2012 GAME SUMMARIES
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2013 Georgia State Football
SEASON REV I EW
passer penalty, the Panthers had a final snap from
the JMU 45-yard line with three seconds left, but
the Dukes managed a sack to end the game.
JMU jumped in front early, taking advantage
of a Georgia State turnover. Evans fumbled on the
Panthers’ first play from scrimmage to give the
Dukes the ball at the 23-yard line. JMU needed just
four plays to score as Birdsong hit Dae’Quan Scott
for a 6-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.
The Panthers answered with an eight-play,
81-yard drive, all of it on the ground. After Watson
rushed 10 yards for a first down at the JMU 47,
Travis Evans raced 45 yards – the longest run of his
career – before he was dragged down at the 2-yard
line. Then Watson punched it in on the next play as
GSU evened the score at 7-all with five minutes left
in the first quarter.
AfterWil Lutz hit the crossbar on a 53-yard field
goal attempt, James Madison drove 63 yards on six
plays, capped by a 4-yard scoring run by Starke.
That put the Dukes ahead 14-7 early in the second
quarter.
Ogbuehi, GSU’s senior tight end, finished with
a career-high six catches, along with his 71 yards
rushing on two carries. Watson, another senior,
contributed 30 yards rushing, one touchdown on
the ground and one touchdown pass.
Quarterback Ben McLane completed 22 of 37
passes for 170 yards and one touchdown with no
interceptions.
Georgia State outgained James Madison,
ranked No. 9 by the Sports Network and No. 10 in
the FCS Coaches Poll, 348 to 340.
D’Mario Gunn led the GSU defense with 10
tackles, one tackle for loss and an interception.
Theo Agnew added nine tackles, a tackle for loss
and three pass breakups.
Dae’Quan Scott led the Dukes with 130 yards
rushing. Freshman quarterback Michael Birdsong
passed for 119 yards and one touchdown in his first
start.
Before the game, James Madison honored GSU
head coach Bill Curry by making him an honorary
letterman.
“On a personal note, I can’t remember anybody
doing anything nicer for me,” said Curry. “To be
made an honorary letterman at a proud institution
like this is a tremendous honor, and I am extremely
grateful.”
GEORGIA STATE...........
JAMES MADISON ........
SCORING SUMMARY
JMU–Scott 6 Pass from Birdsong (Starke Kick),
JMU 7-0
13:10-1st (4-23, 1:35)
GSU–Watson 2 Run (Lutz Kick), 5:05-1st (8-81, 3:13)
7-7
JMU–Scott 4 Run (Starke Kick), 13:59-2nd (6-63, 2:04) JMU 14-7
JMU–Anderson 4 Run (Starke Kick),
JMU 21-7
1:12-3rd (5-68, 2:22)
JMU–Lee 3 Blocked Punt Return (Starke Kick), 14:05-4th JMU 28-7
GSU–Ogbuehi 5 Pass fromWatson (Lutz Kick),
JMU 28-14
10:47-4th (8-81, 3:18)
GSU–Lee 10 Pass from McLane (Lutz Kick),
JMU 28-21
6:31-4th (5-67, 1:59)
Attendance–22,813
TEAM STATISTICS .....................................GSU
JMU
First Downs (R-P-Pen)..........................20 (11-8-1)
17 (9-6-2)
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD)........................... 38-173-1
42-221-2
Passing Yards........................................................175
119
Passes (Cmp-Att-Int)..................................23-38-0
11-23-1
TOTAL OFFENSE (Plays-Yds)...................... 76-348
65-340
Punts (No.-Avg-Net)............................9-32.0-29.2
7-34.9-34.9
Fumbles-Lost ........................................................1-1
2-0
Penalties..............................................................5-48
4-35
Sacks By..................................................................0-0
3-31
3rd Down Conversions ...................................4-16
3-13
4th Down Conversions ......................................2-2
0-0
Time of Possession.........................................31:27
28:33
RUSHING LEADERS
GSU–Evans 18-98; Ogbuehi 2-71; Watson 9-30, 1 TD; Lee 1-0;
Wilson 1-(-2); McLane 6-(-22)
JMU–Scott 25-130, 1 TD; Anderson 11-48, 1 TD; Birdsong 6-43
PASSING LEADERS
GSU–McLane 22-37-0, 170, 1 TD; Watson 1-1-0, 5, 1 TD
JMU–Birdsong 11-23-1, 119, 1 TD
RECEIVING LEADERS
GSU–Ogbuehi 6-17, 1 TD; Lee 4-21, 1 TD; Wilson 3-57; Evans
3-23; Blair 2-25; Pearson 1-10; MInor 1-8; Hill 1-8; Carter
1-4; Watson 1-2
JMU–Scott 5-37, 1 TD; Hunter 2-29; Barlow 1-21; Rose 1-18;
Robinson 1-7; Hart 1-7
OLD DOMINION 53, GEORGIA STATE 27
(BNF /PW
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Taylor Heinicke passed for 351 yards and
three touchdowns as No. 5 Old Dominion defeated
Georgia State 53-27 at the Georgia Dome.
