Georgia State pounded in opener as growing pains continue
Georgia State coach Bill Curry didn't have much to cheer about in opener. (Jason Getz/AJC)
If you haven’t kept up on the uniquely metamorphosing Georgia State football program, it goes something like this:
The Panthers started playing games in 2010. Their first schedule of Colonial Athletic Association games is this season (Year 3). But they’re not eligible for the CAA championship because they’ve already decided to jump to the Sun Belt. The NCAA’s mandated two-year transition to FBS means they can’t compete for championships or bowls until 2014 — not that it was realistic anyway — which effectively means they will have played four years of exhibition games (45) by the end of 2013.
And you thought the NFL preseason was long.
There’s an obvious advantage to this: New programs typically get beat up, and Georgia State has been no exception to this. So this extended stretch of unofficial-ness allows Georgia State athletic director Cheryl Levick to tell prospective donors, “Don’t worry, it’s just growing pains. Just wait until the games really count. Would you like another shrimp?”
But the downside is equally obvious. Georgia State is moving up quickly, maybe too quickly. It wasn’t that long ago when the school didn’t even own a ball, a helmet or a roll of tape. The Panthers struggled against FCS teams. The Sun Belt is going to seem like the NFC East. Sure, you laugh, but the Panthers last season lost 56-0 to a team from Conference USA (Houston), 40-17 to one from the CAA (Old Dominion) and 48-28 to another from the Ohio Valley (Murray State). Nothing screams, “Next, we take Eastern Europe!”
Bill Curry won’t be around for the pain next year. He coached the final season opener of his career Thursday night when Georgia State was drummed by South Carolina State 33-6. The Panthers’ lumps will continue well into Curry’s retirement. Given what another 1-AA program just did to them, imagine what will happen when they start playing FBS programs on a regular basis.
Georgia State has had only two more lopsided losses and both came to FBS opponents, Alabama (63-7) and Houston.
“It’s happening way faster than you would like for it to,” he said. “But in today’s world of college football, you don’t get to choose a timetable. You would like to have the time to be able to build the rest of the elements of this program. You’d like to be able to do that over a six- or seven-year period like most of the other schools did. But in this day and age you either jump on the wagon or you’re left in the dirt.”
Georgia State didn’t make a football decision, it made a financial one. Competing at the FBS level, even while getting hammered, potentially provides more selling points during fundraising. The move to the Sun Belt (with Southeast-based institutions) also makes for less expensive travel for all of the sports programs than the CAA, whose members include campuses seemingly in another galaxy (Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island).
“In a time when there’s such a financial crunch, even when a lot of the so-called big-timers are operating in the red, we didn’t have a choice but to get into the Sun Belt,” Curry said. “We’ll just have to suck it up and do what we have to for a couple of years until we can compete.”
Some of the problems of a young team were evident early against South Carolina State, an FCS school that has played football since 1907. (If you’re keeping score, the age difference Thursday was 105-2.) A Georgia State cornerback, Isaiah Howard (sophomore), fell on the fourth snap of the game, allowing South Carolina State to complete a 78-yard touchdown pass to make the score 7-0. A sack and resulting fumble by Panthers quarterback Ben McLane (freshman) on the Georgia State 23 with just 40 seconds left in the half set up another Bulldogs touchdown, increasing the visitors’ lead to 14-3.
Here’s another problem: Attendance for the season opener was announced at only 18,921. Most of the student section behind one end zone was gone by midway through the third quarter. What does it say when a fan base is so quick to bolt?
Curry is hoping for the best this season, but he’s also a realist.
“We’re tougher physically, mentally and in every other way,” he said the other day. “Now we just have to be able to play football better. Those don’t always go hand-in-hand, but it sure helps.”
It will turn one day. But Georgia State shouldn’t get the idea of moving up again for a while.
By Jeff Schultz
•
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128 comments Add your comment
The Man
August 30th, 2012
10:53 pm
Thanks Jeff
Go Dawgs
Jay
August 30th, 2012
10:58 pm
At least they HAVE football. You’ve got Kennesaw State up there that had Vince Dooley make his infamous “Kansas State” press conference quote back on Sept. 15, 2010. No one has heard anything about them since. They hired a facilities guy for an AD that has no clue how to start a football program, so he had his associate call a finalist who was passed over for the Kennesaw State AD job to find out how to start a football program.
Reinhardt is starting football next year, albeit NAIA. The way Georgia State is progressing(?) I’d almost lay even money on a Georgia State/Reinhardt match-up.
All kidding aside, Georgia State is in a spot where they’re going to get slaughtered for a few years, but just by virtue of being able to go FBS so soon, they’ll be the envy of a lot of other schools in this state very quickly.
Georgia State Panthers
August 30th, 2012
10:59 pm
Get it together, guys. Dig deeper every single week.
GSU!!! GO PANTHERS!!!
CAA Football
August 30th, 2012
11:02 pm
Huzzah! Finally someone at the ajc strongly questions the move! Will they win one CAA game this year?
hbcuclassics
August 30th, 2012
11:05 pm
HBCU Classic Sports
Week 1
SC State 33
GA State 6
Final
Tenn Tech 31
Hampton 24
4Q
Charleston 44
Shaw 26
Final
http://www.hbcuclassics.com
Madkat
August 30th, 2012
11:08 pm
You’re right Jeff! Moving up too quickly for sure. Establish yourself at FCS level first, build the program with history. 0-11 will be devestating for recruiting assuming they can’t beat Texas-San Antonio. They need a new coach too right?
Madkat
August 30th, 2012
11:12 pm
The Sun Belt isn’t too much of a bigger jump from CAA. Should’ve stayed for a while. Attendance problems can kill a program, especially at the FBS level. But on a positive note the Panthers will be FBS next year.
