Georgia State (4-2) pulled away with a 19-7 stretch to start the second half, making nine of its first 10 field-goal attempts to lead 43-27 on T.J. Shipes layup with 11:15 left. Georgia Southern answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back LA Ramsby, sending the game to halftime tied 7-7.
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Georgia Southern (8-4) entered the game with the No. 1 rushing attack in the nation, averaging 375.6 yards on the ground. “We had a hard time running the football against them and then we had to pass, and we’re not a passing team”. Keith Rucker and Robert Davis each added third quarter TD receptions, which gave Georgia State a 20-7 lead.
Arbuckle completed 20 of 32 passes for 346 yards. Actually, in this case, it was Panthers – as in Georgia State – coming home to roost.
During the rivals previous meetup at the Georgia Dome in 2014, the Eagles won big over the Panthers resulting in a 69-31 score.
Penny Hart caught seven passes for 134 yards including a 63-yard touchdown strike on the Panthers first possession of the second quarter.
The first half was tight as neither team could gain much of an advantage as they were tied at 10 within the first 10 minutes.
Georgia State senior safety Tarris Batiste had two interceptions, highlighting an impressive defensive performance from the Panthers.
“I’ll be forever grateful for the fans here; my four years have been tremendous”, said senior Matt Dobson, who finished the game with nine tackles and an interception.
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Georgia Southern will learn the date, kickoff time, destination and opponent for the first bowl game in school history Sunday afternoon.