It was the final home game for head coach
Bill Curry, the only coach in the program’s history
who will retire after the season. Before the game,
Georgia State announced the locker room at the
football team’s practice facility will be named in
Curry’s honor.
“It absolutely stunned me,” Curry said of the
locker room naming. “It’s the only time today [that
he got emotional]. I had no intention in choking up.
These amazing acts of kindness toward me today, I
don’t even have words.”
The biggest highlights for Georgia State came
from junior Albert Wilson, who set three school
records. Wilson ignited the Georgia Dome crowd,
changing direction and out-running the Old
Dominion coverage team for a 100-yard kickoff
return for a touchdown midway through the third
quarter. It was a school record for Wilson, who also
had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in
2010 against Alabama. On this one, Wilson fielded
the ball four yards deep in the end zone.
“He was not supposed to bring that ball out,”
Curry said. “It’s the longest kickoff return I’ve ever
been a part of. Those are really fast people chasing
him, and you just can’t catch him.”
With just over 10 minutes left in the game, Ben
McLane made a perfect pass to Wilson, who was
streaking down the sideline and turned it into a
school-record 93-yard touchdown catch that made
it a 46-21 game.
Wilson caught six passes for 149 yards and
amassed a school-record 296 all-purpose yards.
Tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi also topped
100 yards receiving with a career-best 108 yards on
three catches, including a 55-yard reception from
McLane and a 42-yard grab from wide receiver
Danny Williams on a reverse.
Demazio Skelton intercepted two passes for
GSU. D’Mario Gunn also had an interception, which
he returned 73 yards, meaning this game produced
the Panthers’ longest kickoff return, interception
return and play from scrimmage.
Heinicke, who came into the game leading
FCS in total offense at 436 yards per game, was
28-of-42.
All 27 GSU points came in the second half.
The Panthers marched 80 yards in six minutes,
and senior Rosevelt Watson broke an initial tackle
attempt and plunged into the end zone for a 3-yard
touchdown that cut the deficit to 32-7.
The Panthers’ best chances to score in the
opening half came on a pair of second-quarter
possessions. First, the Panthers got an 18-yard run
by Travis Evans to help get to the ODU 31-yard line,
but Wil Lutz’s 48-yard field goal was short. Later,
Ben McLane hooked up with Emmanuel Ogbuehi
on a 55-yard completion to set up first-and-goal.
Old Dominion’s defense only allowed two more
yards on the series before McLane was sacked on
fourth down.
GSU had three first half turnovers, and they
cost the Panthers on the scoreboard each time.
McLane fumbled midway through the first
quarter and ODU, given excellent field position,
took just four plays to travel 34 yards as Heinicke
made it a 15-0 game with an 11-yard scoring strike
to Tyree Lee.
Up 22-0, ODU safety Devon Simmons
intercepted McLane and Heinicke found Larry
Pinkard in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard
touchdown to push the Monarchs’ lead to 29-0.
After Craig Wilkins picked off a tipped ball, Jarod
Brown’s 28-yard field goal sent ODU into the locker
room up 32-0.
GSU scored its fourth touchdown of the
second half when Malcolm Smith capped a nine-
play drive by taking a direct snap for a 2-yard
ALBERTWILSON
amassed a school-record
296 all-purpose yards against Old Dominion,
including this 100-yard kickoff return and a
93-yard touchdown reception.
