Grainger Named GSU Student-Athlete of the Week

After leading Georgia State to a dominating 51-20 victory in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl, quarterback Darren Grainger is the Georgia State Student-Athlete of the Week.

Winner of the Bart Starr Most Valuable Player award, Grainger helped the Panthers to their second straight bowl victory and their school-record eighth win of the season.

The GSU signal caller accounted for four touchdowns with 203 yards passing and a career-high 122 yards rushing for 325 yards of total offense, his high for the Panthers.

Grainger completed 15-of-19 passes, including touchdown passes of 18 yards (to Aubry Payne), 10 yards (to Robert Lewis), and 16 yards (to Payne) while scoring on a 34-yard touchdown run. He directed a GSU offense that led 20-13 at the half before scored 31 straight points, including 28 in the third quarter alone.

He is just the second GSU quarterback, and the first since 2011, with 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in a game.

The junior from Conway, S.C., topped the 1,000-yard mark for career rushing yards (including his Furman years), joining Tucker Gregg and Jamyest Williams to give the Panthers three 1,000-yard rushers on this team.

Grainger finished the 2021 season with 19 touchdown passes, more than any Georgia State quarterbacks except Nick Arbuckle (28 in 2015 and 23 in 2014) and Dan Ellington (22 in 2019), and his 670 yards rushing are the most by a GSU QB (two yards more than Ellington in 2019).

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Players Mentioned

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

#26 Tucker Gregg: RB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#88 Aubry Payne: TE; 6' 4"; Redshirt Junior

#14 Robert Lewis: WR; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

#21 Jamyest Williams: RB; 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior

#3 Darren Grainger: QB; 6' 4"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

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

#26 Tucker Gregg
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: RB

#88 Aubry Payne
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Junior
: TE

#14 Robert Lewis
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman
: WR

#21 Jamyest Williams
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior
: RB

#3 Darren Grainger
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Junior
: QB