Panthers Fall to No. 24 Appalachian State 56-27

Chris Bacon

Box Score ATLANTA – Georgia State fell 56-27 to No. 24 Appalachian State Saturday night at Georgia State Stadium in the first visit by a nationally-ranked opponent to the Panthers' home field.

Quarterback Dan Ellington, who sustained a knee injury in last week's game that, gave the Panthers (6-4, 3-3 Sun Belt) a lift with his presence and led helped Georgia State to a 21-7 lead late in the first half, but App State scored 28 straight points to take a 35-21 lead into the locker room.

"What a great opportunity for us to come in here and play against a great football team," head coach Shawn Elliott said. "I thought the first 26 minutes of the first half were a great contest. It was a battle. You have 14 crazy points that take a 21-21 game and turn it into a 14-point lead going into halftime. We really could not recover."

Destin Coates led the Panthers with 97 rushing yards on seven attempts and a touchdown, while Tra Barnett rushed 17 times for 90 yards.

Ellington, with limited mobility, went 12-of-27 for 88 yards through the air, but was limited to two rushes for minus-7 yards.

"As disappointed as I am talking to you about the outcome of that game, we all witnessed something tonight that was incredible," Elliott said. "I hope you paid attention. For Dan Ellington to take the field tonight and do the things he did was extraordinary, nothing short of amazing what that young man did. He didn't do it for himself. It was not selfish. He did it for the guys in the locker room and for the coaching staff. It is truly a testament to who that man is."

App State (9-1, 5-1 Sun Belt) quarterback Zac Thomas threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns, three of them caught by Corey Sutton. Darrynton Evans rushed for 131 yards on 18 carries.

Georgia State started the scoring on its second possession of the game as Ellington drove the Panthers 84 yards on nine plays, highlighted by Tra Barnett's 44-yard run down to the 15-yard line.

Four plays later, on 3rd down, Ellington hit Gentry with a swing pass for a 4-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with eight minutes left in the first half.

After App State tied the game, the Panthers scored twice in less than a minute.

First, Coates broke through the middle for a 67-yard touchdown run, the Panthers' longest run of the season and the fourth-longest run in GSU history.

On App State's ensuing possession, sophomore safety Chris Bacon intercepted Thomas and returned it 34 yards for Georgia State's first defensive touchdown of the season and a 21-7 lead with 1:38 to play in the first quarter.

With the game tied at 21 late in the first half, App State scored two touchdowns off Ellington interceptions, both by cornerback Shaun Jolly. Jolly returned the first pick 30 yards for a touchdown, and then his second one set up Evans' 1-yard TD with 33 seconds left in the half, giving the Mountaineers a 35-21 lead.

Georgia State will remain at home and host South Alabama next Saturday at 2 p.m. inside Georgia State Stadium for Senior Day. Tickets can be purchased by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com/Tix or by calling 404-413-4020 during normal business hours.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Chris Bacon: S; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

#5 Tra Barnett: RB; 5' 10"; Senior

#17 Destin Coates: RB; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#13 Dan Ellington: QB; 6' 3"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Chris Bacon
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: S

#5 Tra Barnett
: 5' 10"; Senior
: RB

#17 Destin Coates
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: RB

#13 Dan Ellington
: 6' 3"; Senior
: QB