Panthers Stumble at Home, Fall 35-18 to James Madison in Week 11 NDL Heartbreaker
Coach CeeGee’s Georgia State Panthers (9-3, 6-2 Sun Belt) suffered a crushing 35-18 defeat to the James Madison Dukes (8-2, 6-0 Sun Belt) in their Week 11 NDL Block 6 home finale, dashing hopes of a 10th win and dimming their Sun Belt East title chances.
Despite securing bowl eligibility with nine wins, the loss stung, as the Panthers were outplayed in the second half, ending their home campaign on a sour note.
The first quarter was a defensive stalemate, with neither team finding the end zone. Georgia State broke through in the second with a 28-yard Liam Rickman field goal, but James Madison answered with a 20-yard TD pass from Alonza Barnett III to Omarion Dollison and a 41-yard TD run by George Pettaway, taking a 14-3 lead into halftime.
The Panthers showed life in the third, as backup QB Kyle Lowe scored on a 5-yard TD run to cut the deficit to 14-10.
The fourth quarter was a nightmare for Georgia State. JMU’s Barnett connected with Cam Ross for a 14-yard TD, but Georgia State responded instantly with a 75-yard TD catch by Austin McGee from Lowe, plus a two-point conversion, making it 21-18.
However, JMU pulled away with a 22-yard TD pass to Taylor Thompson and sealed the rout with a 53-yard interception return TD by Terrence Spence with 59 seconds left.
“We couldn’t run, and those picks killed us,” CeeGee lamented. The Panthers’ 298 total yards were outshone by JMU’s 414, with Barnett (20/25, 248 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) and Pettaway (128 yards, 1 TD) dominating. JMU’s defense, led by Taurus Jones (5 tackles) and three picks from Spence, Justin Eaglin, and Trent Hendrick, stifled Georgia State’s rally.
Georgia State’s defense, with Josiah Robinson (8 tackles, 1 INT) and Kenyatta Watson II (2 INTs), forced two turnovers but couldn’t stop JMU’s 166 rushing yards or third-down efficiency (5/8). “We had our chances, but JMU executed when it mattered,” CeeGee said. “This one hurts, especially at home.”
At 9-3, Georgia State sits third in the Sun Belt East, behind Old Dominion (9-1) and JMU (8-2), with no realistic shot at the title game after JMU’s win.
Still, their bowl eligibility is a bright spot. “We’re bowl-bound, but we’ve got to finish strong,” CeeGee said. “This loss stings, but we’ll bounce back.”
Alonza Barnett III threw a trio of touchdown passes and the James Madison defense force three interceptions as the Dukes defeated Georgia State 35-18 and claimed second place in the SunBelt Eastern division.
George Pettaway had just 13 carries on the day and was bottled up for much of the game, but he picked up 44 of his 128 rushing yards on a well-executed draw play late in the first half and came up with some important runs in the second half. But it was a miracle catch by Cam Ross on third and 18 midway through the 4th quarter that may have decided the game.
Two plays after a fumble by Barnett nearly proved disastrous, he launched a pass deep down the middle that should've been picked. Instead, Ross turned into Moss as he skied to haul in the pass and give them life—and a critical first down nursing a three-point lead.
The next play saw Barnett hit a wide open Tayler Thompson down the seam, with the tight end walking into the endzone to put the Dukes up by two scores. Terrence Spence would come up with a long interception return for touchdown on the ensuing drive, securing the win and moving the Dukes ahead of Georgia State in the standings.
"This was a back-and-forth affair," Coach JasonUK said after the game. "Coach CeeGee and his team gave us fits on defense, as we struggled to establish any sort of run game. Thankfully our guys came up with big plays on both sides of the ball, and our pass rush especially helped to limit what their elite passing game was able to achieve."
The Dukes registered seven quarterback sacks on the day, five of them in the first half. It proved crucial to the winning effort, stuffing out three different promising drives.
GGs to Coach CeeGee, one of the best additions we've had in some time!
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