THE GAME: Georgia State (0-0) vs. Ball State (0-0), Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m. ET at the Georgia Dome.
TICKETS: Call 404-413-4020 or visit GeorgiaStateSports.com
TV: Nationally televised on American Sports Network (WPCH Peachtree TV in Atlanta). Also available on ESPN3 and WatchESPN. Announcers are Jeff McCarragher and Michael Young.
RADIO: Georgia State Radio Network, including Atlanta flagship 1340 The Fan 3. Dave Cohen is in his 34th season as the play-by-play voice of Panther athletics, while Brandon Leak and Harper LeBel join him from the booth, and Sam Crenshaw adds sideline coverage. This week's game is also available on WRAS-FM 88.5 in Atlanta. The broadcast is streamed for free on GeorgiaStateSports.com.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP: That is the theme for the Georgia State Panthers, who took a giant leap in 2015 by earning their first bowl berth and now look to keep moving forward in 2016.
Under 2015 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Trent Miles, Georgia State won its final four regular-season games, capped by a 34-7 victory at rival Georgia Southern. That sent the Panthers bowling in just their sixth season of existence with a trip to the inaugural AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
In his fourth year at the helm, Miles welcomes back 16 starters, including nine on defense and seven on offense. That returning cast, combined with the Panthers’ strong finish in 2015, earned Georgia State the fourth position in the Sun Belt’s preseason poll. Last season, GSU was picked ninth but finished in fourth place with a record of 6-7 overall, 5-3 in the Sun Belt.
The biggest unknown for Georgia State is at quarterback, where the Panthers must replace record-setting quarterback Nick Arbuckle, the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year who passed for more than 7,600 yards and 51 touchdowns in his two seasons.
More than one quarterback could see action after a three-man competition between redshirt freshman Aaron Winchester, graduate transfer Conner Manning and sophomore Emiere Scaife. Sophomore transfer Jaquez Parks also joined the mix in August. The starter will not be announced before game time.
Whoever is under center will benefit from a talented cast of receivers and tight ends, led by Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Penny Hart, All-Sun Belt receiver Robert Davis and all-conference tight end Keith Rucker.
Georgia State looks for a more productive running game behind backs Glenn Smith, Kendrick Dorn, Kyler Neal and Demarcus Kirk and an improved offensive line.
Defensively, the Panthers return nine starters and several key backups from a unit that was the most improved defense in the FBS last fall. The two losses are significant in linebacker Joseph Peterson and safety Tarris Batiste, but GSU has an all-conference returnee at each position: defensive lineman Shawanye Lawrence, linebacker Alonzo McGee, safety Bobby Baker and cornerback Chandon Sullivan.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Five Panthers were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team:
Bobby Baker, S (first team)
Robert Davis, WR (first team)
Penny Hart, WR (first team)
Keith Rucker, TE (second team)
Shawanye Lawrence, DE (second team)
Preseason Watch Lists
Senior Bowl: Bobby Baker, Robert Davis
Fred Biletnikoff Award (Receiver): Robert Davis, Penny Hart
John Mackey Award (Tight End): Keith Rucker
Rimington Trophy (Center): Gabe Mobley
Jim Thorpe Award (Defensive Back): Bobby Baker
Wuerffel Trophy (Community Service): Keith Rucker
ABOUT BALL STATE: Georgia State and Ball State are meeting for the second straight year. Last year at Ball State, the Panthers earned a 31-19 victory that was a key turning point in the season. Nick Arbuckle passed for 412 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, while Robert Davis had then-career highs with nine receptions for 125 yards.
Cardinals head coach Mike Neu will be making his college head coaching debut. The Ball State grad was previously the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints. Ball State finished 2015 with a 3-9 record, 2-6 in the Mid-American Conference.
Top returnees for the Cardinals include sophomore quarterback Riley Neal (2,276 yards passing, 16 TD, 6 int.), senior receiver KeVonn Mabon (70 receptions for 745 yards, 2 TD) and senior linebacker Sean Wiggins (95 tackles, 2 int.).
FAMILIAR FOE FOR MINTERS: Ball State is a familiar foe for Georgia State defensive line coach Rick Minter, who served as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 1985-91. GSU defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Rick’s son, grew up in Muncie and attended Yorktown High School, which is also the alma mater of Ball State starting quarterback Riley Neal.
SEASON OPENERS: For the seventh time in seven seasons of football, Georgia State is opening the season on a weekday at the Georgia Dome. This will be the Panthers’ fourth Friday opener, including last year, along with two Thursday openers and one Wednesday. Georgia State is 3-3 in season openers, all in the Georgia Dome.
DAVIS ON THE RECEIVING END: Senior Robert Davis enters his senior season as the top returning receiver in the Sun Belt. He ranks sixth among all active FBS players in career receiving yards and 13th in receptions.
The 6-3, 220-pounder from Warner Robins, Ga., has caught at least one pass in every Georgia State game the last three seasons (37 straight).
TERRIFIC TRIO: Georgia State’s pass-catching trio of receivers Robert Davis and Penny Hart and tight end Keith Rucker combined for 171 receptions for 2,601 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2015. All three ranks in the top seven on Georgia State's career receiving charts.
