The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Panthers aim for improved downfield passing results
One factor that has limited the Georgia State offense since the switch to Darren Grainger as starting quarterback has been the lack of a downfield passing attack. Despite the presence of some game-breaking receivers, the Panthers have come up light in explosive passing plays because the focus has been on short routes.
The matter likely will be addressed this week when the Panthers prepare for a difficult road trip Saturday to play Coastal Carolina. Kickoff is 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNPLUS. It may be heard locally on WRAS-FM 88.5.
“I told him that we’ve got to really, really harp on our vertical throw game and get the football down the field,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said. “He said he agrees 100%. But I love what he’s done in the run game, and he’s managed that real well.”
In a 21-17 loss to Louisiana-lafayette on Nov. 4, Grainger completed 8 of 19 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown and was sacked three times. But only three of the catches went for double-digit gains, with the other five completions 7 yards or less.
“He had a little bit of hot feet,” Elliott said. “Sometimes he felt pressure that wasn’t there, and sometimes there was pressure there, but we’ve got to give him a clean pocket, make sure it’s crisp and clean. And we’ve got to give him easier reads, something that can easily be defined and executed early in his progression.”
Grainger’s overall numbers are good. He’s completed 57.7% of his throws for 1,022 yards and 12 touchdowns and has been intercepted only three times. But many of the throws are short routes or tosses in the flat. He has not been a consistent threat to throw it long.
“We’ve got to do it in a hurry,” Elliott said. “We addressed that in our team meeting, what we had to do better offensively, and certainly we’ve got to throw the ball better. We’ve got some talented receivers that are doing a lot of blocking right now, and they should be doing a lot more catching.”
It hasn’t helped that Sam Pinckney and Cornelius Mccoy have been dealing with hamstring issues all season. But Pinckney, the team’s big-play threat, had two catches last week for 7 yards each; his longest catch over the past three games has been 18 yards. In his last four games of the 2020 season he had catches for at least 26 yards in each contest.
Any downfield success will help relieve the pressure on the team’s successful rushing game. The Panthers ran effectively against Louisiana-lafayette, carrying 49 times for 209 yards. Tucker Gregg carried 23 times for 99 yards — including 13 times on a 16-play scoring drive — and Jamyest Williams ran 15 times for 82 yards. Georgia State ranks No. 3 in the Sun Belt, with 213.5 yards per game.
“We have to rush the football,” Elliott said. “Look at our offense, and that’s predominantly where our producing comes from. (Coastal) has a really good defense, and they’re going to have an answer for it, but certainly we’ve got to find a way to generate movement on the ground with our backs and our quarterback and even involving our receivers a little bit. But we have to establish the run.”
The all-time series is tied 2-2, but Coastal Carolina hammered GSU 51-0 last season, a loss that Elliott called “one of the most embarrassing losses I’ve had … ”
The Panthers may get a break now that Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson Mccall is out indefinitely with an unidentified shoulder injury. Mccall has thrown for 2,063 yards and 17 touchdowns and is a magician at times with fakes and improvisation.
He was replaced last week by Bryce Carpenter, who is a better runner and brings an RPO factor that Mccall didn’t possess. Carpenter threw for 85 yards and ran for 44 in Saturday’s win over Georgia Southern.
Coastal leads the Sun Belt with 230.2 yards rushing per game. Sherman Jones (620 yards, nine touchdowns) and Reese White (516 yards, seven touchdowns) are the top runners for the Chanticleers, who have four runners with 200-plus yards.