Archive for August, 2012

Georgia State men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter has agreed to a new six-year contract that runs through 2018.

He hasn’t signed the contract yet, but the details have been agreed upon and he is expected to sign it next week.  Financial terms haven’t been disclosed.

Hunter guided the Panthers to a 22-12 record last season, his first at the school. It was the second-best record in school history.

His previous five-year contract had a $300,000 annual base salary.

Neither Hunter nor athletic director Cheryl Levick could be reached for comment.

Hunter brought in a deep and talented recruiting class for the upcoming season that includes his son R.J.

The team will open the season at Duke on Nov. 9.

Before being hired at Georgia State, Hunter coached at IUPUI for 17 seasons, winning 274 games. He has a career record of 296-231.

Other links

Schultz’s take on last night’s loss in football

Notes, quotes and observations after Georgia State’s 33-6 loss in football to South Carolina …

Continue reading Hunter agrees to new six-year contract at Georgia State »

Georgia State was routed by South Carolina State 33-6 on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.

It was at a loss at all levels.

The new hurry-up offense was undone by an offensive line that couldn’t stop South Carolina State’s rush (six sacks). As a result, neither quarterback Ben McLane nor Kelton Hill had much time to do anything. The offense finished with 229 yards, or 82 yards less than Matt Hubbard had in punts. (An 80-yard punt he boomed, leading to a 62.2-per kick average).

The new 4-2-5 defense gave up 488 yards, starting when Isaiah Howard fell down covering a receiver in the first series that allowed a 72-yard touchdown pass.

The special teams were once again inconsistent. Matt Ehasz missed two of his four field goals, none worse than a 24-yard attempt that would have cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 7-6. But in the “how was the play Ms. Lincoln” department, Matt Hubbard would have set an FBS record for punting average (min. of five punts) with 62.2 yards per punt. That included an …

Continue reading S.C. State 33, Georgia State 6: Quotes, notes and observations »

Bill Curry said many times during the past nine months that his Georgia State football team had re-dedicated itself to weight room, practice fields, film study and classroom after last year’s disappointing season.

Either the Panthers were looking ahead to next week’s game at Tennessee, or there’s still a lot left to work on after Thursday’s 33-6 season-opening loss to South Carolina State at the Georgia Dome. Either way, it looked familiar, so much so that many of the students who packed their section left by the fourth quarter.

“I don’t think you can avoid that comparison but we aren’t the same group that we were a year ago at all,” Curry said. “Not the same attitude, not the same work ethic. We have drastically improved those things and now we have to improve the performance on the field.”

On offense, quarterbacks Ben McLane and Kelton Hill struggled behind a line that was replacing four starters. McLane committed a costly and inexplicable fumble just before the …

Continue reading Georgia State hammered by South Carolina State »

Perhaps only Ben McLane believed that he could win Georgia State’s quarterback job in the spring.

His offensive coordinator, John Bond, wasn’t sure because McLane had yet to play a meaningful snap. McLane’s dad Ben Sr. wasn’t sure because his son was still a true freshman, competing against guys who started last year.

McLane just wanted an opportunity to make people believe.

On Thursday, when the Panthers open the season against South Carolina State at the Georgia Dome, McLane will debut at quarterback as a redshirt freshman. He got his opportunity. He made people believe.

“That’s the job of a quarterback,” McLane said. “You have to make other people believe in you and make them believe in themselves. And then the whole team can start believing and win some football games.”

McLane was named the No. 1 starter coming out of the spring because coaches liked his accuracy and game-management, areas that needed to be improved after the three …

Continue reading Georgia State’s Ben McLane wants to make people believe »

Georgia State will host South Carolina State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Georgia Dome. The game will be televised on CSS.

Three storylines

1. How will Ben McLane handle the pressure? McLane, a redshirt freshman, will make his first start for Georgia State at quarterback. Coach Bill Curry says he’s not sure how McLane will react the first time he’s hit, but he predicts he will be fine. It’s been almost two years since McLane was tackled in a game, but that worked out OK because McLane led his team to the state Class AAAAA championship in the Georgia dome. There’s just one returning starter on the offensive line, but the skill position players around McLane are all experienced, which should help.

2. How will the new defense perform? This year’s defense is faster and stronger than either of the previous two years. While the secondary, which features three of the four returning starters and upperclassmen at all four positions, was expected to be the …

Continue reading Breaking down Georgia State vs. South Carolina State (with Agnew ruling) »

Here’s a paraphrased transcript of Georgia State coach Bill Curry’s press conference. He was joined by quarterback Ben McLane and linebacker Akeen Felder. The Panthers will host South Carolina State on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.

