Short- handed Panthers lose shootout amid COVID- 19

The Georgia State football team went into Thursday’s game without two of its top offensive weapons and fell just short of an upset, losing to Arkansas State 59- 52 in a Sun Belt Conference shootout in Jonesboro, Ark.

Georgia State matched Arkansas Stateblow- for- blow until coming up empty on a fourth- down conversion with two minutes left that allowed the Red Wolves to run out the clock.

Georgia State ( 1- 2, 0- 2 Sun Belt) played without leading rusher Destin Coates and secondleading receiver Cornelius McCoy. Both were left at home, along with defensive coordinator Nate Fuqua, because of COVID- 19 concerns.

“The effort was there, and we went out and played our hardest against a good team and came up short,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said. “We’re dealing with a situation we have no control over, dealing with COVID.

You just have to roll with the punches. Wewere short some players and a coach and came out on the short end of things.”

Panthers quarterback Quad Brown completed 18 of 35 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns. But Brown missed on his final three throws, including a fourthand5 pass to Sam Pinckney.

Pinckney caught six passes for 146 yards, his second consecutive game with 100plus yards, and three touchdowns. Tucker Gregg got the start for Coates and rushed 14 times for 142 yards and one touchdown.

“We’ve got playmakers andwith Destin out, Tucker stepped in and Sam had a hell of a ballgame,” Elliott said. “The great thing is we were able to spread the ball around. They were workhorses tonight.”

Georgia State amassed583 total yards, but allowed 609 yards and permitted the Red Wolves to convert on 3 of 4 fourth- down plays.

All but 58 of those yards came through the air, as the Panthers couldn’t stop either of the two Arkansas State quarterbacks who rotated possessions. Layne Hatcher threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns, and Logan Bonner threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Jonathan Adams caught 15 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

Neither of those quarterbacks threw the game- winning touchdown. That came on a double- reverse pass, with Rashauud Paul throwing a 22- yard touchdown to Lincoln Pare with 4: 23 remaining.

“That’s just the way it played out,” Elliott said.“We couldn’t stop them. Wewere short a defensive coordinator, and that made things diffifficult all week and probably in the game. We had our opportunities to win.”

For the second consecutive game, Georgia State made a mistake on its fifirst possession that resulted in an opponent’s touchdown. Last time it was a pick- six; on Thursday it was amis handled snap by punter Michael Hayes that was recovered at the 5 and pushed across for a touchdown on third down.

The Panthers evened the score at 7- 7 thanks to a school- record 99- yard drive. After getting backed up at the 1, Gregg broke through the line for a 56- yard gain on the fifirst play, and Brown scored four plays later on a 35- yard run, muscling his way for the fifinal three yards.

After surrendering a 49- yard touchdown pass, Hatcher connecting with Dahu Green, the Panthers used their defense to even the score 14- 14. Jordan Strachan stripped the ball as Bonner was trying to pass, and Blake Carroll picked it up for a 74- yard scoop- andscore. It was the second- longest fumble return in school history.

Arkansas State regained the lead after converting a fourth- and- 2 when Bonner found Jonathan Adams with a 42- yard deep ball to make it 21- 14.

Georgia State responded quickly. Brown threw to Jamari Thrash for a 57- yard completion, then scored three plays later with an 11- yard run to tie it up 21- 21 with 4: 29 left. The teams again exchanged touchdowns, Arkansas State scoring on a 20- yard pass from Hatcher to Green, only to have Georgia State match it on Brown’s 21- yard touchdown pass to Pinckney with 14 seconds left for a 28- 28 tie.

The Panthers held Arkansas State on fourth- and- 1 at the 39 when Dontae Wilson stopped Jamal Jones for no gain. Two plays later, Brown threwa 36- yard touchdown pass to Pinckney to give GSU its fifirst lead of the game.

That didn’t last long. Arkansas State answered with an 11- play drive capped by a 16- yard scoring pass from Bonner to Brandon Bowling. The Red Wolves then forced GSU to punt and quickly scored on an 8- yard pass to Pare, one play after a 45- yardcompletion, to regain the lead 42- 35.

Georgia State pulled even again with a 75- yard drive that was completed on a 7- yard run by Gregg. The drive also cost Arkansas State one of its best defensive players when Justin Rice was ejected for targeting.

Arkansas State was limited to a fifield goal and Georgia State took advantage of the opening when Brown found Pinckney for a 31- yard touchdown on the fifirst play of the fourth quarter for a 49- 45 lead.

The Red Wolves immediately reclaimed the lead. After converting a fourth down, Arkansas State’s Hatcher threw to Adams in the corner of the end zone for a 32- yardtouchdownand a 52- 49 lead.

After an exchange of punts, Georgia State tied the score 52- 52 on a 29- yard fifield goal from Noel Ruiz with6: 55 left.