5150 UOAD
August 30th, 2012
11:22 pm
A person SMART enough to know…..
August 29th, 2012
1:44 pm
I will be impressed if GaState can put up more than 17 points even more impressed if they can keep SCState to 21 or under on the scoreboard.
——————————————————————————–
Not a Debbie Downer but GaState stepped up in class tonight and is just not ready yet.
Please talk your crap about wanting some of Ga Southern and TECH now.
GaSate couldn’t handle a GOOD FCS team and you want to play FBS? LMMFAO
Go get you some Ga Southern…..LOL
You want to talk smack toe TECH?
Go play HBU and be happy.
JEFF is 0-2 on his prediction article. Not looking good JEFF.
GODAWGS
August 30th, 2012
11:46 pm
Where are the arrogant Georgia State fans now? You just got blown out by an FCS school.
But don’t worry, you’ll be FBS next year. That’ll make it all better. Good luck with that and congrats to the Sun Belt for choosing such a great football school to add to your mediocrity.
Opie
August 31st, 2012
12:07 am
hahahahahahahaahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahhahahahhaahah. (breathe) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahah (breathe) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah,
OpieGaSouthern
August 31st, 2012
12:08 am
The real GSU remains in Statesboro.
Best regards to Ben and panama.
tigonian02
August 31st, 2012
12:11 am
Man….Being a Georgia Southern grad it was always so infuriating hearing GState talk all their crap about how good they are going to be year after year. Your showing tonight was embarrassing to the state of Georgia, as well as the FCS , FBS, Sunbelt, CAA, and well….football in general. If you would have been more humble about your moves, and taken the time to actually develop your program, more people would feel sympathy for you guys. Most just laugh and shun nowadays. Get it together!
lance
August 31st, 2012
12:13 am
Joke program that should have never been started. Our colleges are more interested in sports than in actually educating kids. Shut it down and give the kids their fees back.
Panther
August 31st, 2012
12:14 am
Humbling, yes. But as Curry said, the option was to either move up while the opportunity was there, or don’t and risk not having the opportunity again. At any rate, the CAA isn’t going to be much easier than the Sun Belt, and so the best we can do is continue to test ourselves and continue to improve.
5150 UOAD
August 31st, 2012
12:19 am
Look every FAN is hyped for their team and the start of the season but that has to come with some trepidation as well. GaState fans have been “All Hat & No Cattle” for weeks now. Tonight should SHUT them UP and get them Focused on the movie “What About Bill” used as a tagline. Baby Steps. Don’t Talk SMACK to PROVEN over time teams fans. You can’t say a thing to the REAL Champion GSU much less Ga Tech. BABY STEPS.
GODAWGS
August 31st, 2012
12:25 am
Panther, you talk about continuing to improve? You haven’t improved at all. You started out 6-5, then 3-8 last year. Now you’re looking at 0-11 for at least the next two years. Thats what we call taking a step back, not improving.
EKY Panther
August 31st, 2012
6:16 am
No question that we are moving too fast, but for me that beats not moving at all. We’ll take our lumps for the next 2-3 years, but we will see steady improvement. We have the recruiting advantage of being in Atlanta, and we are a solid academic institution. Now we just need to find a Hunter type coach. I wish that we would hold off on scheduling major programs until we are more competitive.
We got clobbered last night, but our guys are young and they will improve. Having said that, will we win a game this year?
The worst thing that can happen is for the alumni and students to turn on the team. Patience is required, and Atlantans aren’t known for patience. It makes no sense for alumni and students to not be supportive. Look how fast things are turning in basketball. It will happen with football.
catlady
August 31st, 2012
6:39 am
How foolish it is, in these economic times, to field a football team!
Big Green Tribe
August 31st, 2012
6:41 am
Moving “up” to the FBS is a joke and has been since those in charge made the inane decision to
become so-called “big time”.
This school won’t win one game in the strong FCS CAA this year…teams like James Madison, Delaware and WIlliam & Mary–schools that once in a while defeat FBS schools–will roll over the woeful Panthers—who are worse now than in their first season four years ago!
The “announced” crowd of 17000 was a joke, too. Perhaps 10,000 is the true figure. Why are they playing in the Dome? We’ll see crowds of 2000 or so for the remaining games…and no students.
Can they reapply to the CAA?
Jay from Loganville
August 31st, 2012
6:50 am
Always look for the bright side. Sun Belt fans never really had a reason to come to Atlanta. In 2014, those folks from Troy and Western Kentucky will come here to feel good about their teams – by way of pounding GSU – then spend their money in our restaurants, bars and strip clubs. Cha-Ching.
Ga State Man
August 31st, 2012
7:34 am
This may be unpopular but, if Morris Brown doesnt get out of their mess, Ga State should purchase their football stadium.
GaStBen
August 31st, 2012
7:45 am
Curry was a good person to get the program started and the fundraising, but his “legendary” 429% winning percentage speaks for itself. Nice guy, great fundraiser, awful coach. The next coaching hire is HUUUUUGEEE and better not come from the current staff.
I like Bill Curry, but...
August 31st, 2012
7:50 am
as I said in another spot…
the bottom line here is that Bill Curry and his staff have been continually out coached for two–and now two-plus–seasons. He’s a great guy. No one can dispute this, but seriously. Anyone who has watched this program should see that they simply don’t play good football. I can take a loss if the game is clean. If GSU doesn’t have the athletes to compete, well, we can change that in a class or two. This isn’t about athletes–although, I am sometimes shocked by their lack of skill on defense. This is about coaching. At this point, we should be playing SC State tough. Should we win? Maybe not, but this was disgraceful. Seriously. It’s not the kids faults, but these coaches are out to lunch.
