By: Jared Oliver
The start of a new rivalry will take place when Georgia State will take the field against the Georgia Southern Eagles at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Now that Georgia Southern has joined the Sun Belt Conference, there will be several matchups of these two universities down the road. The Panthers first began play as members of the Sun Belt last season.
Georgia Southern Strengths
The Eagles present one of the most proficient running attacks in the nation. Georgia Southern is first in FBS rankings for rushing yards, averaging 275.8 yards a game. They also present an athletic defense that does not give up points easily. Georgia Southern's defense is 33rd in the country, only giving up 21 points a game.
Georgia State must be aware of these numbers if they plan to take down Georgia Southern.
Georgia Southern weaknesses
Whereas they are strong when keeping the football on the ground, Georgia Southern is not that much of a passing savvy team (122nd in the country). If Georgia State can get an early lead on Georgia Southern, it will force the Eagles to throw the ball and push them out of their comfort zone.
FBS Standings:
Passing Yards: 122nd (135.6)
Rushing Yards: 1st (372.0)
Points for: 13th (41.3)
Points against: 33rd (21.0)
Georgia Southern's offense is similar to Air Forces who Georgia State previously played this year, losing 48-38. Falcon’s running back Jacobi Owens rushed for 133 yards on 25 carries along with two touchdowns. Overall, the team had a combined 315 total rushing yards.
The Eagles are even more of a threat than Air Force was considering the athletes they have on both sides of the ball. The Panthers defense must find a way to find a way to slow down the damaging triple-option offense that Georgia Southern has. Attempting to slow down such an imposing offense is difficult, but very achievable.
Georgia State Strengths
Georgia State is 21st in the nation in throwing the ball, averaging 301.1 passing yards. The Panthers have a high-powered offense when clicking on all cylinders. The offense is led by quarterback Nick Arbuckle who is the centerpiece of the offense. Georgia State has receivers that are athletic and fast with the ability to get open.
Georgia State Weaknesses
Georgia State's defense has allowed teams to average 40.0 points (124th in the country). If Georgia Southern's running game gains momentum, there could be early trouble for the Panthers.
FBS Rankings:
Passing yards per game: 21st (301.1)
Rushing Yards: 113th (118.3)
Points for: 86th (27.0)
Points Against: 124th (40.0)
Players to Watch: Nick Arbuckle, Donovan Harden
Pregame Analysis:
Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle has had a breakout season so far. He has thrown for 1,591 yards with a 63.45 completion percentage and a 142 passer rating. In order for the Panthers to prevail over their rival Georgia Southern, they will need Arbuckle to have one of his best games of the season.
The Panthers will need Arbuckle to make precise movements and quick decisions. Another key will be for him to find open receivers, including 6-foot-3 sophomore wide receiver Robert Davis. Coming into this season, Davis was looked at as the primary target in the team's passing game this year.
So far, Davis has only 442 receiving yards this season and one touchdown. Davis is definitely capable of turning this year into another of his best seasons after finishing second in touchdowns and receiving yards in 2013 behind only Albert Wilson. His presence must be felt in this game to make life difficult for Georgia Southern's defense.
Since the Panthers' leading rusher Kyler Neal will be out for the rest of the season due to a torn MCL, junior running back Marcus Caffey will take the handoffs from Arbuckle this week.
Caffey also was one of the Panthers' defensive backs who started this season on the defensive side. He began this season as a defensive player but was moved to running back as injuries and Krysten Hammon's release made Georgia State short in that position.
Running the ball will be vital this game to put the Georgia Southern defense on its heels and for Arbuckle to get comfortable.
Georgia Southern has won its last four games and has done so by being very aggressive on the offensive side of the ball, scoring an average of 41.3 points a game this season. The Eagles are a team that has athletic players at the skill positions and disciplined offensive linemen.
Georgia Southern has two running backs that have surpassed the 500 yard mark this season. The 5-foot-10 sophomore running back from Brooksville, Fla., Matt Breida, has rushed for over 800 yards with 96 carries seven games into the season. Breida is averaging 8.7 yards a carry this season.
A major compliment in the backfield for Breida is quarterback Kevin Ellison. He happens to lead the team in carries for the Eagles with 98.
Ellison is very durable and is a very important piece to the triple-offense system. If Georgia State's defense can contain Ellison, it can increase their chances of defeating the Eagles.
Freshman running back Alfred Ramsby has also hauled in 90 carries for 419 yards.
This Saturday, Oct. 25 is the beginning of a heated in-state rivalry for years to come on the gridiron!
