Georgia State football started today's game with a bang as speedy redshirt freshman Darren "Big Play" McCray returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. But the remaining minutes of this wild and wooly 24-21 victory at Campbell University (1-3) were fraught with peril for Panther fans, and there were many moments when the host Camels looked like a winner.
Nevertheless, it was redshirt senior kicker Iain Vance's 30-yard field goal with under a second to play that delivered Georgia State's (2-2) second win of the season and first-ever on the road. Vance has now made all five of his field goal attempts.
After McCray's kickoff return, a fumble on a Campbell punt by freshman Demarius Matthews, a rare GSU special teams error, gave the Camels the ball on Georgia State's 17. Five plays later, Campbell tied the game on redshirt senior quarterback Daniel Polk's 1-yard run.
The dangerous McCray helped Georgia state on the following kickoff without touching the ball. Campbell elected to kick the ball low and redshirt sophomore Malcolm Smith returned it to the Georgia State 49. Ten plays later, GSU led 14-7 after redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Little's 5-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior Sidney Haynes.
In the second quarter, Campbell began to scare Georgia State. The Camels drove 94 yards on 13 plays, helped by a Panther roughing the passer penalty, and tied the game 14-14 on an 18-yard Polk pass to redshirt junior Harrison Jordan. That drive chewed up 5:30 as Campbell seemingly rushed the ball at will.
The third quarter was bizarre as the Panthers resembled a bloody Rocky Balboa fighting off Apollo Creed. The Camels drove the ball to Georgia State's 26 before redshirt freshman Mark Hogan intercepted a Polk pass at GSU's 13-yard line. Freshman Albert Wilson's fumble after a long reception allowed Campbell to drive back to Georgia State's 25. Thanks to a GSU penalty, redshirt junior Adam Willets tried kicking field goals from 47 and 42 yards and missed both wide right.
After an exchange of punts and a Georgia State fumble by redshirt freshman Kelton Hill, Campbell again drove deep to GSU's 12 early in the final quarter, when Willets again went wide right from 29 yards. Georgia State had its opening and Little drove the Panthers 80 yards in 13 plays and chewed up over six minutes of clock in taking a 21-14 lead; redshirt freshman Danny Williams caught an 8-yard pass from Little for the score.
That was advisable because the Panther defense was spent. Campbell only needed six plays to tie the game 21-21 on a 7-yard Polk run with 3:14 remaining. Georgia State then drove from its 24 to Campbell's 13-yard line, setting up Vance's game-winning kick. With just enough time left for one play, junior Paul Constantine returned the final kickoff 41 yards to GSU's 43, before being shoved out of bounds. Whew!
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