NDL: S32W8 - Marshall (14) at Georgia State (21)
Panthers Survive Marshall Surge
Article By: In a tense Week 8 NDL Block 3 showdown, Coach CeeGee’s Georgia State Panthers fended off a fierce Marshall comeback to secure a 21-14 win at home, keeping their Sun Belt momentum rolling.
The Panthers’ explosive start and clutch defensive stand late in the game proved just enough to hold off the Thundering Herd in a gritty battle.
Georgia State roared out of the gate in the first quarter, with Christian Veilleux hitting Austin McGee for a 36-yard touchdown pass, followed by McGee’s electrifying 53-yard jet sweep TD just two minutes later, staking the Panthers to a 14-0 lead.
“We wanted to set the tone early with our speed,” Coach CeeGee said, praising McGee’s 155 receiving yards and two scores.
The second quarter was a defensive stalemate and Georgia State took a 14-0 led into the half.
The Herd stormed back in the third, as Braylon Braxton connected with Tychaun Chapman for TD catches of 11 and 5 yards, tying the game at 14-14. Unfazed, Veilleux answered with a 31-yard TD strike to Cadarrius Thompson with 54 seconds left in the quarter, putting the Panthers back on top, 21-14.
Veilleux was razor-sharp, completing 21-of-26 passes for 330 yards and three TDs, while Senior WR Tailique Williams added 12 catches for 121 yards.
The fourth quarter was a defensive slugfest. Marshall’s Braxton threw for 340 yards but was undone by a Tavian Brown interception and a fumble forced by Josiah Robinson, recovered by Jeremiah Johnson.
Georgia State’s defense, with 10 pass deflections led by Jyron Gilmore’s four, slammed the door shut on a late Herd drive to seal the win.
The Panthers’ run game, led by DJ Murray Jr.’s 71 yards on 14 carries, helped control the clock despite a modest 5.5 yards per carry.
“We leaned on our defense when it mattered most,” Coach CeeGee said. “Marshall came at us hard, but our guys stayed composed. We’ve got to clean up some missed opportunities, but this is a big win.”
With Block 3 open for another week, the Panthers (446 total yards) look to build on this hard-fought victory and keep climbing the NDL standings.
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