ATLANTA - Georgia State got four takeaways on defense and four touchdown passes from Drew Little to pick up its second consecutive blowout win, 55-21 over Savannah State on Saturday at the Georgia Dome. Georgia State (4-2) is now 3-1 this season against schools from the FCS division, and is on its first three-game win streak in school history.
"I'm very pleased with our men today because this is another first for us," said Panthers head coach Bill Curry. "(It is) the first time we have played two decent games in a row."
The Panthers scored a total of 17 points on drives after three of the four Savannah State (0-6) miscues, all of which happened in the first half. Linebacker Louie Muasau had an interception and a fumble recovery - both in the first quarter - to spark the Panthers' defense. Jamal Ransby added an interception and Brent McClendon picked up a fumble.
"We knew we couldn't get passive and take it easy, we just had to do what we're here to do," said McClendon of the Panther defense. "We just had to cause turnovers and try to intercept them and recover the ball."
The 55-point offensive outburst eclipsed the Panthers' next-highest total of 41 points against Shorter in the season-opening win.
Albert Wilson had two touchdown catches, one from 29 yards out in the second quarter and one from 28 yards out in the third, for his first scores of the season. Sam Burkhalter also had a two-touchdown day, catching a pass for the Panthers' first score and running for a 1-yard TD in the third quarter.
Drew Little finished 16-of-25 passing for 166 yards and four scores on the afternoon, going his third straight game without an interception. Iain Vance continued his superb senior season by going 2-for-2 on field goals (from 46 and 27 yards, both in the second quarter) and hitting all of his PATs. He is 8-of-9 on the year on field goals.
Three quarterbacks led the Panthers on scoring drives, with Star Jackson and Kelton Hill taking the team into the end zone in the fourth quarter. Hill totaled 95 yards rushing, including an 8-yard touchdown run inside the final minute of the game, with no pass attempts.
The first series of the game kicked off the parade of turnovers, with McClendon picking the ball off the turf after the first Tiger fumble and returning it nine yards to the Savannah State 23. But the Panthers gave the ball away themselves (their only turnover of the game) after Danny Williams fumbled on the SSU 11-yard line.
On the Panthers' next offensive series, however, they would capitalize on the second Savannah State turnover after Louie Muasau's interception of Tiger QB Antonio Bostick gave GSU the ball back at the SSU 19.
Four plays later, Parris Lee found the corner of the end zone from 4 yards out to give the Panthers a 7-0 advantage with 8:23 remaining in the first quarter. On the previous play, a third down and long, Bo Schlechter caught a 15-yard slant to give the Panthers the first and goal.
Savannah State's fumble on the first play of its next series - recovered by Louie Muasau at the Tiger 21 after a Fred Barnes sack - set up the next touchdown drive, as Burkhalter hauled in the 9-yard touchdown pass from Little to give the Panthers a 14-0 lead just eight minutes into the game.
GSU would add two more touchdowns before halftime. Danny Williams caught his third touchdown pass of the season from seven yards out to cap a 67-yard drive, and Wilson caught his first TD pass of the game with just :20 to go in the half to make it 34-7.
Wilson's second touchdown reception of the game finished off the opening drive of the second half, as Wilson caught a short pass on the sideline, shook off a tackler, and darted the rest of the way for the 28-yard score to give GSU the 41-7 advantage.
The Panthers are averaging 33 points a game on offense through their first six games of the season.
"We're getting better and better every day," said Wilson. "We just need to work on ball security and keep cutting down the turnovers on offense. We're doing more drills on ball security in practice. We're working on the small things and making sure we block our assignments at the right time."
The Panther defense gave up scoring drives of 53, 64 and 94 yards, with running back Sheldon Barnes going for two short touchdown runs and Bostick hitting wide receiver Bryan Lackey for a 38-yard scoring pass.
Fred Barnes led the defense with 6.5 total tackles, including a sack, forced fumble and two tackles for loss.
Attendance was announced at 14,908 for Saturday's game. The Panthers will play their second-to-last home game of the season on Saturday, Oct. 16, when they match up with North Carolina Central, the team's second straight opponent from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, at 1 p.m. at the Georgia Dome.
