GEORGIA STATE vs. EAST CAROLINA

Georgia State hosts its first-ever meeting with East Carolina Saturday at Center Parc Stadium in another nationally-televised game on ESPNU.

The Panthers (0-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) last played two weeks ago with a 34-31 overtime loss to nationally-ranked Louisiana. Despite the tough loss, Georgia State’s season opener showed numerous positives, led by Destin’ Coates’ 150 yards rushing.

Coates, the junior from Tallahassee, Fla., has taken over the rushing load carried last season by GSU career-rushing leader Tra Barnett. Coates was a workhorse, carrying the ball a school-record 34 times for the sixth-highest single-game rushing total in program history.

He leads FBS with 150.0 rushing yards per game while ranking eighth with 171.0 all-purpose yards.

Behind Coates’ effort, the Panthers rushed for 223 yards in the game, continuing the program’s strong emphasis on the ground attack. Over the last 10 games, GSU has averaged 253.3 rushing yards per contest.

Keying that productivity on the ground is a veteran offensive line that features 91 career starts, including 38 by senior left guard Shamarious Gilmore, the three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection.

Redshirt freshman Cornelious Brown IV is Georgia State’s starting quarterback, taking over for two-year starter Dan Ellington.

Brown, known as Quad, was 22-for-39 for 196 yards and one TD against Louisiana while rushing 15 times for 64 yards and a touchdown.

He is the 10th different quarterback to start a game for Georgia State, and he passed for more yards than any other GSU QB in his first start except career passing leading Nick Arbuckle (413 vs. Abilene Christian, 2014).

One of Brown’s top targets is senior tight end Roger Carter, who showed why he is one of the best in the Sun Belt. The senior had a 28-yard touchdown catch and a 25-yard reception down to the 4-yard line to set up another score.

Defensively, Georgia State forced two key turnovers in the opener with interceptions by cornerback Quavian White and linebacker Victor Heyward.

White also had seven tackles and three pass breakups, along with 53 yards on interception, punt and kickoff returns. He was named to the weekly honor roll for the Paul Hornung Award, which recognizes versatility.

Another key new face for the Panthers is placekicker Noel Ruiz, the graduate transfer from North Carolina A&T. He ranks among the active FBS leaders with 38 career field goals and 257 career points.

East Carolina (0-1, 0-1 AAC) opened its season last Saturday with a 51-28 loss to No. 13 UCF. The Pirates were 4-8 a year ago in head coach Mike Houston’s first season.

Leading the Pirates is lefthanded, dual-threat quarterback Holton Ahlers, a third-year starter with more than 5,000 career passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards.