GEORGIA STATE (0-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) vs. EAST CAROLINA (0-1, 0-1 AAC)
Oct. 3, 2020  |  12 p.m.  |  Center Parc Stadium
TV: ESPNU  |  Radio: WRAS-FM 88.5
 
THE KICKOFF: Georgia State hosts East Carolina in another nationally-televised game at Center Parc Stadium Saturday at noon on ESPNU.
 
> The Panthers opened the season with a 34-31 overtime loss to No. 19 Louisiana on Sept. 19. Despite the loss, Georgia State showed many positives in its season opener, including 150 yards rushing by Destin Coates.
 
> Coates RANKS NO. 1 IN FBS with 150.0 rushing yards per game and No. 8 with 171.0 all-purpose yards per game.
 
> East Carolina opened its season last Saturday with a 51-28 loss to No. 13 UCF. The Pirates were 4-8 a year ago in head coach Mike Houston's first season.
 
> Georgia State is facing East Carolina for the first time. The return game at ECU is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2027.
 
> While an assistant coach at South Carolina, GSU head coach Shawn Elliott was 4-0 against East Carolina with wins in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016.
 
> Georgia State will face a left-handed starting quarterback for the second straight game with ECU junior southpaw Holton Ahlers following Louisiana's Levi Lewis.
 
> GSU placekicker Noel Ruiz, the grad transfer from North Carolina A&T, ranks seventh among active FBS kickers (eighth among all players) in career scoring (257), 14th in field goals (38) and fourth in PAT (143). ECU kicker Jake Veritas is No. 1 in active career FG (60) and third in scoring (284).
 
> 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.