Tim Justin
August 31st, 2012
7:50 am
Here we go again. Defensive Coordinator is horrible. Secondary looks confused. Spring starting Safety Stewart did not even see the field. 48 seconds before half and trying to throw down field. Should have taken a knee. Defense gave up atleast at total of 400 yards. University of Tennessee here comes GSU
Mark Richt
August 31st, 2012
8:26 am
GSU! We own this state! 10 and 1 in 2012! We will be better than Tech in no time…. in football and academically!
Sell the Team back to Ted or to Madeia
August 31st, 2012
8:26 am
@ Ga State Man…..brilliant, sir, brilliant. There is no reason fo the Panthers to play in a cavern of an empty dome……….a more cozy setting would enable them to get more of a home field advantage next year. BTW…….once Curry is gone, hire a decent coach and ur wins will grow. Curry is below average at best……and I’m a tech fan.
Sell the Team back to Ted or to Madeia
August 31st, 2012
8:26 am
@ Ga State Man…..brilliant, sir, brilliant. There is no reason fo the Panthers to play in a cavern of an empty dome……….a more cozy setting would enable them to get more of a home field advantage next year. BTW…….once Curry is gone, hire a decent coach and ur wins will grow. Curry is below average at best……and I’m a tech fan.
BDavis
August 31st, 2012
8:29 am
Can we please stop calling Ga State GSU? If im not mistaken, GSU is in stateboro and has been playing football for years.
I’ve clicked on several ‘GSU’ articles only to be sadly taken on ride to Ga State. Come up with a new abbreviation already and quit stealing my clicks!
fbrlz
August 31st, 2012
8:31 am
Could the real GSU hang 100 points Georgia State?
Liz
August 31st, 2012
8:32 am
Awh, Jeff…the title was pretty harsh dude …I’ll still say go Panthers! Hopefully GA Tech wins this weekend so I can at least feel slightly good about college football for this season….
straightshooter
August 31st, 2012
8:34 am
Maybe Georgia State can save some money by moving their games to the friendly confines of their new practice field. It would be a real home environment and there’s ample room for the fans that will now show up to watch them play.
Georgia State Panthers
August 31st, 2012
8:37 am
Win or lose, GSU has been in Atlanta since the 1960’s. Ga. Southern wasn’t even a university yet. And you mention stealing? Amazing!
Bobby
August 31st, 2012
8:42 am
Stop having the games on Thursday nights, with people working the next day attendance is going to be low. Have them on Saturday, and attendence will better.
WTFredi???
August 31st, 2012
8:45 am
ONLY 18,000 on a Thursday night? Hey, the Braves sometime don’t get that many for a weeknight game.
I think growing pains is an excuse for bad recruiting and coaching. GSU has advantages over most minor conference schools in that they play in Atlanta, which should be a selling point over close Sun Belt schools like Troy and Middle Tennessee. And this is year three, there should be some redshirt sophs and juniors at the top of the depth chart. Not knowing anything about SC State other than I think they are a pretty good HBCU team, I still would have expected GSU to give them a game, if not win.
GA State Grad
August 31st, 2012
8:45 am
As a recent graduate of Georgia State, I had my doubts about this program and unfortunately those doubts have proven to be true. I hope the best for them, but feel sorry for the students who saw their student fees increased 500% due to this program, especially since it’s not producing anything to be proud of.
Either way, I appreciate that Schultz continues to report on them and hope that one day this team will provide him with something positive to say!
More sad news for GSU
August 31st, 2012
8:47 am
The GSU that occupies a space in Atlanta was soundly defeated by South Carolina State — not a top-notch FCS school. Georgia State has to play in the CAA, which many would argue is currently the toughest conference in the FCS (others would say the toughest is the Southern Conference). Georgia State will finish this year with a worse record than it will next year in the Sun Belt. Moving up in the world to the FBS level is an impressive undertaking, but it is one that should be done when you have had at least a tiny bit of success at the lower level. I assure you the current members of the Sun Belt aren’t worried about Georgia State joining them in 2013. As for me, I’ll be in Paulson Stadium in Statesboro Saturday. By late Saturday night, at least we will have one GSU (Georgia Southern) in our beautiful Peach State that knows something about winning football games.
BettinMan
August 31st, 2012
8:48 am
Georgia state should shut this program down or play in a lower division—they will get pounded every week playing good teams.
DesignerJacket
August 31st, 2012
8:52 am
Yum, humble pie. Gastate can stop talking smack….right now even Shorter and West GA should be clamoring to schedule games with Gastate.
kevin Dyer
August 31st, 2012
8:55 am
I went last night. and also to the korky kell classic last weekend. The crowd at the Kell classic was double the crowd last night
Brian
August 31st, 2012
9:00 am
Jeff, you should have written about South Carolina State’s band. It is more interesting than Georgia State football.
MB
August 31st, 2012
9:02 am
Yeah—its Bill Curry’s fault ( 2 time SEC Coach of the Year, National Coach of the Year)…instead of the fault of a suitcase college that wants to pretend it has an actual sports program. Lots of talk from this group but the students who left in the third quarter; all had to figure out whose parents house they were going to stay or hurry back to the kids because they are 40. Maybe you should concentrate on having a great Business School and leave the sports to those who can.
GSUGRAD
August 31st, 2012
9:05 am
Did you really get our shat pushed in by some bottom dweller team last night? I couldn’t watch the game on AT&T uverse, well was watching USC/vandy and that was an interesting game
Anderson
August 31st, 2012
9:14 am
A good sobering post Jeff Schultz.
First,the game. The score should have been much closer than the final score. A sloppy effort by the GSU FB team. Missed field goals,dropped passes,mind-boggling play calls (a pass play with a RS freshman QB with seconds left in the half),and a (questionable) turnover. The WR was down when he was stripped and the ball was returned for a TD.
