ATLANTA -- Georgia State (0-9, 0-4 Sun Belt) hosts the Sun Belt Conference's top team as Louisiana-Lafayette (7-2, 4-0) visits the Georgia Dome Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
Georgia State is making its Sun Belt debut as the program plays its fourth season and first under head coach Trent Miles. The Panthers opened the 2013 season with five straight non-conference games and now are playing seven consecutive Sun Belt tests.
The Panthers' top player is senior receiver and return specialist Albert Wilson, who was named to the Midseason All-Sun Belt first team by Phil Steele's College Football Preview. Wilson leads the Sun Belt in receiving yards (96.7 per game) while ranking second in receptions (5.6 per game). His average of 181.8 all-purpose yards per game is second in the league.
Coached by Mark Hudspeth, the Ragin' Cajuns have won seven straight games after opening the season with losses at Arkansas and at Kansas State. UL-Lafayette leads the league in scoring at 38.2 points per game, led by quarterback Terrance Broadway, who has passed for 1,864 yards and 14 touchdowns and leads the league in passing efficiency (156.8). ULL's balanced attack averages a conference-leading 223.0 yards rushing per game, along with 151.1 yards passing (third in Sun Belt).
GAME COVERAGE: Television coverage is available on ESPN3, Georgia State's 10th television appearance in 10 games this season. The announcers are Ryan Rose and Warrick Dunn.
Radio coverage is available on the GSU Radio Network, including Atlanta flagship 1340 The Fan 3. Dave Cohen is in his 31st season as the play-by-play voice of Georgia State athletics, while Harper LeBel and Brandon Leak join him from the booth, and Sam Crenshaw adds sideline coverage.
WILSON AMONG FBS ACTIVE LEADERS: Senior wide receiver Albert Wilson's career average of 18.7 yards per catch is second among all active FBS players. He has 154 career receptions for 2,883 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native ranks third among active players with 5,588 career all-purpose yards, fifth in kickoff return yards (2,259) and ninth in receiving yards (2,883).
POUNDING THE ROCK: As Georgia State continues to work toward its first victory, head coach Trent Miles uses the analogy “pounding the rock.” He constantly reminds the Panthers that if you keep pounding the rock, keep working and chipping away, eventually it will break. The team even has a sledge hammer on the sideline to reinforce the image.
The rock has come close to breaking in three games this season in which the Panthers fell by a single score to Jacksonville State (32-26 in overtime), Troy (35-28) and Texas State (24-17). In each game, GSU was leading or tied in the fourth quarter. Most recently against Western Kentucky, the Panthers fell behind in the first half but rallied and entered the fourth quarter down by just 10 points before falling 44-28.
CAREER RECORDS WATCH: Over the last three games, Georgia State has seen linebacker Robert Ferguson become the Panthers all-time leading tackler (vs. Texas State), Travis Evans eclipse the GSU career rushing record (vs. ULM) and Brent McClendon tie the school record for career interceptions (vs. Western Kentucky).
Next up could be quarterback Ronnie Bell, who enters this week's game with 2,367 career passing yards, 223 yards behind Drew Little's school record of 2,570 yards (2010-11). Bell (173-349, 2,367 yards passing, 15 TD, 2,497 yards total offense) is also nearing Little's marks for pass attempts (389), completions (227), touchdown passes (18) and total offense (2,531).
SEASON RECORDS ON THE LINE ,TOO: Albert Wilson is Georgia State's career receiving leader, and with three games remaining, he is now nearing several season records, including some that he has set in previous years.
Wilson has 50 catches this season, four behind the GSU record of 54 set by Danny Williams in the inaugural season of 2010. With 870 yards this season, Wilson is 77 yards behind his own school record of 947, set last season. One more touchdown reception would tie his 2012 record of seven. Wilson has 1,636 all-purpose yards this season, 174 yards behind his 2012 record of 1,810.
With 1,845 yards passing and 1,922 yards of total offense, quarterback Ronnie Bell is approaching the GSU season records of 2,102 (trails by 257 yards) and 2,078 (trails by 156), respectively, both set by Drew Little in 2010.
JOE PETE: Sophomore linebacker Joseph Peterson tied the Georgia State single-game record with 16 tackles against Troy. The record was first set by Fred Barnes in the Panthers' inaugural game against Shorter in 2010.
Peterson, the sophomore from Dothan, Ala., leads the Panthers with 67 tackles on the season, ranking fifth in the Sun Belt Conference.
OFFENSIVE LINE SHUFFLES: With a rash of injuries on the offensive line, Georgia State has started seven different combinations in nine games this season. A.J. Kaplan is the only lineman to start every game, but he has started at four different positions.
Junior Tim Wynn started the first six games at left guard before missing the Texas State game due to injury. He returned against ULM to fill in at center, the fifth different center the Panthers have had to use this season.
STRONG DEBUT FOR DAVIS: True freshman wide receiver Robert Davis has had an impressive start to his Georgia State career. Davis is second on the team with 34 catches for 397 yards and four touchdowns. He is the only freshman who ranks in the top 10 in the Sun Belt Conference receptions (3.8) and receiving yards (53.4 pg).
