SB Nation Atlanta: All Posts by Ben Moore

Georgia State Football Vs. SC State: Panthers Look For Opening Win

2012-08-30T15:37:35Z

Georgia State football will launch a huge weekend of college football on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome when they face South Carolina State at 7:30pm ET.

The Panthers are coming off a disappointing 3-8 campaign in 2011 and are determined to prove last season is behind them and starting redshirt Freshman quarterback Ben McLane feels he can lift the team's confidence:

"That’s the job of a quarterback," McLane said. "You have to make other people believe in you and make them believe in themselves. And then the whole team can start believing and win some football games."

McLane will have a stiff test in front of him as he has not taken a live snap in a game since high school where he led Brookwood HS to the Georgia AAAAA state title. McLane has plenty of weapons to lean on offensively including a stable of running backs led by Donald Russell and the wide receiving trio of Albert Wilson, Danny Williams and Jordan Giles.

Defensively, the Panthers will unleash their new 4-2-5 defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Anthony Midget. This defense, employed by TCU, South Carolina and Midget's alma mater Virginia Tech, is designed to slow the spread and read option which South Carolina State triggers with QB Richard Cue.

Expect another huge crowd as the Panthers have traditionally drawn very well on week night home games and the game has been picked up locally on CSS which could lead to a larger audience.

Georgia State Football Recruiting: Avery Sweeting, Jah-Mai Davidson Commit to Panthers

2011-12-15T20:39:17Z

Georgia State football has held official visits the last two weekends at their downtown Atlanta campus and the fruits of that labor have paid off with two more commitments to the 2012 recruiting cycle. According to his high school coach Victor Floyd, Avery Sweeting of Brunswick HS is the 18th verbal pledge and Jah-Mai Davidson of Brookwood HS per The Gwinnett Daily Post is the 19th verbal pledges for coach Bill Curry and his coaching staff.

Sweeting is a 5'9, 160lbs slot wide receiver with tremendous speed. While small in stature, he has tremendous acceleration and may be one of the fastest players in the state. He has tremendous agility, change of direction and game breaking speed. Dallas Jackson of RivalsHigh described Avery as "hard to cover" and "may be on the fastest players" at a 7 on 7 event in South Carolina his past summer. He could be an immediate candidate for kick returning duties for the Panthers.

2011 Highlights

Davidson is a 6'4, 260lbs defensive line prospect with good lower body strength. Jah-Mai could project at either an edge player or with his hand on the ground at defensive end. He has above average feet and works hard to get to the football. Davidson is a fighter and works well in open space. He could project at nearly 285lbs with college level strength and conditioning.

2011 Highlights

Georgia State football is expected to sign 22-25 players on National Signing Day.

2012 Georgia State Football Recruiting: Safety Marquis Boyan Commits To Panthers

2011-11-29T19:30:56Z

Georgia State football continues its torrid pace on the recruiting trail as the Panthers picked up another talented prospect for the 2012 cycle. Per his classmates Twitter account and confirmed within sources close to Boyan, Eau Claire HS (Columbia, South Carolina) Athlete Marquis Boyan has verbally committed to head coach Bill Curry and staff.

Boyan is a 5'11, 185lbs athlete who played a multitude of positions for the Shamrocks including quarterback, strong safety and wide receiver. He is being recruiting at safety for the Panthers who lost starter Brandon Jones and back up Jocquez Fears to graduation in 2011. Boyan is a tremendous hitter from the strong safety position and does not shy away from contact. He has very good burst and upper body strength at this stage in his development. Georgia State beat out Marshall, Arkansas State and Furman.

2010 Highlights (Jr. Year)

Boyan is the 17th committment of the 2012 class. Georgia State is expected to sign 20-24 players from four states on February 1st.

Georgia State Vs. Campbell Final Score: Panthers Hold On 42-35 To Close Season

2011-11-20T00:54:16Z

Georgia State dominated offensively through three first three quarters and recovered a total of three onside kicks in the fourth to seal a victory in their final game of 2011, finishing up 3-8.

Head coach Bill Curry summed up the win and giving insight on just how much this program has to grow:

"What we pushed with our team was, we've got one more chance to show what we're made of and in many ways we did that today. We still have light years to go."

Led by QB Kelton Hill, the Panthers racked up 514 offensive yards. Hill threw for 213 yards and ran for another 141, accounting for 5 touchdowns on the day. The Panthers celebrated Senior Day with 20 Seniors taking to the Georgia Dome floor.

The Panthers finished the year with a disappointing mark, but will return 12 starters from this 2011 unit for spring practice beginning in March. Georgia State already has 16 verbal commitments for 2012 recruiting class and will begin hosting official visitors next week.

