"I'm very pleased with our men today because this is another first for us. First time we have played two decent games in a row. Our history has been up and down and in fact, today we came out and did some foolish things that we haven't been doing, dropping balls and not converting in situations where we should have had first downs. That sounds ridiculous when you look at the score but it's true. We had some very big plays that made a huge difference. The defense went out and stopped Savannah State repeatedly. As I've said all week, you see that Savannah State has marvelous athletes. They fight hard all day. They never quit. We encourage Savannah State to stay the course. We encourage Georgia State to become a more complete program. Meaning we have work to do on campus and in the classroom that we desperately need to do in addition to continuing to improve our football team. As for getting a chance to play everybody, for having a good result and for moving up another notch; we were able to accomplish all those things, so I am real proud of the guys."

On if he thought the team was able to put together back to back decisive victories....

"I really did, once I saw the talent we had when the guys reported. We didn't know them. We had recruited them but we didn't' see them from November of 2009 until August of 2010 and we just didn't know. People kept asking, 'Well what are you going to be like?' and I kept saying, 'I don't know.' We have a big deal about not making excuses and not equivocating but I didn't know. I promise you after about two weeks I had an idea that we could be a decent football team because the foot speed, the strength, the power and also the wherewithal to stay out there when it is 110 degrees and not quit or moan and groan and not lay down and wallow around. We didn't do any of that. From the day of beginning of training camp, any time anyone has asked me what I really like about this team I've said the same thing: We are resilient. We fight back. Even when we have shot ourselves in the foot this year we have come back every time to tie the score or take the lead and give ourselves a chance to win."

What did you think of the play from the offense initially?

"We sputtered. Again, I'm not wishing we could have scored 70 points instead of what we scored. I'm thrilled with the outcome. I really challenged the offense to go out and have zero turnovers. We hadn't done that since our first game and we still haven't done that since our first game. We're obviously capable of doing it but it's a function of maturity and concentration and to drop balls and to turn it over will get us beat against a lot of the teams on our schedule. We are practicing to play the rest of the schedule. Especially when we get a big lead, we are working on things that we think will help us beat someone who is better than we are. Where we are going to have fight back. Where they are going to have their foot on our throat and we are going to fight back as we have before. When you do that you cannot afford to put the ball on the ground, drop balls and not take advantage of all your opportunities. Just think back to the Jacksonville State game where we played a team that was obviously superior to us. Had we just not made a couple mistakes, we win that game against a superior opponent. We are going to have to do that later this year and we want to practice that in every game and every practice.

On competition between the Muasau brothers.....

"It is personal. Let's be completely blunt about this. Football is a violent game and just people that are really well-adjusted simply don't play football. Everybody who plays football has a chip on their shoulders. It is a place where we can express ourselves within the rules between the white lines on Saturday, Sunday or Friday night and then become a gentleman off the field, hopefully. That is the objective. It is very, very competitive and it's not friendly and it's nasty on the field a lot of times. That is why I am there with the other coaches. We are there to make sure that everyone understands we lay it on the line and we compete with each other during the week and then we put it all together. We might push each other around off the field but don't let anyone jump one of our brothers or you will have to fight all of us. That is what football really is.

Third stringers...

"We played a lot of third strings today. That is really great because the back-ups, the second-unit guys and third-unit guys, many of them are going to have to play for us this year to help us win. That is one component. The second thing is they deserve to play. They have worked so hard. To get a chance to run out there is the greatest feeling in the world."

Back-up QBs......

"Both back-up quarterbacks are clearly very gifted. I've said from the day we got here before Star Jackson came on the scene that we had more talent at QB than I have ever enjoyed at any other place I have been. Then you throw Star Jackson into the equation and just think of what you saw today. That was just a taste of the physical ability. We are gifted at QB. QB is a position that attracts the brightest and the most competitive people. The old adage is quarterbacks that don't play, transfer. We don't want that to happen with us. I've said from the beginning with these guys that we can win with any of them. Right now Drew is just well ahead with his capacity to master the system and to do all the checks and he just does those things well and throws it to the right place virtually all the time. The other guys will catch up."

Georgia State Football Players quotes

#9 Brent McClendon, CB

On overall performance of the defense

"It was good, very good. We knew we couldn't get passive and take it easy, we just had to do what we we're here to do. We had to cause turnovers and try to intercept them and recover the ball."