Nevertheless,it is time for HC Bill Curry to leave. The game has passed him by. I thank him for all that he has done for the FB program and university. A dynamic head coach is essential if/for this FB program to progress.
Anderson
August 31st, 2012
9:14 am
A good sobering post Jeff Schultz.
First,the game. The score should have been much closer than the final score. A sloppy effort by the GSU FB team. Missed field goals,dropped passes,mind-boggling play calls (a pass play with a RS freshman QB with seconds left in the half),and a (questionable) turnover. The WR was down when he was stripped and the ball was returned for a TD.
Nevertheless,it is time for HC Bill Curry to leave. The game has passed him by. I thank him for all that he has done for the FB program and university. A dynamic head coach is essential if/for this FB program to progress.
Bill
August 31st, 2012
9:17 am
“What does it say when a fan base is so quick to bolt?”
It says that when a game is not going well, there are other entertainment options right outside the door in downtown Atlanta. This is not the case in many stadium locations.
Hairy Dawg
August 31st, 2012
9:17 am
I don’t blame Georgia State for moving up. Gotta bring in that money. Besides, they’ll draw some kids to the school because they’ll be competing on the top rung of college football. Curry’s right about the situation. They’re just going to have to take their lumps until they can compete. The right coach could make it an easier transition.
Go Panthers!!
August 31st, 2012
9:19 am
What’s not being discussed, and should be cause for concern, is that the opening game crowds are shrinking rapidly. Given the trend over the last two seasons, we’ll be lucky to draw 10,000 by the end of the season.
Some want to blame the administration. These people are blind.
Atlanta supports winners. Why 18,000 last night? Well, for a number of reasons, but going 3-8 last year certainly hurts the most.
We have a similar season again (which is looking highly likely) and…well, I don’t even want to think about it.
Blazerdawg
August 31st, 2012
9:26 am
18,000 is typical for a SBC game – not a bad turnout at all – more concerned about the result on the field. That GSU bunch is kind of cynical by nature and they need to see some Ws or else the program will be established permanently as a loser.
Hurt Park
August 31st, 2012
9:50 am
Hate to say it,
but Georgia State needs to bite their tongue,
scrape up some big money and hire Bobby Petrino.
The Truth
August 31st, 2012
10:09 am
Georgia State will never be relevant in the college football world. I will be shocked if they even have a team in 5 years. They can’t recruit because their campus is awful and their on-campus facilities are non-existent. Give it up Pansy Panthers!
PantherGuy
August 31st, 2012
10:10 am
Blazerdawg,
Maybe 18,000 is acceptable for a typical SBC game with teams who have floated around mediocrity for 10+ years, but for a blossoming young program who has drawn 31K and 25K their first two openers… it’s awful. The result on the field will eventually change. It will get better, but not overnight. No one here should have ever expected GSU to be competitive for ANY type of championship in their first 5 years.
Bob Horner
August 31st, 2012
10:27 am
it’s funny, all the fuss about this team. Yeah, go ahead and jump to FBS and never win another game. Georgia Southern (the relevant “GSU” in the not-1A football world) should be the one jumping up to FBS, not this silly excuse for a football program. The campus is terrible, and the entire student body commutes in and out every day. This is where people with full time jobs go to get a degree at night. There’s no ‘college experience’ here, and never will be because students are forced to mingle with bums, and have to constantly look over their shoulders when going to the parking deck (which costs $8 per day).
Yet, the AJC feels obligated to push this poor excuse for a football team that no one cares about on their site. To quote the principle in the 1985 John Hughes classic, The Breakfast Club, “They don’t even count. It could disappear forever, and no one would even notice.”
Go get your pretend football team routed again GA State, and take your make-believe athletic department on your ghetto campus back out of the papers. GO AWAY!
(ps – Georgia Southern has 6 championships)
PTC DAWG
August 31st, 2012
10:33 am
I would love to see the real “GSU” take these city boys to the woodshed. No wonder you won’t schedule them.
The Real GSU
August 31st, 2012
10:38 am
For those of you saying GA Southern is GSU, do you realize that you’ve only had that name since 1990… that’s 22 years, for those of you who can’t count. Georgia State, the real GSU, has had the same name since 1969 (43 years).
RealGSU
August 31st, 2012
10:40 am
Georgia Southern would beat lowly ga state like a rented mule—it wouldn’t be close.
BravesFan79
August 31st, 2012
10:43 am
As a former Ga State student i knew there was no way they would get alot of people for games in that stadium! This isnt South Ga, where your options are hanging out in the walmart parking lot, or going to a football game. This is Atlanta, where there’s a million and 1 better things to do than see some crap football team no one cares about!
They should of stuck with soccer and basketball, football brings nothing but a bunch of student athletes in who have half the IQ of the average regular student and should probably be at tech school. Not Ga Tech, Polly Tech.
Im looking forward to the rule changes in a few years that most of the players have to actually be smart enough to get into the school! What a concept huh?
TheEagleWay
August 31st, 2012
10:43 am
Respect is earned on the field… not by simply playing the game.
Ga State better improve their product or they will be the new UAB.
18-19K in Atlanta??? Really? Metro Atlanta has what… 6 million?
Pete
August 31st, 2012
10:45 am
Are there more than 8 people that really care about this ?
Bob Horner
August 31st, 2012
10:45 am
So Schultz, it’s clear that the “Ga State Blog” draws more Georgia Southern grads and fans.
“Real GSU” – who cares how long they’ve had the name. Southern has only had a football team since 1980, yet, has managed to win 6 National Championships in that time period. Southern would absolutely destroy, demoralize, and possibly injure Ga State on the football field. It’s where afletes that can’t get into the bigger schools go to run wild. The speed, the quickness… it’s inherent at GaSou. The Pansies are an absolute joke. IA/FBS? Jigga puhlease!
What
August 31st, 2012
10:56 am
You’re blaming the record on moving up???
