GEORGIA STATE (1-1, 0-1 SBC) at ARKANSAS STATE (2-2, 0-1 SBC)
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020  |  7:30 p.m.  |  Jonesboro, Ark.
TV: ESPN  |  Radio: WRAS-FM 88.5
 
THE KICKOFF: Georgia State's first road game is a Thursday night ESPN game at Arkansas State, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. in Jonesboro, Ark.
 
> Georgia State's (1-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) last game was a 49-29 victory over East Carolina on Oct. 3 at Center Parc Stadium. Cornelious Brown IV passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Sam Pinckney, and Destin Coates rushed for 113 yards and two scores. The GSU defense did not allow an offensive touchdown to ECU, which managed just 286 total yards (3.7 yards per play), including only 50 yards rushing.
 
> On the strength of that performance against ECU, the Georgia State defense leads the Sun Belt in interceptions with five (No. 10 FBS) and third-down defense at 25.8 percent (No. 7 FBS) and is second in the league and No. 5 in FBS in pass efficiency defense (100.97 rating).
 
> Junior cornerback Quavian White has an interception in each of the first two contest to lead FBS with 1.0 interceptions per game.
 
> Destin Coates leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 4 in FBS with 131.5 yards rushing per game. As a team, the Panthers are No. 10 in FBS in rushing (235.0 ypg).
 
> Arkansas State is coming off a 50-27 win over Central Arkansas on Saturday. The Red Wolves knocked off Kansas State on Sept. 12.
 
> Arkansas State leads the series 5-1, but Georgia State earned its first win over the Red Wolves last season with a 52-38 victory in Atlanta in which the Panthers set numerous school records.
 
> Playing just its 11th season of football and seventh at the FBS level, Georgia State looks to build on a successful 2019 season, when the Panthers earned their third bowl berth in five seasons and second in three years under head coach Shawn Elliott. GSU finished 7-6 last season.
 
> In 23 seasons as a Division I coach, Shawn Elliott has been part of 21 winning seasons and 18 teams that reached a bowl game or the NCAA playoffs.
 
DEFENSE RULES THE DAY: The Georgia State defense turned in a strong performance to key the Panthers' 49-29 victory over East Carolina. The defense did not allow an offensive touchdown to the Pirates, whose three touchdowns came on a pick-six, a fake field goal and a blocked punt.
           
The Panthers allowed only 286 total yards (3.7 yards per play), including just 50 yards rushing, the third-lowest single-game total in GSU history. And of those 50 yards, 31 came on the fake field goal.
 
LAST YEAR VS. ARKANSAS STATE: Georgia State's first win over Arkansas State, 52-38 last season in Atlanta, was the most prolific offensive performance in school history and one of the best in Sun Belt Conference annals:
> 52 points: GSU's most vs. FBS team and second-most overall
> 722 yards of total offense - GSU record and top 10 in Sun Belt history
> 99 plays - GSU record
> 340 yards rushing - then-GSU record (broken the next game)
> 39 first downs - ties Sun Belt record
> 39:19 time of possession - GSU record
> 6 rushing touchdowns - GSU record
> 7 touchdowns - ties GSU record
> Destin Coates tied school record with three rushing touchdowns
> Career highs of 382 yards passing and 451 yards of total offense by QB Dan Ellington on
his 22nd birthday. He was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week.
 
MORE ON SERIES VS. ARKANSAS STATE: Georgia State and Arkansas State are meeting in a Sun Belt Conference Thursday night game for the third time in the last five years. The Red Wolves won 31-16 at the Georgia Dome in 2016 and 51-35 in Jonesboro in 2018.
 
In 2013 in Georgia State's first year in FBS and the Sun Belt, the Panthers fell 33-30 at heavily favored Arkansas State.
 
Current Miami Dolphins WR Albert Wilson nearly led the Panthers to the upset when he caught a 70-yard TD pass with 2:13 to play that brought GSU within a two-point conversion of tying the game. Wilson finished with 149 yds receiving on seven receptions and 104 yards rushing on just two carries, the only Panther with 100 yds rushing & receiving in same game. He had an 80-yard TD run, at the time the longest in school history. One play earlier, after Arkansas State recovered a fumble at the GSU 25, Wilson punched the ball loose to force a fumble and touchback.
 
LANE TRAIN: Redshirt freshman safety Antavious Lane was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after his 34-yard interception return for touchdown was a key play in the Panthers' 49-29 win over East Carolina.
           
Lane also had five tackles and two pass breakups to help GSU hold ECU to 50 yards rushing and 286 total yards. He is the Panthers' leading tackler on the season.
 
BRIGHT WHITE: Junior cornerback Quavian White leads the Panthers in interceptions (two) and sacks (1.5). 
           
White had four tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a pass breakup against East Carolina, helping hold the Pirates to 286 total yards and no offensive touchdowns.
           
Against No. 19 Louisiana, White made seven solo tackles in the game, along with an interception and two pass breakups. He also had one kickoff return (22 yds) and two punt returns for 17 yards, and he was tabbed to the weekly honor roll for the Paul Hornung Award, which recognizes versatility,