On his fumble recovery

"I just remember seeing the ball pop out, it happened kind of slow so I just tried to grab it and score a touchdown."

#15 Albert Wilson, WR

On being able to read the defense so well

"Throughout the week we just look at film and decide which corner is the one to attack, so going into the game we'll know. I was recruited as a corner, so I kind of know the assignments well.

On how much fun this is

"Oh yeah we have fun, every second of football time, it's a lot of fun. That's what makes the game fun - scoring a lot of points like this."

On Improving

"Well we're getting better and better every day. 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."

#44 Sam Burkhalter, RB

On scoring and playing the most he has this year

"I was just trying to fill my role, either passing or running, doing what the coaches are asking of me and running the offense well. Just whatever position I was playing, I was going to give it my all"

On focusing for a team with a record like SSU

"It's easy to look at their record and just think we can show up. Their record doesn't represent what kind of team they are. If you look at the film it you see they have really good athletes, and they're big guys. They're a very good football team."

On playing with Star

"His confidence level was up a lot this week. He did well this week and has been working hard in practice every day this week, so it was good for him"

On scoring 55 points

"We have a lot of potential, and we're not even there yet. We strive to get two percent better every day in practice and sometimes we reach it and sometimes we don't, but were always striving to get better"

Savannah State Interim Football Head Coach Julius Dixon

Opening Comments...

"The state we are at with this team, we cannot afford any miscues.  We had four or five turnovers early on and we are just not in a position to overcome turnovers like that, especially when the turnovers result in good field position for the opposition.  We are not there and certainly have to go back to the drawing board and correct the miscues."

On what his team needs to work on to prepare for next week's game...

"The biggest thing we have to work on is attitude.  This is the sixth game in a row that we have been on the road and we are road warriors.  I see too much doom and gloom.  The one thing I was talking about after the game is the positives.  When we do things right, we are OK.  We have to really go to the drawing board and realize the things we did right and get some confidence to know that no matter what the situation is in a game that we can go to our bread and butter."

On how he would assess freshman quarterback Antonio Bostic's first start...

"He played like a freshman.  He is carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders and he played in the first half like he had to make every play, which that is what freshmen have a tendency to do.  Once he settled down and just took command of the game, I thought he did some good things.  He made some bad decisions and threw a couple of passes that he should not have thrown, but that is part of being a freshman.  We will certainly go back and watch the video with him and make sure he understands that he has other options.  We will just go from there."

GSU NOTEBOOK 

HIGHEST SCORING GAME - The 55 points scored today is a season-high total, surpassing the 41 in the opener vs. Shorter and the 37 last week vs. Morehead State.

The 34-point point half is also a season best, topping the 30 in the first half last week vs. Morehead.

TAKEAWAYS - The Panthers had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries to tie last week's four takeaway game vs. Morehead and give them eight total in the last two games. Each of the Muasau brothers had a hand today with Louie having an interception and fumble, plus Jake producing a forced fumble, tackle for loss and breakup.

LITTLE'S HOT HAND- QB Drew Little's last interception was his last attempt of the first half vs. Jacksonville State (Sept. 18). Since then, he has attempted 105 passes without an interception, completing 71 for 9 TD's without a pick.  

THREE OF A KIND - The Panthers have reeled off the three consecutive wins since the overtime loss to No. 4 Jacksonville State on Sept. 18.

The Panthers also effectively used all three quarterbacks today (Little, Hill and Jackson). And, actually, the fourth quarterback, Bo Schlechter, now punts and plays wide receiver.

Kelton Hill rushed for 95 yards today to add to his 182 coming in and give him 277 yards on the season.

HIGH-SCORING CATS - The Panthers are averaging 33 points on the season now with 198 points in the first seven games in school history.

VANCE AGAIN - Iain Vance kicked a 46-yard FG today to follow his 49-yarder last week, as well as a 27-yarder today. He is now 8-for-9 on the season.

He added all 6 PAT's to up that to 23-of-24 for his team-leading 47 points.

SIX of SEVEN - GSU is home again Saturday vs. North Carolina Central to make it six home games of the first seven in school history. The Panthers will then go on the road to play three of the final four games (at ODU, at South Alabama, at Alabama).