ATLANTA — Quarterback Ronnie Bell threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns but Georgia State dropped its inaugural game in the Football Bowl Subdivision as Samford rallied with 24 straight second-half points for a 31-21 victory in the Georgia Dome.
Senior receiver Kelton Hill caught a pair of first-half touchdown passes from Bell as the Panthers built a 14-7 lead going into halftime. Hill's touchdowns made him the first in GSU history to have a career TD by passing, rushing and receiving.
The Bulldogs then scored three touchdowns in the span of eight minutes in the third and fourth quarters to open a lead late in the ballgame.
Senior Albert Wilson caught eight passes for 167 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. That effort is the second-most receiving yards in a single game for a Panther receiver, behind Wilson's own 175-yard outing against South Alabama in 2011.
Not only was the game the Panthers' first in the FBS, but it was also the opening game under the direction of head coach Trent Miles.
“It was a tough start, but I am very proud of our young men,” Miles said. “They competed and we've got to teach them how to win. They responded well and didn't hang their heads. When something went wrong they kept fighting back.”
Samford running back Fabian Truss rushed for 78 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Truss also returned the game's opening kickoff 100 yards for the first score of the contest. The return marked the first time the Panthers have allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown in program history
Bell completed 28 of 51 passes, but also had two costly interceptions. One of those was returned for a touchdown by Samford cornerback Jaquiski Tartt, proving to be the turning point of the game and momentum shift.
Tartt's touchdown tied the game at 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter. Samford then went on a 10-play, 62-yard drive, capped by Truss' one-yard scoring run, to take the lead for good with 11:21 to play at 21-14.
After the Panthers fell behind 7-0, Bell guided GSU on a seven-play, 73-yard drive, hitting Hill for a 21-yard touchdown to even the score with 7:17 to play in the first quarter.
Bell and Hill hooked up again in the second quarter, this time for a 17-yard scoring play to cap an 87-yard drive and put the Panthers ahead 14-7 with 12:48 left in the first half.
GSU outgained Samford in total yards 463-298 and ran 76 plays to 67 by Samford.
One of the highlights for the Georgia State defense was a goal-line stand on which the Panthers stopped Samford three times inside the one-yard line. On third-and-goal at the one, Terrance Woodard stopped Truss for no gain, and then on fourth down, Truss again gained nothing and the Panthers celebrated, but GSU was flagged for being offsides. This time, Tarris Batiste tackled Summerlin for a three-yard loss to give possession back to the Panthers.
The Panthers face another Southern Conference opponent in Chattanooga in the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Sept. 7. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 866-GA-STATE.