The start of a new rivalry will take place when Georgia State will take the field against the Georgia Southern Eagles at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Now that Georgia Southern has joined the Sun Belt Conference, there will be several matchups of these two universities down the road. The Panthers first began play as members of the Sun Belt last season.
Georgia Southern Strengths
The Eagles present one of the most proficient running attacks in the nation. Georgia Southern is first in FBS rankings for rushing yards, averaging 275.8 yards a game. They also present an athletic defense that does not give up points easily. Georgia Southern's defense is 33rd in the country, only giving up 21 points a game.
Georgia State must be aware of these numbers if they plan to take down Georgia Southern.
Georgia Southern weaknesses
Whereas they are strong when keeping the football on the ground, Georgia Southern is not that much of a passing savvy team (122nd in the country). If Georgia State can get an early lead on Georgia Southern, it will force the Eagles to throw the ball and push them out of their comfort zone.
FBS Standings:
Passing Yards: 122nd (135.6)
Rushing Yards: 1st (372.0)
Points for: 13th (41.3)
Points against: 33rd (21.0)
Georgia Southern's offense is similar to Air Forces who Georgia State previously played this year, losing 48-38. Falcon’s running back Jacobi Owens rushed for 133 yards on 25 carries along with two touchdowns. Overall, the team had a combined 315 total rushing yards.
The Eagles are even more of a threat than Air Force was considering the athletes they have on both sides of the ball. The Panthers defense must find a way to find a way to slow down the damaging triple-option offense that Georgia Southern has. Attempting to slow down such an imposing offense is difficult, but very achievable.
Georgia State Strengths
Georgia State is 21st in the nation in throwing the ball, averaging 301.1 passing yards. The Panthers have a high-powered offense when clicking on all cylinders. The offense is led by quarterback Nick Arbuckle who is the centerpiece of the offense. Georgia State has receivers that are athletic and fast with the ability to get open.
Georgia State Weaknesses
Georgia State's defense has allowed teams to average 40.0 points (124th in the country). If Georgia Southern's running game gains momentum, there could be early trouble for the Panthers.
FBS Rankings:
Passing yards per game: 21st (301.1)
Rushing Yards: 113th (118.3)
Points for: 86th (27.0)
Points Against: 124th (40.0)
Players to Watch: Nick Arbuckle, Donovan Harden
Pregame Analysis:
Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle has had a breakout season so far. He has thrown for 1,591 yards with a 63.45 completion percentage and a 142 passer rating. In order for the Panthers to prevail over their rival Georgia Southern, they will need Arbuckle to have one of his best games of the season.
The Panthers will need Arbuckle to make precise movements and quick decisions. Another key will be for him to find open receivers, including 6-foot-3 sophomore wide receiver Robert Davis. Coming into this season, Davis was looked at as the primary target in the team's passing game this year.
So far, Davis has only 442 receiving yards this season and one touchdown. Davis is definitely capable of turning this year into another of his best seasons after finishing second in touchdowns and receiving yards in 2013 behind only Albert Wilson. His presence must be felt in this game to make life difficult for Georgia Southern's defense.
Since the Panthers' leading rusher Kyler Neal will be out for the rest of the season due to a torn MCL, junior running back Marcus Caffey will take the handoffs from Arbuckle this week.
Caffey also was one of the Panthers' defensive backs who started this season on the defensive side. He began this season as a defensive player but was moved to running back as injuries and Krysten Hammon's release made Georgia State short in that position.
Running the ball will be vital this game to put the Georgia Southern defense on its heels and for Arbuckle to get comfortable.
Georgia Southern has won its last four games and has done so by being very aggressive on the offensive side of the ball, scoring an average of 41.3 points a game this season. The Eagles are a team that has athletic players at the skill positions and disciplined offensive linemen.
Georgia Southern has two running backs that have surpassed the 500 yard mark this season. The 5-foot-10 sophomore running back from Brooksville, Fla., Matt Breida, has rushed for over 800 yards with 96 carries seven games into the season. Breida is averaging 8.7 yards a carry this season.
A major compliment in the backfield for Breida is quarterback Kevin Ellison. He happens to lead the team in carries for the Eagles with 98.
Ellison is very durable and is a very important piece to the triple-offense system. If Georgia State's defense can contain Ellison, it can increase their chances of defeating the Eagles.
Freshman running back Alfred Ramsby has also hauled in 90 carries for 419 yards.
This Saturday, Oct. 25 is the beginning of a heated in-state rivalry for years to come on the gridiron!