Georgia Southern University
7-5 , 5-3
Georgia State
7-5 , 4-4
Southern Drops State in Regular Season Finale, 38-10
11/30/2019 9:57:00 PM | Football
Georgia Southern awaits bowl destination
STATESBORO - The Georgia Southern football team closed out the regular season with a dominating effort in downing in-state rival Georgia State, 38-10, Saturday night at Allen E. Paulson Stadium on Senior Night. The Eagles got four rushing touchdowns and five sacks in rolling to the seventh win of the season.
Key Moment: After Georgia State's Brandon Wright missed a 47-yard field goal that would have given the Panthers a 10-7 lead, the Eagles marched down the field and capped a drive on a 49-yard field goal from Tyler Bass. Southern would go on to score 21 more unanswered points to take a 31-7 lead.
Key Scoring Plays:
- Georgia State capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run up the middle by Tra Barnett. GS 0, GAST 7.
- Georgia Southern took it 75 yards in eight plays to tie it up on Shai Werts' 11-yard scamper. GS 7, GAST 7.
- Tyler Bass hit a 49-yard field goal to give the Eagles their first lead. GS 10, GAST 7.
- J.D. King tore through several tacklers on a hard-fought 7-yard run. GS 17, GAST 7.
- Set up by a 48-yard kickoff return by Wesley Kennedy III to start the second half, Kennedy III increased the lead on a 13-yard run on the option down the far sideline. GS 24, GAST 7.
- The Panthers' quarterback Dan Ellington was stopped on a fourth-down run near midfield, and six plays later King took it around the left side for a 13-yard touchdown. GS 31, GAST 7.
- King solidified the win with an exclamation mark on a 30-yard run, his third of the night. GS 38, GAST 10.
Key Stat: J.D. King rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles racked up 279 on the ground. Tra Barnett, who came into the game averaging a Sun Belt-leading 121.5 yards per game, but was held to 53 yards and a score by the Eagle defense.
Of Note: The win ties the all-time series at 3-3 and was the first win for the Eagles over Georgia State inside Paulson Stadium … The win is worth two points in the annual Southern-State Rivalry, which the Eagles now lead 4-3 … Seventeen seniors were honored before the game before their final game at Paulson Stadium.
Up Next: The Eagles (7-5, 5-3 SBC) now await their bowl fate to be announced after next week's conference championship games. Pre-order tickets are available through GSEagles.com.
Team Stats
GSU 7, GS 0
GSU - Barnett, Tra 15 yd run (Wright, Brandon kick), 9 plays, 86 yards, TOP 3:44
GSU 7, GS 7
GS - S. Werts 11 yd run (T. Bass kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:35
GSU 7, GS 10
GS - T. Bass 49 yd field goal 6 plays, 37 yards, TOP 3:20
GSU 7, GS 17
GS - J. King 7 yd run (T. Bass kick), 9 plays, 73 yards, TOP 5:07
GSU 7, GS 24
GS - W. Kennedy III 13 yd run (T. Bass kick), 5 plays, 51 yards, TOP 2:37
GSU 7, GS 31
GS - J. King 13 yd run (T. Bass kick), 6 plays, 43 yards, TOP 3:23
GSU 10, GS 31
GSU - Wright, Brandon 35 yd field goal 9 plays, 57 yards, TOP 3:15
GSU 10, GS 38
GS - J. King 30 yd run (T. Bass kick), 7 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:07
