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GEORGIA STATE vs. COASTAL CAROLINA
Coming off a hardfought road win at Troy, Georgia State hosts undefeated and No. 20-ranked Coastal Carolina in a nationally-televised game at Centre Parc Stadium.
Cornelious Brown IV threw two touchdown passes to tight end Roger Carter and rushed for a third score as the Panthers (2-2, 1-2 Sun Belt) scored 20 straight points in the third quarter and then survived a late Troy rally to win 36-34.
Coastal Carolina (5-0, 3-0 Sun Belt), coming off a 28-14 victory over Georgia Southern, will be the third nationally-ranked opponent to visit Center Parc Stadium in the last five games, following No. 24 Appalachian State (the first ranked team to play on GSU’s home field) last November and No. 19 Louisiana earlier this season.
“We’ve got a really good Coastal Carolina team coming in here,” Elliott said. “Coach [Jamey] Chadwell and his staff do a great job.
GAME NOTES >> Outside linebacker Jordan Strachan is the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week after collecting three tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, and recovering two fumbles, one of which he also caused, in the win over Troy. In the third quarter, he sacked and stripped the quarterback and recovered at the Troy 8-yard line, setting up a touchdown for a 33-21 lead. Strachan’s first fumble recovery came in the second quarter as he scooped up a loose ball and returned it 63 yards to the Troy 20 for the fourth-longest fumble return in GSU history.
>> Strachan leads the Sun Belt with 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, which has already tied the GSU season sack record. In the last two games alone, he has four sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and two caused fumbles.
>> The GSU defense held Troy to just 40 yards rushing, the second-lowest figure in school history. The Panthers have held three straight opponents to 60 rushing yards or less, and GSU leads the Sun Belt in rushing defense at 97.0 ypg (No. 14 FBS).
>> Averaging 42.0 points per game, Georgia State is No. 1 in the Sun Belt and No. 11 in FBS in scoring.
>> Junior Destin Coates is the Sun Belt’s leading rusher, averaging 126.0 yards per game (No. 5 in FBS). He has topped the 100-yard mark in three straight games. As a team, the Panthers are No. 14 in FBS in rushing (237.3 ypg).
>> Coates topped the 1,000 yard mark for his career vs. Troy. He ranks eighth in GSU history with 1,061 rushing yards.
>> Georgia State won last year’s meeting with Coastal Carolina 31-21 at Conway, S.C. The Panthers rushed for a school-record 350 yards (later broken), including three 100-yard rushers for the only time in program history: QB Dan Ellington (128), RB Tra Barnett (110) and RB Seth Paige (104).
>> GSU leads the series 2-1, but the visiting team has won all three meetings.
>> Georgia State’s two losses are by a combined 10 points, with both coming down to the final possession, including a 34-31 overtime loss to Louisiana. Against Arkansas State, after the Red Wolves scored the go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left, GSU drove to the ASU 41 yard line before coming up short on fourth down.
>> Redshirt freshman quarterback Cornelious Brown IV is second in the Sun Belt in total offense (275.8 ypg) and points responsible for (19.5 pg). He trails Coastal Carolina redshirt freshman QB Grayson McCall (278.5 ypg, 21.5 points responsible for pg) by a slim margin in both categories.
>> The Panthers’ top receiver is Sam Pinckney with 22 catches for 354 yards and five touchdowns. Over a two-game span vs. East Carolina and Arkansas State, Pinckney totaled 13 catches, 280 yards and five TD.
>> Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV and safety Antavious Lane, both redshirt freshmen, were named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Watch List. Junior center Malik Sumter has been tabbed to the Rimington Award Watch List.
>> Placekicker Noel Ruiz, the grad transfer (North Carolina A&T), ranks fifth among active FBS kickers with 286 points. He is third with 160 PAT and T-13th wih 42 career field goals.
