GEORGIA STATE (3-1, 0-0 SBC) vs ODU (1-3, 0-1 SBC)
Saturday, Oct. 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Atlanta, Ga.
TV: ESPN+
RADIO: Georgia State Radio Network in Atlanta on WRAS-FM 88.5, in Gainesville on WGTJ-FM 97.5, GSU Athletics mobile app, www.LowCountryRadio.com
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ATLANTA-- After finishing 3-1 in non-conference action, Georgia State kicks off conference action hosting Old Dominion for homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium.
Georgia State leads the Sun Belt in total Offense through four games, averaging 38.8 points and 468.3 yards per game, including 215.3 rushing yards and 253.0 passing yards per game.
The Panthers have dominated on the ground, outrushing opponents 861-572 with 11-6 advantage in rushing touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Cameran Brown earned Sun Belt Player of the Week (Sept. 14) after carrying the Panthers with 315 yards and a touchdown to lead Georgia State to a 31-17 win over C-USA Champions Kennesaw State.
Georgia State opened the season with a 59-10 win over North Carolina A&T on Sept. 5, setting the program record for most points scored in a game, largest margin of victory and second fewest points allowed in program history.
The Panthers enter year three under the direction of head coach Dell McGee.
Georgia State returns 50 student athletes from the 2025 roster and added 67 newcomers, including 37 transfers and 24 freshmen.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia State and Old Dominion are meeting for the eighth time in program history. The Panthers are 1-6 in the series against the Monarchs.
The Panthers' lone win against the Monarchs came in 2022 when GSU took a 31-17 advantage over Old Dominion at home.
SCOUTING THE MONARCHS
Old Dominion is 1-3 on the season, with its only win coming in the season-opener against Norfolk State.
The Monarchs opened conference action with a 46-20 road loss against James Madison on Sept. 26.
Quarterback Quinn Henicle leads Old Dominion with 424 receiving yards on 30 completions and three touchdowns, primarily targeting reciever TJ Johnson with 153 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, Mario Thompson leads the Monarchs with 32 touchdowns, 2.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks for 6 yards.
MOVING THE CHAINS
Georgia State enters week five averaging 468.3 yards of total offense per game, including 253.0 through the air and 215.3 on the ground. The Panthers are averaging 6.6 yards per play through four games.
The Panthers have converted 27-of-53 third downs this season, good for 50.9 percent. GSU has converted at least 46 percent of its third downs in all four games, including 50 percent or better in three contests.
Georgia State has scored 155 points through four games, an average of 38.8 points per contest. The Panthers have scored 30-plus points in every game this season and are 3-1 overall.
The Panthers have been especially productive in the middle two quarters, outscoring opponents 115-39 in the second and third quarters combined. The Panthers have scored 67 points in the second quarter and 48 in the third. The Panthers have recorded 75 first downs compared to just 44 by their opponents.
Georgia State has scored on 18 of its 19 trips to the red zone this season, a 95 percent success rate. Fourteen of those 19 possessions have resulted in touchdowns.
The Panthers have scored 19 touchdowns this season compared to 10 by their opponents.
Their rushing offense leads the Sun Belt and is fourth in the nation.
LAST TIME OUT
The Georgia State defense piled up six sacks and got a piece of program history from Isaiah Stone to beat Northern Illinois 35-14 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Stone's 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown early in the second quarter tied the program record for the longest kickoff return in Georgia State history and now stands as the longest run in the record book. The return came right after NIU had tied the game at 14-14, swinging momentum back to the Panthers at a pivotal moment.
Cameran Brown led Georgia State's passing attack with 148 yards, throwing two touchdowns. Lanear McCrary Jr. paced the ground game with 111 yards and a touchdown, and Brown added 18 yards rushing on 9.0 per carry. Rodshaun Dorsey hauled in five catches for 114 yards with two appearances in the end zone.
Defensively, Jabriel Rhodes-Nelson led the way with three tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. Xavier Esqillion added four tackles with two sacks, and Zach Stair chipped in a fumble recovery of his own.
Georgia State forced two turnovers on the day and turned those takeaways into seven points. The Panthers converted six of 12 third-down tries and went a perfect 1-for-1 on fourth down.
The Georgia State defense also smothered Northern Illinois' running game, holding the Huskies to 112 net rushing yards while the Panthers' own ground attack piled up 144. GSU finished with 10 tackles for loss to go with the six sacks. The Panthers cashed in every red-zone trip, scoring touchdowns on all three of their chances inside the 20.
UP NEXT
Georgia State travels Harrisonburg, Va. to James Madison for its first conference road contest of the season on Saturday, Oct. 17.