Curry sucked at Kentucky winning ONLY 4 games 4 times, 6 games 1 time, 3 games 1 time, and 1 game 1 time (1-10 in 94). 26-52 record at KY.
He sucks. Always has, always will….did (Dec 2012 looking back). Ok, at Bama his record was better but 0-3 to Auburn didn’t help his cause.
Panther
August 31st, 2012
11:00 am
This thread: a bunch of southern fans trying to make themselves feel better because GSU lost last night.
Bob Horner, one of Southerns brightest, is trying to say something about our “afletes”. I suppose southern forgot about teaching students anything and put everything into their 6 little league championships. He also says about how southern has had a team only since 1980! Well, we’ve only had a team since 2010, so if you’d like to give us some time, maybe you’ll see what we can do.
dtanner
August 31st, 2012
11:00 am
georgia state football, i mean why is this? no one gives a damn,more people at the dome for high school games last weekend,are you listening kennesaw state
TheEagleWay
August 31st, 2012
11:02 am
@Panther
We don’t need you to make ourselves feel better, our winning and tradition makes us feel better.
Time to eat some crow.
TheEagleWay
August 31st, 2012
11:02 am
@Panther
We don’t need you to make ourselves feel better, our winning and tradition makes us feel better.
Time to eat some crow.
Mr. Dawg
August 31st, 2012
11:03 am
I realize jumping up to the FCS will bring in more money. But at what cost to the perception of your program? Who will want to watch blowouts that will be even worse than what the Panthers are experiencing now? Who will want to play for a lauching stock at any level? Perhaps they will get a higher level of recruit in players that are at that level of talent and prefer to play in state. In my opinion they are jumping too quickly. Establish a winning foundation that will bring in local fans and exicte the students. Built it and they will come…
GATA
August 31st, 2012
11:25 am
Ok, why are you all thinking that SC STATE suppose to get drugged by GSU. This is a proven program that battes with SC or Clemson every time they are on the schedule. GSU have 3 years people……That’s not enough time to judge the program….However GO EAGLES!!!!!Blue who? Blue Bandits…
Seriously, football?
August 31st, 2012
11:27 am
Does every school in the state need a football program? GSU can’t draw for basketball–who actually expected a crowd for football? After class, GSU students are either going to work or going home to spend scarce free time with their families. GSU students pay almost $100 *every* semester for a special athletics fee *just* so there can be a football program. Give the money back.
Go Panthers!!
August 31st, 2012
11:28 am
Why do I get the feeling that the Southern posters are really just two guys posting under eleven different screen names?
Go Panthers!!
August 31st, 2012
11:28 am
Why do I get the feeling that the Southern posters are really just two guys posting under eleven different screen names?
Go Panthers!!
August 31st, 2012
11:28 am
Why do I get the feeling that the Southern posters are really just two guys posting under eleven different screen names?
fbrlz
August 31st, 2012
11:29 am
It is unfortunate that the AJC continues to write about a worthless program. Too many people read the stories because they believe the subject is about the real GSU. And yes, Georgia State has had the University moniker for many more years than Southern. But it was Southern that has been referred to as GSU for the last couple of decades. State believes that they can elevate their status by attempting to take over the three letters. It is merely a cheap imitation. If you want a real GSU story, drop the worthless AJC and read the Savannah Morning News.
Class of '98
August 31st, 2012
11:34 am
I remember a couple years ago reading posts by Georgia State “fans” claiming GSU would be the dominant program in the state within ten years. Remembering that cockiness and lack of respect for programs that have played for over 100 years, it’s hard to root for them.
Go dawgs.
Dawg Fan
August 31st, 2012
11:40 am
Fire Mark Richt now!! oh wait…
Pantherfan93
August 31st, 2012
11:44 am
http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/marketing/pdf/id-standards-manual.pdf
the abbreviation “GSU” MUST NOT be used in publications, ads, Web sites, or other media
That is your school saying that.
As for the crow us State fans should be eating, yep… last night was humbling. It is a hard road we are on, but if it was easy everyone would do it. USF and UCF were made fun of for having a football program. They would have no place in an FBS division. They seem to be doing fine now. Season tickets have increased for us. We will take our lumps and soldier on. It is a lot easier to thump your chest and be part of something than to stand up and try to start something.
The Truth
August 31st, 2012
11:44 am
Go Panthers – It’s the same reason why everyone else in the state thinks that your 19K fans are the same 3 guys running back and forth through the turn style at the stadium. No one GAS about Georgia State’s single A high school football team. You’re irrelevant. Your campus is as awful as your teams, athletes, and athletic facilities. Georgia State is a half step above Strayer and the University of Phoenix.
And by the way, it’s not the length of time you’ve had the name – it’s what you do with it. The last time I checked, Georgia State hasn’t done a darn thing.
TOP NOTCH
August 31st, 2012
11:56 am
For you knuckleheads that don’t know, SCSU is ranked in the top 25 for FCS.
The Truth
August 31st, 2012
11:58 am
93 – Fwiw, Georgia Southern went from being without a football program to a National Championship in less than 5 years.
And I guess the hat I just bought at the Georgia Southern bookstore with “GSU” on the front must have been a mistake or an older item.
The Truth
August 31st, 2012
11:59 am
Top Notch – Your point? I’m guessing your handle has nothing to do with Panthers football.
STATEment
August 31st, 2012
12:03 pm
We suck.
GSU_MEX_ALUM
August 31st, 2012
12:05 pm
Things will get better… As a TRUE fan I will be here to support the panthers when things are good and when things are bad.
KEEP FIGHTING!
lol
August 31st, 2012
12:05 pm
all you idiots who say the real GSU is not in Atlanta, have you tried going to gsu.edu? thanks for playing.