Georgia State Vs. Campbell Game Time, Preview And More

2011-11-18T12:50:05Z

Georgia State football has experienced a difficult second season including injuries, poor play, and an overwhelming schedule that has lingered. The Panthers close their 2011 campaign against Campbell on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET at the Georgia Dome.

The Panthers will again start QB Kelton Hill, who had great moments last Saturday, including 228 yards passing and 152 yards rushing, but threw two interceptions and fumbled on the one yard line, negating a Panther score. Wide receiver Albert Wilson has turned into one of the country's best weapons, averaging more than 21 yards per catch and scoring six touchdowns on the season.

Georgia State will honor a senior class larger than last year's, with 20 players being recognized before the game.

The Camels gallop (trot?) into the Georgia Dome looking for payback, as they lost a 24-21 contest in Buies Creek in 2010. Campbell is a run first team that averages 222.7 yards per game on the ground and 34 points per game playing in the Pioneer League. They have a leaky pass defense, giving up nearly 300 yards per game through the air, and I believe this is their undoing in this contest.

Look for the Panthers to end a disappointing season with a win and enter a tremendously important offseason.

Georgia State Vs. West Alabama Final: Panthers Find Way To Lose 30-23

2011-11-13T03:13:19Z

Georgia State football has found creative ways to lose this season and Saturday was no different as the Panthers fell on the road to Division II West Alabama 30-23.

QB Kelton Hill amassed more than 350 yards and three touchdowns but fumbled on the one yard line late in the 4th quarter. The Panthers were unable to score a point on four trips inside the West Alabama 20 yard line.

Georgia State blocked a punt for a safety, had an interception by linebacker Dexter Moody but were undone by the Hill fumble and final nail was wide receiver Nathaniel Minor fumbling as the Panthers drove the field to attempt to tie the ball game.

West Alabama running back Matt Willis rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 21 ranked Tigers.

Georgia State faces Campbell at home to close the season at the Georgia Dome on Saturday at 2pm ET.

Georgia State Vs. West Alabama Game Time And More

2011-11-11T17:11:06Z

Georgia State football has been a horror show for many fans as they've had leads in his last five contests, only winning one game in the process. The Panthers have competed in three straight overtime games and have dropped two out of the three. Coach Bill Curry's bunch heads to Division II West Alabama's home stadium on Saturday at 7 pm ET desperate for a win.

The Panthers have found the road an extremely rough trail as the program is 1-7, with its only victory coming on a game winning kick against Pioneer League foe Campbell in 2010. Kelton Hill will make his fourth straight start at quarterback and is coming off a pretty good effort vs. NAIA St. Francis. Hill brings a six-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio and is getting better at reading opposing defenses. Running back Donald Russell is questionable for the ball game and will be missed if he is not able to go as he's scored nine touchdowns on the ground his season.

West Alabama is a Top 25 level program at the Division II level and has found its way into the endzone to the tune of 30 points per game. The Tigers also run the ball very well and will face a battered defensive front seven who may be without key contributors at nose guard, linebacker and cornerback. UWA's defense has been pretty good in their relative competition but will face a much stronger offensive line than their previous contests.

Look for the Panthers to control the clock and keep the ball away from West Alabama's offense, hoping to escape Livingston, Alabama with a much needed win.

College Basketball Signing Day: Georgia State Adds Four Highly Touted Prospects

2011-11-10T01:38:20Z

Ron Hunter and Georgia State basketball have received signed letter of intents from all four 2012 commitments in RJ Hunter, TJ Shipes, David Travers and Cameron Solomon.

All four will be immediate impact players as the Panthers lose six seniors from the 2011-12 roster. RJ Hunter is a 6'6, 175lbs small forward prospect from Pike HS (IN) who has tremendous range and length. He chose Georgia State over offers from Wake Forrest, Iowa and Virginia Tech.

TJ Shipes is a 6'8, 220lbs power forward prospect from Buford HS with excellent athleticism and size. He chose Georgia State over offers from Utah, Tennessee, Northwestern, Charlotte, UAB and CAA foe Old Dominion.

David Travers is a 6'1, 165lbs point guard prospect from La Costa Canyon HS (CA) who has elite speed and very good ball handling ability. He chose Georgia State over offers from UC-Davis and Denver.

Cameron Solomon is a 6'4, 175lbs shooting guard prospect out of Lovejoy HS by way of Brevard CC is a tremendous scorer who plays much larger than his frame. He had offers out of high school from Buffalo, High Point

The coaching staff still has two scholarships to use later this period or can utilize in the Spring signing period which opens April 16. Georgia State basketball opens its 2011-12 season Saturday in Seattle vs. Washington.