ATLANTA — Chattanooga collected 401 yards rushing on the way to a 42-14 victory over Georgia State Saturday afternoon at the Georgia Dome.
"They were the much better football team today," GSU head coach Trent Miles said. "They dominated from the very beginning. Our young men did not compete very well.
"That, to me, was inexcusable," he added. "That's, by my standards, unacceptable. Put the loss on me."
Georgia State wide receiver Albert Wilson had seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, his second straight 100-yard effort and the eighth of his career.
In the fourth quarter, Georgia State inserted quarterback Ben McLane, who led the Panther offense to consecutive scoring drives in less than a minute and a half.
McLane connected with Wilson for touchdowns of five and 30 yards to cap both drives.
McLane replaced starting QB Ronnie Bell, who completed 9-of-22 pass attempts during the first three quarters but was frequently pressured. McLane was 7-of-12 and finished with 164 yards.
“The competition is always open, but Ronnie got beat up," Miles said. "He was running for his life. They manhandled us up front. They got pressure on our quarterback, and we weren't able to run the football."
Freshman wide receiver Robert Davis added four catches for 100 yards, giving the Panthers two 100-yard receivers in the same game for just the second time in school history.
Panther punter Matt Hubbard booted seven punts for 304 yards, or an average of 43.3 yards per kick.
Chattanooga dominated during the first three quarters, rushing for 317 yards while holding the Panthers to only 18 yards on the ground, en route to a 42-0 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
The visiting Mocs took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead, capped by a two-yard run by RB Keon Williams. Williams racked up a personal-best 126 yards on 20 carries.
On its second possession, Chattanooga faked a field goal, resulting in a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Faysal Shafaat. Shafaat caught another touchdown pass in the second quarter to establish a 21-0 score by halftime.
During the third quarter, Mocs QB Jacob Huesman scrambled for a pair of touchdowns of nine and 26 yards. Huesman totaled 86 yards on 12 rushing attempts. Chattanooga added another score on the ground at the start of the fourth quarter.
Next Saturday, Sept 14, Georgia State travels to face West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va. Kickoff for the game between the Panthers and Mountaineers is scheduled for noon.
