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The Georgia State Panthers have had a week off and are no doubt ready to get back on the field. The Panthers and the Texas State Bobcats will face off in a Sun Belt battle at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday at Center Parc Stadium. Georgia State should still be feeling good after a big win, while Texas State will be looking to regain their footing.
Georgia State was the big favorite in their most recent matchup, and for good reason. They made easy work of the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks two weeks ago and carried off a 55-21 victory. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28-7. QB Darren Grainger had a dynamite game for Georgia State; he passed for four TDs and 230 yards on 25 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 84 yards. Grainger hadn't helped his team much against the Appalachian State Mountaineers three weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought game, but Texas State had to settle for a 31-28 loss against the Troy Trojans last week. Despite the defeat, the Bobcats got a solid performance out of WR Javen Banks, who caught four passes for one TD and 96 yards. Near the top of the highlight reel was Brady McBride's 75-yard TD bomb to Banks in the second quarter.
This next matchup looks promising for the Panthers, who are favored by a full 10.5 points. Those taking them against the spread are banking on an outcome similar to that of the team's game two weeks ago, where they covered a 16-point spread.
Georgia State's victory brought them up to 2-4 while Texas State's loss pulled them down to an identical 2-4. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Georgia State is 233rd worst in the nation in passing touchdowns allowed, with 15 on the season. The Bobcats have experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the contest with the 221st most touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 25 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