Paddy
August 31st, 2012
12:09 pm
catlady……..starting a football team in these hard economic times…………According to the NCAA research and other studies, it makes good sense. A school who starts football increases the coffers of the U. fund across the board. Well beyond the actual costy of fielding a team. Sounds like a solid investment by the school and not foolishness as you stated.
yeahsure
August 31st, 2012
12:10 pm
“For those of you saying GA Southern is GSU, do you realize that you’ve only had that name since 1990… that’s 22 years, for those of you who can’t count. Georgia State, the real GSU, has had the same name since 1969 (43 years).”
I was just about to type this. Why can’t GA Southerners get this through their thick little skulls? Georgia Southern College attained university status in 1990!!!!!!!!!! The dates don’t lie! You can’t claim to be the Real anything when theres already one before it.
Pantherfan93
August 31st, 2012
12:11 pm
The Truth… that is nice, but the only thing that counts in college is what happens at the FBS level. Everyone knows that. No one grows up wanting to win an FCS Championship. That is just the way it is. If it wasn’t the case, Georgia Southern fans wouldn’t give a damn about moving up, but they do.
SC News, Politics, Personalities, Newsmakers, Warren Lasch
August 31st, 2012
12:14 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
yeahsure
August 31st, 2012
12:15 pm
For all you sensitive types that were bothered by the confidence of young 18 year old’s excited about a new football program at their University, I don’t know what to say.
Alumni and any real football fan knew the expectations and the uphill battle ahead. This is just year 3. Let’s not close the book just yet.
Paddy
August 31st, 2012
12:15 pm
The Truth…….I think the cap you purchased w/ GSU on it may very well be a mistake. Promotional guidelines say that it must be written/displayed Georgia Southern or Georgia Southern University unless space constrictions dictate otherwise. It may not be a double ‘D’ stamped buffalo nickle, but it could be worth more than you paid for it one day. Wrap it up & put it in your closet.
Go Panthers!!
August 31st, 2012
12:27 pm
I think it’s funny that Southern fans think they deserve to be called GSU because of their football program.
Seeing as how “University” refers specifically to a school’s education opportunities, you’d think they’d try to justify the “U” by touting their strong academics…oh wait.
No, better that they just stick to football. Because that’s all they have.
I’ll be quite frank. We could shut down the football program TODAY, and State will STILL be more dserving of the GSU moniker than Southern.
The Truth
August 31st, 2012
12:29 pm
I guarantee Georgia Southern will play in a BCS game long before Georgia State ever has a winning record in FBS.
And Paddy – I was just making a comment – not being snarky. But since you decided to be a d-bag, It’s “nickel”…not nickle. Did you even make it out of middle school?
GSU_MEX_ALUM
August 31st, 2012
12:30 pm
Year 3… One bad game….
We still have more football to play boys and girls! Sure, if our team gives up after one poor performance we are in for a long season, but I hope they regroup and show up to play better football (with the exception of next weeks game).
We are going to go through growing pains and REAL fans will stay to cheer the Panthers!
Every team in the state of GA has had bad games… It’s what the team does after that will define them!
eaglenationrising
August 31st, 2012
12:31 pm
This is not a completely honest article. Many of the lumps that Georgia State is taking are specifically due to Bill Curry pulling his best impression of Georgia’s Mark Richt. Georgia State (my alma mater) has taken bad apples. We have lost multiple quarterbacks. There is a reason that we are not starting a senior QB. Furthermore, Georgia State has gravitated to quick fixes with junior college players in skill positions. We have taken far too many academic risks.
This is less of a failure of movement and more of a failure of leadership in the athletic department and within Curry and his staff. I encourage Jeff to evaluate the top signees over the past four years. You can run a “Where are they now?” segment that is shocking. Let’s start with the quarterbacks. Two years ago, we had three potential starters. Neither is still in the program. We could go position by position. The bottom line is this is a failure of Bill Curry (a very nice man) and his staff. Blaming it on movement is laughable, Jeff. South Carolina State is not an FBS power, my friend. At your convenience, look at South Florida’s movement. Georgia is the 8th (or 9th) largest state in America with only two FCS programs. FCS programs, i.e. Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, Florida State, South Carolina & now even Vanderbilt live here.
Quick name the best two FBS programs in college football history. Montana & Georgia Southern. It did not take Erk Russell very long to build an FBS champion. The excuse thread coming from my GSU is pathetic! Curry was a bad hire because he had been out of the game for so long. Maybe, we can hire Derek Dooley after Tennessee fires him at the end of this season. Of course, his record with misfits (errrr Da’Rick Rogers of Calhoun, GA) is probably a challenge too.
straightshooter
August 31st, 2012
12:32 pm
Now we’re back talking about which GSU gets to use GSU. That is of no interest to anyone reading these comments. This is about football or the lack thereof when Georgia State is involved. You Staters can bark GSU all you want, but if you want to watch some of what you can only dream of achieving, come to Paulson Stadium at 6:00 tomorrow afternoon. You’ll get to see how it is really done…
straightshooter
August 31st, 2012
12:32 pm
Now we’re back talking about which GSU gets to use GSU. That is of no interest to anyone reading these comments. This is about football or the lack thereof when Georgia State is involved. You Staters can bark GSU all you want, but if you want to watch some of what you can only dream of achieving, come to Paulson Stadium at 6:00 tomorrow afternoon. You’ll get to see how it is really done…
GOGSUBasketball!
August 31st, 2012
12:36 pm
Finally, a little truth on this site. I do not know if eaglenation is a real GSU alum or if a GS(C) alum. I do know that we have lost far too many skill position players to suspension and dismissal to blame the movement. I was at the game and it was a borderline joke! If we are going to play football, let’s play it. Coach Curry and his staff appear to be on retirement already.
