc-state/">Panthertalk.com</a>. Jordan ran for 774 yards and five touchdowns last season as the Bulldog's leading rusher.</p>
<p>Georgia State is beginning it’s final season under prominent head coach Bill Curry, who announced he will retire after the season.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/8/27/3272342/south-carolina-state-injury-updateChris Hillyard2012-08-27T15:11:33-04:002012-08-27T15:11:33-04:00Georgia State vs South Carolina State: Previewing The Panthers Offense
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<p>Previewing Georgia State's offense for the season opener against South Carolina State. </p> <p>Georgia State opens their season Thursday night against the South Carolina State Bulldogs. <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-state-sports/2012/08/26/new-georgia-state-depth-chart-released-weidenaar-released/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_state_sports" target="_blank">The Panthers released a depth chart today</a> for the first game and notably absent from it is kicker Christian Benvenuto, who is serving a suspension for an off season incident. Another surprising note about the depth chart is that freshman linebacker Joseph Peterson is listed as the starter ahead of junior Robert Ferguson. But today we will focus on the Panther offense.</p>
<p>Thursday night's game will also feature the first collegiate appearance of quarterback <a href="#" class="sbn-auto-link">Ben McLane</a>. The redshirt freshman from Brookwood HS won the starting job in the spring and did enough to keep the spot through fall camp. Junior Kelton Hill will be the backup and will likely play in a wildcat role. Hill is one of the fastest guys on the team and his athleticism needs to be utilized in some way.</p>
<p>McLane ran a run heavy offense at Brookwood where he wasn't expected to win games with his arm, but rather protect the ball and manage the offense. He will likely face a similar responsibility on Thursday as Georgia State features one of the more talented running back corps in the country. The group is headlined by former Kentucky transfer <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78638/donald-russell" class="sbn-auto-link">Donald Russell</a> who ran for a 5.2 yards per carry average in 2011. Russell suffered through injuries, but still led the Panthers in rushing with 665 yards. Russell is now completely healthy and has trimmed close to 30 pounds since coming to the Panthers in Spring 2011. Expect to see a heavy dose of Russell Thursday night.</p>
<p>Behind Russell are talented juniors Paris Lee and Travis Evans who should both get touches also. Evans is the perfect change of pace back for Russell due to his combination of speed and power. Lee is an incredible athlete who does very well catching the ball out of the back field and is one the strongest players on the team.</p>
<p>Between the three running backs, expect a heavy run attack. Georgia State's offensive line features four new starters, but this particular unit has been praised for being much more athletic than the last year's offensive line. This will allow Georgia State to utilize the no huddle offense, which has been a staple throughout spring and fall camp. McLane admitted that he was uncomfortable with it at first, but as he has become accustomed to the style it has become apparent that the no huddle suits his skills very well. The offensive line being more athletic will allow the offense to do more creative things with screens and counters where lineman are required to pull and block down field.</p>
<p>Another task that will fall on McLane is distributing the ball to his very talented receiving corps. Lead by Phil Steele's Third Team All-CAA selection Albert Wilson, the wide receivers are an experienced unit that returns every significant contributor from a year ago. Wilson as well as GSU's career leading receiver Danny Williams and slot man Jordan Giles are some of the most talented players on the team. The passing attack struggled in 2011, largely due to poor quarterback play, so it will fall on McLane to make sure that phase of the Panther's offense is much improved. Look for short routes, screens, timing routes, and dump offs that puts the ball in the play makers hands quickly and allows them the space to make a play.</p>
<p>Overall, the Panther offense is going to be all about how McLane manages the offense. Georgia State's offense struggled mightily in 2011 due to inconsistent QB play. He doesn't have to win the game with his arm. All McLane has to do is get the ball in the hands of Wilson, Russell, Lee, Williams, and Giles and watch them make plays. If he can keep his poise and make the basic throws, then Georgia State is too talented not to be successful.</p>
<p><i>For more Georgia State Football news check out <a href="http://atlanta.sbnation.com">SB Nation Atlanta</a>. For more news and notes from around college football head over to SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football">College Football page</a>. </i></p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/8/27/3272021/georgia-state-vs-south-carolina-state-previewChris Hillyard2012-08-21T10:22:39-04:002012-08-21T10:22:39-04:00Georgia State Football 2012: Breakout Candidate No. 5 Terrance Woodard
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<p>Georgia State will need to improve in a lot of areas in order to turn around last year's 3-8 season. This series will identify five players that could be candidates to have a breakout season for Georgia State and give them a push in a certain area. The players highlighted must have started fewer than 6 games for the Panthers, but also were on the team last season. The fifth and final player highlighted in this series is nose guard Terrance Woodard.</p>
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<p><b>Position: </b>Defensive Line</p>
<p><b>Class: </b>Junior</p>
<p><b>2011 Review: </b>Woodard appeared in 9 games last season and finished with 21 tackles on the year, a respectable mark for an interior defensive lineman. His best game came against South Carolina State (this year's home opener) where he recorded 5 tackles. He also recorded four tackles and forced a fumble in a win over Campbell. Woodward did not play in two games because of injury.</p>
<p><b>Spring 2012: </b>Woodard was one of a number of guys that were suspended during Spring camp for a violation of team rules. While he was with the team, he was productive and one of the team's best interior defensive linemen.</p>
<p><b>2012 Depth Chart: </b>Georgia State has a lot of new faces along the defensive line. Redshirt freshman David Huey switched from guard to defensive tackle and immediately was plugged in to the starting lineup. The Panthers also received two transfers from FBS schools in Nermin Delic and Theo Agnew, but their eligibility status remains in question. True Freshman Joe Lockley is also a beast on the inside and should compete for playing time right away.</p>
<p><b>2012 Outlook: </b>Ultimately, Woodard's playing time will depend on the status and health of Agnew and Delic. If those two are not eligible or are injured, then Woodward will see the majority of snaps at nose guard. But even if the other players are in the mix, Woodard is the biggest guy on the entire defensive line and has shown he is worthy of seeing the field, even if it's only in a rotational role.</p>
<p><b>Worst Case Scenario: </b>Delic and Agnew are ruled ineligible and Woodard is either consistently hurt or simply ineffective, causing GSU's run defense to be gashed.</p>
<p><b>Best Case Scenario: </b>Woodard, Agnew, Delic, and Kelly form a much improved defensive line that stops the run and is able to <b> </b>consistently get pressure on the quarterback. A true breakout season from Woodard would be 30 tackles or more with 2-3 sacks.</p>
<p><b>Prediction: </b>No one knows what the NCAA will decide to do. While it certainly looks more promising for Delic than it does for Agnew, Woodard needs to approach this season assuming neither will be available. That would put a tremendous amount of pressure on him to anchor a smaller defensive line and be the disruptive force he was against SCSU and Campbell last season. I would expect Woodard's numbers to increase only slightly in total tackles.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2012/8/21/3257719/georgia-state-football-2012-breakout-candidate-no-5-terrance-woodardChris Hillyard