Curry:

So glad to get to the season and get a chance to play.

This team has demonstrated a marvelous work ethic from the very beginning, since the day after last season. We’ve worked every day since.

Football is no longer a six-month deal. It’s a 12-month deal, or 11 at the least if you are serious about competing and we are serious about competing.

On South Carolina State:

S.C. State is a perennial program. They have a tradition of a century of excellent football.

Last year was a lesson, playing against them, because we played very hard. They played harder. We showed our guys on video this year all 11 guys flying to the football this year…and all those things that everybody says they are going to do.

It was agood physical match, but it was …

Continue reading Notes from Curry’s press conference »

David Miller says he’s nervous, but he’s going to be nervous for every game.

Miller, a sophomore from Hinesville, will handle Georgia State’s field-goal duties for the first time when the Panthers open the season against South Carolina State on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.

“I’m really upset when I disappoint,” he said. “I just don’t want to disappoint.”

Miller has been battling a “foot defect” in August, but he was accurate enough to beat out Matt Ehasz for the job. Christian Benvenuto, who handled the majority of the field goals last year, is suspended for at least the first game of the season.

The Panthers’ field-goal kickers started the 2011 season strongly, hitting eight of their first 11 attempts. But then they started to struggle, missing their next five attempts. Four of those misses were from 45 yards or more. The team finished hitting 10 of 22, including four consecutive misses to end the season.

For the season, the team hit 2 of 3 from 29 …

Continue reading Miller ready to kick field goals for Georgia State »

He plays like Ted Roof and sounds like Barry White.

Georgia State’s Joseph Peterson leaves an impression on and off the field.

Peterson, a true freshman from Dothan, Ala., will start for the Panthers at inside linebacker in Thursday’s season-opener against South Carolina State at the Georgia Dome.

He hammered his way into the starting lineup, beating upperclassman Robert Ferguson for the spot, by arriving in August with an intensity and instincts that coach Bill Curry said can’t be taught.

The last player to make such a favorable quick impression on Curry was Roof, whom Curry coached at Georgia Tech in early 1980s.

“I don’t want to say he came in took over but it was clear that he was going to be a factor,” Curry said of Roof. “He made a huge difference in the program. I haven’t seen anything to indicate that Joe is less likely to do that than Ted did.”

Roof became an All-American linebacker at Tech, before becoming a coach. He is now the defensive coordinator at …

Continue reading Georgia State’s Joseph Peterson plays like Roof, sounds like White »

I asked for y’all to send me some questions, and you obliged with some excellent queries. So, here we go….

Q: With the move to FBS, are there plans to move out of the Ga. Dome and build an on-campus stadium?

A: Not as of a few weeks ago. There are two problems with wanting to build an on-campus stadium: where and with what money? If you can solve either with a sizable donation, I’m sure athletic director Cheryl Levick would like to talk to you.

Q: When will the Panthers release a depth chart?

A: I believe you are prescient. One came out during the weekend.

Q: Any news on Nermin Delic and Theo Agnew?

A: No. I’m sure Georgia State is tired of me asking. I e-mailed an NCAA official two weeks ago. He never responded. There’s really no telling, which is understandably frustrating for everyone.

Q: How has Coach Curry’s announcement of retiring effected recruiting if at all since it occurred right before football season?

A: That’s a good question. B.J. Clay said “it …

Continue reading Answering your mailbag questions about Georgia State football »

The Georgia State depth chart was released this weekend ahead of the season opener against South Carolina State on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.

The one big surprise here is Joe Peterson slotted as the No. 1 inside linebacker. Also, sophomore David Miller beat Matt Ehasz for the place-kicking job, but Wil Lutz is going to handle kickoffs.

So, if you want to peruse this and send any more questions for Monday’s mailbag, please do so.

Also, please check out the college football preview section that appeared in today’s paper.

QB

16 Ben McLane………………………. 6-1 210 Fr.-R
4 Kelton Hill ………………………….6-0 183 Jr.-R
18 Ronnie Bell ……………………… 5-11 180 Fr.-R

RB

20 Donald Russell ………………… 5-11 212 Sr.
7 Parris Lee ………………………….5-9 190 Jr.-R
21 Travis Evans …………………….. 5-11 190 Jr.-R
3 Rosevelt Watson …………………5-9 205 Sr.-R

WR

2 Albert Wilson …………………….. 5-9 195 Jr.
87 Nathaniel Minor ………………….6-2 180 So.
81 Mark Young ………………………..6-5 190 Fr.-R
80 Avery Sweeting …………………..5-8 160 Fr.

WR

17 Danny Williams …

Continue reading New Georgia State depth chart released; Weidenaar released »