Passion of the Panther
August 31st, 2012
12:40 pm
The program is an over reach by the university – there is no demand for it from Atlanta, the student body, or alumni. Watch the attendance at the next home game.
The only reason they were able (wanted) to move up is the 16 million dollars in student fees (tax) they rake in every year.
Sparta_Bubba
August 31st, 2012
12:40 pm
Georgia State has no more right to the abbreviation GSU than does Georgia Southern. If you’ll check your history you will find that there was a black state college in Savannah when the white evening school in Atlanta decided they wanted to be called Georgia State. So guess what? Black Georgia State in Savannah was forced to change their name to Savannah State so the white evening school could have the name “Georgia State.” The powers that be made all of the black state schools use a city name (Savannah State, Albany State & Fort Valley State) and reserved the “Georgia” for white schools (Georgia Tech, U of Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia College, North Georgia, West Georgia, etc.). You can look it up!
Rooty Tooty
August 31st, 2012
12:45 pm
Those folks at GSU must be eating some of those brownies from UGA. GSUneeds to play in same conference as Valdosta State.
Peachstealth
August 31st, 2012
12:51 pm
First off you should have joined the So Con rather than the CAA. With teams in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and both Carolinas it would make for closer away games. They’re fairly equal conferences, both having 3 teams in the pre-season top 10. The only down side is you would have had to play the other GSU and that would have been embarrassing, at least for the first few years.
Get yourself established as one of the better FCS teams before you move up, unless you don’t mind a few winless seasons.
Realize that the Sunbelt doesn’t want you as much as they want the supposed prestige of playing in an NFL stadium, even though it’s only a quarter to a third full.
count_schemula
August 31st, 2012
1:05 pm
Does NYU have a football team? No? That is the model they should be following. Academics, film and graduate studies. A good school at a fair price. I know the school has changed a lot since I went there in the early 90s, but football is just not a good fit at GSU, and I would straight revolt over bolting that athletics fee onto my student loans.
I graduated from From GSU when GA Southern was only a college
August 31st, 2012
1:10 pm
Ga Southern fans are correct they are better than we are at this point. I wish we could have started with Erik or someone like him. But, I think the real problem is that even after 32 years and a good number of championships playing in the little leagues they still don’t think you are ready for the next level. Sorry. Yes, we are bad and we will be for sometime. We hope the next staff can bring the fire, but they may not. Either way lets look back in another 29 years and see if the big leagues are ready to accept you by then, didn’t the FBS report say Statesboro was just to small to take seriously. I am sure we will not have any Championships and you will probably have some more just be happy with that. And for those who keep being upset that the Atlanta news paper is covering an Atlanta team we will not be checking to see if the Statesboro paper covers us.
TheEagleWay
August 31st, 2012
1:24 pm
Per PantherTalk…
People have reported hearing at the game:
“Can a conference uninvite you?”
How does that crow taste?
DGAD
August 31st, 2012
1:26 pm
You are in the Sunbelt now. You will get beaten by teams not nearly as good as SCS. And I’m sure all those SBC fans from Troy and Western Kentucky are going to make you rich.
As for the REAL GSU they will run for 200+ yards on UGA.
Go Panthers!!
August 31st, 2012
1:28 pm
Sparta Bubba, I find this quote from you to be quite telling:
“reserved the “Georgia” for white schools (Georgia Tech, U of Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia College, North Georgia, West Georgia, etc.). ”
White schools, eh? Interesting. Last I checked, they are all multi-racial, multi-cultural and open to all walks of life besides just white folks.
Take that crap elsewhere.
Matt
August 31st, 2012
1:40 pm
WOuldn’t it make more sense to play at a lower level like a West Ga. for while and establish something for a few years? Baseball teams do this. They dominate the NAIA or D-2 ranks for a while and then make a jump. Seriously, how will Ga. State every be expected to win a single game at the FBS level?
Paddy
August 31st, 2012
1:58 pm
The Truth…..it seems that having a conversation w/ you is pointless. Calling me a d-bag for making a statement about a cap is over the top. You may want to re-read my post.It was just simple conversation, nothing more, nothing less. You were making a comment, I was making conversation. Why so defensive and crude? Grow up, pal.
Peachstealth
August 31st, 2012
2:05 pm
The Statesboro Herald never claimed to be a statewide newspaper. The AJC does. They just seem to think the state line is somewhere around Griffin.
Ghruten
August 31st, 2012
2:07 pm
It’s ridiculous for Ga. State to play a stadium that size. They need their own appropriate size stadium and build the program. It’s also dumb for them to already be moving into FBS.
Paddy
August 31st, 2012
2:22 pm
Peachstealth……..I may have missed it. I don’t recall the AJC saying it is the statewide newspaper. The Griffin boundry is about right. They have not been in S Georgia in years and many other locals that had been loyal to them over the years. It is just not the AJC. All daily newspapers are going the way of the 8-track and turntables.
Pantherfan93
August 31st, 2012
2:37 pm
And you can cut the history,tradition, and look foward to being in Statesboro. You guys couldn’t even draw 13,000 for the last home PLAYOFF game last season. Yeah. Y’all might sell out opening night, but the great Georgia Southern fans that DESERVE an FBS bid seem to vanish when the season is on the line by leaving Paulson 1/3rd empty. We are a third year team and draw that in the regular season.
GTJeff
August 31st, 2012
3:02 pm
Wow! GSU vs GSU. Two pi.ss ant programs that noone cares about bi.tching about who had the name GSU first.
Paddy
August 31st, 2012
3:15 pm
Pantherfan93…….the next time you are around the GSU ticket office ask them this; Do you count attendance as tickets sold or tickets distributed. The answer and the actual attendance may shock you!
Carl Benson
August 31st, 2012
3:28 pm
Looks like I picked the wrong school to invite to my conference…. where did I leave CL’s number?
