Jonesboro, Ark. – Kelton Hill's 70-yard touchdown pass to Albert Wilson pulled Georgia State within two points of Arkansas State with two minutes left, but the Panthers' try for a game-tying two-point conversion failed and GSU fell to the Red Wolves 35-33 Saturday at Liberty Bank Stadium.
Georgia State (0-11, 0-6 Sun Belt) outgained the second-place team in the Sun Belt Conference 432-290, but the Panthers hurt themselves with four turnovers and a blocked punt, which led directly to 21 points for Arkansas State (7-4, 5-1 Sun Belt).
Wilson also had an 80-yard touchdown run, making him the first player in GSU history with 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game, and Hill added a 17-yard touchdown catch from Ronnie Bell to become the first Panther to throw and catch a touchdown in the same game.
Wilson's 80-yard touchdown run, the longest run and third-longest play from scrimmage in school history, gave the Panthers a 17-7 lead with 6:42 left in the second quarter. The play capped a crazy sequence because on the previous play, Arkansas State's Kyle Coleman scooped up a Georgia State fumble at the GSU 25-yard line and was heading for the end zone. But Wilson punched the ball out from behind, and the ball bounced into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback. On the next play, Wilson took a handoff from Bell and raced for the end zone.
Georgia State took its 17-7 lead into the intermission, but the Panthers gave Arkansas State 14 points in the first four minutes of the second half on a fumble return for a touchdown and then a blocked punt for a touchdown. That put the Red Wolves ahead 21-17 before their offense ran a play in the third quarter.
“Our kids really battled, but you can't turn the ball over four times and expect to win, and you can't turn the ball over two times in the first four minutes of the second half,” Georgia State head coach Trent Miles said. “They scored twice without their offense on the field. It was a fumble where the guy was trying to do too much, and then a blocked punt. That's the only thing you can say.
“There's nothing else to talk about but the four turnovers. I feel so bad for these kids because they battled so hard, but we just keep doing it to ourselves. We've got to figure out a way to stop it.”
The Panthers responded on their next possession, driving 75 yards on just five plays for a go-ahead score, which came on Bell's 17-yard pass to Hill. Bell set up the score with a 28-yard completion to Wilson out to the ASU 47 and a 28-yard pass to Robert Davis down to the ASU 17, and Georgia State led 24-21 with nine minutes to play in the third quarter.
But Georgia State again hurt itself with a crucial turnover, this time a fumble that the Red Wolves recovered at the GSU 27. The Panthers forced a 4th-and-1 at the seven, but ASU quarterback Adam Kennedy converted for a 1st-and-goal, and then Michael Gordon ran five yards for the touchdown, putting Arkansas State ahead 28-24 with 3:39 left in the third quarter.
Bell again drove the Panthers deep into Arkansas State territory with a first down at the 10, but Georgia State had to settle for Wil Lutz's 35-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 28-27.
Arkansas State added another touchdown on its next possession, extending its lead to 35-27 on Kennedy's 5-yard touchdown pass to J.D. McKissic with 10:51 to play.
Still trailing 35-27, Georgia State took over at its own 23 with 3:03 left. After Bell hit Danny Williams for seven yards on first down, the Panthers executed their trick play with Hill, the former quarterback now playing wide receiver. Hill took the pitch from Bell and then found Wilson behind the secondary for the 70-yard bomb, pulling the Panthers within two points. On the try for two, Bell was pressured and overthrew Wilson in the end zone. With two minutes still to play, the Panthers tried and onside kick but were unable to recover it, and Arkansas State was able to run out the clock.
Arkansas State opened the scoring with a touchdown on its first possession, and then Lutz put the Panthers on the scoreboard with a 40-yard field goal early in the first quarter. Bell gave Georgia State its first lead with a 4-yard touchdown run with 1:45 left in the first quarter. He set up the score with a 25-yard completion to Davis down to the 4-yard line.
Wilson finished with seven receptions for 149 yards and two rushes for a career-high 104 yards, helping the Panthers to a season-high 184 yards. His 149 receiving yards pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, breaking his own GSU season record of 947 yards that he set last season.
Bell was 13-for-25 for 178 yards as he surpassed the GSU season record for passing yards. He now has 2.258 yards on the year.
Joseph Peterson finished with a game-high 13 tackles to raise his season total to a Georgia State-record 92.
In limiting the Red Wolves to 290 yards of total offense, the Georgia State defense came up with two fourth-down stops and recovered a fumble.
Georgia State concludes the 2013 season by hosting South Alabama next Saturday, Nov. 30, at 2 p.m. at the Georgia Dome. For tickets, call 866-GA-STATE.
