Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State 2025 Recap: Southern Stomps State in 41-24 Win

STATESBORO, GA — Georgia Southern defeated Georgia State 41-24 on Saturday night, and will keep the Commissioner’s Cup in Statesboro for the second consecutive year. The Eagles covered the 6.5-point spread and the game goes over, again, 59.5. With this win, the Eagles tie the record between them and the Panthers, 6-6, and also capture their first Sun Belt Conference win. With that in mind, let’s dive into this Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State 2025 recap.

Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State 2025 Recap

Back-And-Forth First Half

In the first half, there was only one stop between both teams. Georgia Southern started the game with a field goal and Georgia State answered with a touchdown run from quarterback Cameran Brown, who started the entire game. The Eagles answered right back with a 20-yard touchdown to wide receiver Camden Brown, and the Panthers went back down the field to kick the game tying field goal.

Georgia Southern would drive back down the field, but were stuffed on a 4th-and-1. That stop allowed the Panthers capitalized with a long drive that ended with a Ted Hurst touchdown catch. With little time left in the half, the Eagles were able to get in field goal range and kick as time expired to cut into the Panther lead.

The Second-Half Switch

JC French opened the second half scoring with a touchdown run to take the lead, but the Panthers put together a touchdown drive themselves to take it right back. Georgia Southern backup quarterback Weston Bryan came into the game on the goal line to punch it in on the following drive to take the lead back, the final lead change of the game. There were six lead changes in the game.

Georgia Southern’s defense played much better in the second half. The Eagles made the Panthers punt early and defensive back Dorrian Smith forced a fumble, which allowed the Eagles to pull away after the Bryan touchdown run. The Panthers were 10-of-14 on third down, something the Eagles defense will need to improve if they want to run the table.

Eagles running back OJ Arnold had 74 rushing yards on 12 carries and 85 receiving yards on only four receptions. The running back averaged over 20 yards per catch. His total of 159 yards was the highest of any player for either team, but French would actually lead the team with 85 rushing yards. Arnold was pivotal for the Eagles as they leaned on the senior to put the game away.

Panthers starting quarterback Cameran Brown led the game in rushing yards with 120 on 15 carries. However, he did cough up the fumble late in the game. The Eagles will need to get better at defending rushing quarterbacks.

Look Ahead: Traveling to Arkansas State

The Eagles will be on the road for the next two weeks. The first stop will be in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Arkansas State just beat South Alabama, 15-14, on Tuesday October 14. This means the Red Wolves had four extra days to practice for the Eagles, who had to spend those four days preparing for Georgia State. Arkansas State is currently 2-1 in the Sun Belt.

The Red Wolves have a balanced offense. They rank 63rd in FBS with 238.1 passing yards per game and 105th in FBS with 124.6 rushing yards per game. Red Wolf quarterback Jaylen Raynor has nine passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and five interceptions on the year. Raynor also ranked 40th in FBS with 1660 total passing yards on the year.

The Eagles defense will be tested against this balanced attack by the Red Wolves. Defensive back Chance Gamble remains out for the year, and Ayden Jackson is set to miss the first half after getting called for targeting in the second half against Georgia State. It’ll be interesting to see how the defense comes out.

Shrine Bowl Prospects

Georgia State senior wide receiver Ted Hurst had a fantastic game against the Eagles crippled secondary. Hurst had 60 yards and a touchdown, but he has looked even better all year.

Despite having multiple quarterbacks throwing to him, Hurst has 579 receiving yards on the year, which ranks him 19th in FBS, with three touchdowns. Hurst is a big-play machine and has had a 20-yard or more catch in every game except for the Panthers first game of the season against Ole Miss. The senior also averages six receptions a game, ranking 21st in FBS, showing that he is a dependable target for his QBs.

It would be a crime to mention anyone other than Camden Brown for the Eagles. The Auburn-transfer had another signature performance, catching just three passes for 48 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. The second touchdown came from a 50-50 jump ball in the air and Brown was able to secure the catch and get both feet down in bounds to practice the body control he will need in the NFL.