Panama
August 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
Our AD needs to go! President Mark Becker, the empty Huddle Seats were a warning shot. You’re losing the few season ticket holders you have if you do not fire her Prada shopping, $1k boot wearing self. Dont say you were not told
Panama
August 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
Our AD needs to go! President Mark Becker, the empty Huddle Seats were a warning shot. You’re losing the few season ticket holders you have if you do not fire her Prada shopping, $1k boot wearing self. Dont say you were not told
Astonishing Werepanther
August 31st, 2012
4:01 pm
There are also benefits to moving up that can make it worthwhile even in the face of seeming adversity. Let’s let this thing play out, people.
We do need to be a better football team. But I believe that we can be, and I’ll be there as we become one.
Jeff, thanks for the article, even if I do think the theme is a little off. Also, note that Maine, NH, and RI are football-only CAA members, so they don’t really affect our other teams’ travel.
Class of 2016
August 31st, 2012
4:03 pm
This was some of the worst football I have seen in a while. I had high hopes of a good team this year.
I think I’d rather go with my room-mate to a Tech game.
ajg-marietta
August 31st, 2012
4:14 pm
Hey Haters, I’m a State fan. I don’t think I was ever arrogant, though.
Losing suck. It’s true. Hope we can get it turned around.
Hunter agrees to new six-year contract at Georgia State | CAAZone.com
August 31st, 2012
4:21 pm
[...] Schultz’s take on last night’s loss in football [...]
Happy St Pat's
August 31st, 2012
4:28 pm
Then again, Georgia State has academic departments which rank in the top 20 in the world. At Georgia State, students work with professors who define “the cutting edge.”. Given the choice, I’ll take top-flight academics over a top-flight football te
ATL Observer
August 31st, 2012
5:47 pm
Georgia Southern trolls: seriously, let the whole “GSU” thing goes. No one outside of you and the State people care. I mean ZERO people care. Why you care is beyond me.
Georgia State trolls: do realize that 90% of the mockery comes from the fact that look down on everyone from smaller schools as though they’re peons and you’ve treated your rise in college football as an inarguable inevitability instead of humbly declaring “you know, maybe we’ll have a rough time of it when we start.” That’s where 90% of this hazing is coming from: from this arrogant “above the CAA, above Southern, above it all” attitude that has yet to be backed up by anything whatsoever.
Now, that aside, I think State could establish a good football program given time, but it’s going to take a LONG time and a whole new coaching staff. Just take the lumps (and the hazing, which you should admit you welcomed with your ‘high and mighty’ attitude) and success will come with the right people in charge.
Peachstealth
August 31st, 2012
7:29 pm
Paddy, I guess I’m living in the past. The Constitution use to call itself” the South’s Standard Newspaper” and the Journal said it “covered Dixie like the dew”.
The Macon Telegraph covers Georgia Southern pretty well during football season and it’s well over 100 miles from Statesboro.
Southern has more students from Gwinnett than any other county, followed by Fulton and Cobb with Dekalb rated fifth so you’d think the Atlanta newspaper would at least cover Southern as well as the Macon paper does .
Paddy
August 31st, 2012
7:34 pm
I don’t mind living in the past, “times were better then’ Problem w/ all those students from metro Atl going to Southern, they don’t buy advertising!
EKY Panther
August 31st, 2012
8:59 pm
It’s pretty easy to understand Georgia Southern’s fans obsession with Georgia State – they are extremely jealous of Georgia State and desperately want to see the football program fail. Football is the ONLY thing that can give them any sense of superiority to Georgia State, and now they are seeing that threatened. Southern has been playing football for 30+ years and they are still in the minors. Georgia State is moving up after TWO years. Anyone with half a brain (and here I may be giving some of these Georgia Southern posters too much credit) knows Georgia State’s football team will have recruiting advantages over Southern that will eventually tip the scales.
But why do you Georgia State fans care anything about Southern? There are irrelevant to us. We should enjoy the fact that they are so obsessed with us that they can’t stay away. Beyond that, Southern is meaningless. By the way, Hunter’s new contract tells me we will be very pleased with our next football coach.
Bulldog1
August 31st, 2012
10:30 pm
Great win for SCSU. We will see GA Southern in the playoffs again and the end result will be in our favor! Go Bulldogs.
Peachstealth
August 31st, 2012
10:34 pm
That puzzles me too. It was the smallest crowd of the year. If you’ll look, Ap State only drew 15000 for their playoff game against Maine. Half of what they drew for their games with Southern and Western Carolina so it’s probably not just a “Ga Southern thing ”
Maybe its the fact that the playoffs come during the Thanksgiving-Christmas season and the students have gone home or are busy studying for finals. I don’t know.
For the regular season Southern averaged 19,249 per home game. Including the two playoff games, it drops to 17,701 which was still good enough for 11th place in FCS football
Georgia State averaged 14,286 per home game for 18th place in FCS
Don’t teams have to average 15,000 to stay in BCS?
Southern_Student_2014
September 1st, 2012
12:41 am
Not to be making any excuses but the playoff game where we only had 13,000 in attendance was during Christmas break right after finals. Maine also didn’t travel as well as most teams did to Paulson. I believe we average around 19-20 thousand during the regular season.
Looking forward to playing Ga State one day and starting a great in-state rivalry! Go Eagles!
Peachstealth
September 1st, 2012
1:15 am
Southern Student, Thanks for confirming what I had assumed.
Que-Bulldawg
September 2nd, 2012
12:27 am
It’s amazing how some of these GSU fans has this pompous attitude that SC State is a lesser calibur football program. This program has produced 3 NFL Football Hall of Famers within it 100 years plus of existence. Several players that played in the NFL. It doesn’t matter if SC State is a HBCU or not we are a Football Legacy. Please research history before making pompous remarks.