Defense, timely offense lead win

Panthers perfect in red zone, make crucial stand late.

When the clock hit zero, Georgia State Stadium was shrouded in blue.

Georgia State got some home cooking Thursday night, controlling the pace and leading South Alabama wire-to-wire in a 21-13 win.

The Panthers (4-3, 3-1) moved back over .500, and their three Sun Belt wins are tied for second in the conference.

“I’ll tell you what, it’s a lot better when you win coming in here (the media room) than when you lose,” said Panthers coach Shawn Elliott, who couldn’t stop smiling after the game.

Observations from the game:

What a difference five days makes. The Panthers prioritized their redzone woes this week, and it worked. GSU was 2 for 5 inside the 20 against Troy, coming away with only 10 points.

On Thursday night, the Panthers crossed the goal line twice in two red-zone possessions in the first half, mounting a 14-3 lead against a struggling offensive team. GSU built that advantage even though three of its seven first-half possessions started inside its own 11.

The Panthers finished 3 for 3 in the red zone, which proved crucial.

The dagger. Conner Manning and Penny Hart are back after a lackluster showing Saturday. Up 14-6, Manning engineered the game-clinching drive, finally rolling out and finding Hart in the corner of the end zone for an 8-yard score.

“We have to find ways to target him,” Elliott said. “He’s an electric football player with the ball in his hands. He makes things happen.”

The Jaguars’ Jamarius Way got open down the sideline and scored a 75-yard touchdown to cut it to 21-13 with 2:11 left, giving South Alabama a glimmer of hope. It recovered the onside kick, but GSU’s defense didn’t bend and forced a turnover on downs.

“We really make it interesting, don’t we,” Elliott said, breathing a sign of relief. “We really do.”

The record. GSU safety Bryan Williams snatched an interception on the Jaguars’ first drive. Williams tied the school record with his sixth career pick. He also tied the single-season mark with his fourth of the season.

Williams said he saw the play on video and was in the right place at the right time.

“This is a big season for us,” said Williams, the first sixth-year senior in school history. “We’re playing good right now.”

Williams’ unit looked much more comfortable than it did Saturday. The defensive backs were more confident, staying in position and tackling much better. They attacked the ball — especially on sideline throws — and forced third-and-longs. That was the defense apparent during the Panthers’ threegame road win streak.

“Our defense played a phenomenal football game,” Elliott said. “Just big plays all night.”