The Georgia State Panthers move into a new home this season. It’s the site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and more specifically, the stadium where the opening ceremonies were held. That stadium became known as Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves for nearly 20 years before the team moved to a new ballpark this season. The baseball park was refitted into a small football stadium. Georgia State, relatively new to major college football, hopes that it can start fresh and make its way through the Sun Belt, a conference which has not been very hospitable over the past few years.
How Did They End 2016
It is true that Georgia State started the 2016 season with an 0-4 record, but as strange as it sounds, the 0-4 record wasn’t that bad. Air Force, Wisconsin and Appalachian State were all very good teams, which made it hard to expect wins in September. Georgia State’s best performance of the year, in fact, was a loss – a 23-17 decision at Wisconsin in which the Panthers had a chance to win the game with a late touchdown, but fell just short of their goal. Nevertheless, that performance, followed by another strong defensive showing against Appalachian State (limiting the eventual Sun Belt co-champion Mountaineers to just 17 points), suggested that this team could achieve something in the Sun Belt. Winning six league games might have been asking too much, but at least going 4-4 (.500) in the league was a reasonable proposition. Yet, the Panthers floundered, posting a meager 2-6 record in the conference. Their offense never really improved over the course of the season. Only twice did the Georgia State Panthers score more than 23 points in a game, only once more than 30. A 13-10 loss to South Alabama before the November home stretch was a killer. The defense had done its part, but became tired and frustrated toward the end. A pair of games in which Georgia State allowed 37 points marked the final three games of the season. A team with a lot of potential finished 3-9, 2-6 in the Sun Belt. It was clearly a big disappointment.
Offseason Changes
The big change is that the old coaching regime is out, and the new boss is Shawn Elliott, who was a Steve Spurrier assistant at South Carolina in 2015 before Spurrier abruptly resigned in the middle of the season. Elliott coached the team in the remainder of that season, gaining crucial experience at managing a full college football operation. He used that notch on his resume to land the job at Georgia State.
Georgia State loses All-Sun Belt defensive end Shawanye Lawrence is gone – that could be a crucial loss. The Georgia State Panthers’ offense struggled last year, and the defense was very good. Any slippage by the defense could be significant in 2017.
Team X-Factor
New head coach, new stadium, new attitude – it all depends on the quarterback. Getting competent play – not dazzling play, just basic execution with few turnovers – from Conner Manning, especially in key situations, will likely represent the difference between a bad year and a decent year. This offense stagnated way too many times last season and did not help the defense. That simply has to improve this season.
What To Expect From The Georgia State Panthers This Year
The offense will clearly be a work in progress. The defense will be solid, but if it regresses at all, the overall team profile will probably suffer. This is not a year to be optimistic, even though GSU would love to open its new stadium in a successful way.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 3-9
2015: 6-7
2014: 1-11
2013: 0-12
Schedule and Outlook
The Georgia State Panthers will start the season against Tennessee State but then things ramp up quickly. They’ll have to go to Happy Valley in Week 2 to face Penn State, which is sure to be a loss. Then they’ll got to Charlotte and wrap up their September with a tough home game against Memphis.
The Panthers are fighting uphill in this conference, and so despite the festive feeling associated with a new start in the heart of a big metropolis, the feel-good ending is probably not going to happen for the Panthers, who should struggle from start to finish.
Regular Season Win Prediction: Under 5
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