HATTIESBURG, MISS. -- Junior Marcus Carroll rushed for a career-high 163 yards and tied the school record with three rushing touchdowns and the Georgia State defense set a school record by holding Southern Miss to just 202 total yards in the Panthers' 42-14 win at M.M. Roberts Stadium. GSU won for the fourth time in the last five games and snapped the Golden Eagles' three-game winning streak.

GSU (4-5, 3-2 Sun Belt) quarterback Darren Grainger joined Carroll in the 100-yard column with a career-high 143 yards on the ground, along with 133 yards and two touchdowns passing. Grainger topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight game, and gave the Panthers two 100-yard rushers in the game for the third time in the last five contests.

But the story was the GSU defense, which tied the school record with seven sacks against three different Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2) quarterbacks. Jeffery Clark led the way with two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Javon Denis had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks. GSU held the Eagles to 33 net yards rushing, the fourth-lowest total in program history. The Panthers also forced two turnovers.

Combined with last week's win over Old Dominion, which managed 26 yards rushing and 283 total yards, the Georgia State defense has allowed just 485 yards of offense, including only 59 yards rushing, over the last two games.

"What a great game! That might be one of the best performances I've seen us have in all three phases," head coach Shawn Elliott said. "Both sides of the football were dominant, and our special teams did a nice job all night. It's just nice to see us play another 60-minute ballgame. We didn't let up.

"Defensively, it looked like on every play we were in the backfield. They're quarterbacks could never get comfortable."

Behind Grainger and Carroll, Georgia State rushed for 388 yards, the third-highest single-game total in program history. Carroll was making his first career start due to injuries to Jamyest Williams (DNP) and Tucker Gregg (limited play today).

Georgia State led 28-0 at the intermission after outgaining the Eagles 310 yards to 76 in the first half. The GSU defense allowed just 10 yards on 12 plays in the first quarter.

Southern Miss managed two quick touchdowns to cut the lead to 28-14 midway through the third quarter. But on Georgia State's next offensive snap, Grainger rushed 60 yards down to the USM 15-yard line. Three plays later, Carroll scored his third touchdown of the day on a 1-yard run, and the Panthers led 35-14 with 2:25 to play in the third quarter. Then the GSU defense forced a three-and-out, and the Eagles never threatened again.

On its second possession of the game, Georgia State drove 80 yards for a touchdown, grinding out 15 plays and eating up 5:41 on the clock for Grainger's 6-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Thrash and a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Thrash also caught a 30-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.

Already playing without All-Sun Belt defenders Blake Carroll, the inside linebacker who was lost for the season, and cornerback Quavian White, who missed today's game due to injury, the Panthers' then lost their other starting cornerback, Bryquice Brown, late in the first half, but the defense didn't miss a beat.

Georgia State plays its final home game next Saturday, Nov. 12, as the Panthers host ULM at 1 p.m. on Senior Day at Center Parc Stadium. For tickets, visit GeorgiaStateSports.com/tix or call 404-413-4020 during business hours.