Panthers must win out to avoid losing season

       Georgia State's record fell to 1-5 Saturday, as they were defeated on the road by South Carolina State 23-13. The loss came on a day when quarterback Drew Little was sidelined with injuries, and Bo Schlecter and Kelton Hill had to trade quarterback duties. "It seems like every time we get something going, we lose the person who was the spark plug," head coach Bill Curry said. "Today we had to play without Drew Little, so we relied on our other quarterbacks and tried to go with what they do well. But we're not going to use injuries as an excuse." Neither quarterback could ever get in a rhythm through the air. They finished the game with a lousy 76 yards with six completions and three interceptions.

             In comparison, SCSU quarterback Richard Cue was 16-30 for 213 yards and rushed for 45 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the horrific passing statistics, Georgia State was in control of the game as late as the third quarter, when a Donald Russell touchdown gave the Panthers a 13-10 lead.

        The running game was the lone bright spot in an overall subpar offensive outing. Georgia State rushed for 244 yards, the highest total in school history, with Russell contributing 85 of those yards and Hill leading the team with 94.

After gaining the 13-10 advantage, an SCSU field goal tied the affair, and Georgia State soon had an opportunity to regain the lead. But any hopes of putting together a drive were shattered by a third and one false start penalty that resulted in a failed 46-yard field goal attempt by freshman kicker Christian Benvenuto.

            SCSU collected another field goal on their next possession, and were able to put together an 80 yard touchdown drive that ate up five minutes of clock and made sure that the lead, 23-13, was well out of Georgia State's grasp.

Despite the loss, Georgia State was in the game late which is more than can be said for their other losses, and the run game provided some promise for the team's offensive future.

         The glaring problem for the game was the lack of a pass attack, brought about partly by Little's absence. The larger problem on the season has been the team lacking the ability to grind out games late, as the Panthers have consistently fallen apart in the fourth quarter.

        "We've got to learn to finish the job," Curry said. "But we took another step forward, and we've got to look at it that way. We were in position to give ourselves a chance to win."

Georgia State will look to put their five-game losing streak to an end in this Saturday's Homecoming game, as they take on South Alabama in the Georgia Dome at 3 p.m.

         Should they lose, it will cement Georgia States first losing season. If the Panthers hope to avoid such a fate, then they have to win out, starting with South Alabama, who beat them last season Panthers must win out