It has been a particularly difficult season for Georgia State in the area of injuries. The Panthers have been hit especially hard on the defensive line and at running back. They lost starting quarterback Zach Gibson on Saturday.
If there is a positive to the injury situation, it is the chance for new faces to roll into the rotation. Last week it was an opportunity for Kyrik Mason, a junior transfer from Monmouth, to get some reps on the offensive line.
Georgia State (2-8, 0-6 Sun Belt) has its final road game this week, traveling to play Texas State (6-4, 4-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday (TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio – WRAS-FM 88.5). The series is tied at 4-4, with Georgia State winning the most recent meeting in 2021.
Mason worked at left tackle to spell the ailing Ben Chukwuma and held his own against an aggressive Arkansas State defense.
“He did a good job coming in,” Georgia State coach Dell McGee said. “He did better in pass protection than the run blocking. Got a next-man-up mentality. He practiced, and he was prepared. Ben wasn’t able to go, so we kind of sub guys in and kind of went with the best person who was doing the best job at the time.”
While Mason is the latest to step forward, several other new faces have made their presence felt this season.
Wide receiver Petey Tucker has become a reliable target behind Ted Hurst. Tucker, a junior transfer from Lackawanna, has 29 receptions for 295 yards. He has caught five passes in each of the past three games.
Damaine Wilson is a freshman who has been starting at inside linebacker. He ranks sixth on the team with 38 total tackles and has one of the team’s five interceptions.
Ian Matthews, a junior from Columbus, has become a rotational piece on the defensive line. He started Saturday and had four tackles against Arkansas State. He has recorded quarterback hurries in the past two games.
Georgia State also will be without running back C.J. Beasley and tight end Ahmon Green for Saturday.
“We’re still holding steady with the guys we’ve got,” McGee said. “We’re expecting those guys who are practicing to prepare to win and do all the things that’s necessary for us to be successful.”
At least the Panthers have a proven quarterback they can turn to while Gibson is hurt. Christian Veilleux started the first five games before Gibson took the job, so he brings game experience to the position. Veilleux engineered the last-minute drive that beat Vanderbilt in the second week of the season. The Pitt transfer entered last week’s game when Gibson was injured and completed 17 of 35 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
“(Gibson) didn’t practice today,” McGee said at Tuesday’s media conference. “So we’ll just wait and see how he responds. Right now we’ve got to prepare for Christian and Kyle (Lowe, a redshirt freshman transfer from Middle Tennessee) being the one or two quarterbacks going into this game.”
The Panthers likely will need to a lot of points to hang in against Texas State, which leads the Sun Belt with 35.6 points per game. Quarterback Jordan McCloud has thrown for 2,370 yards and a league-best 25 touchdowns.
“They play with tempo,” McGee said. “Quarterback makes them go. He understands where he’s going with the ball. We’re working to make sure we study the game plan, detail the game plan and put our best foot forward with effort and execution and see what happens.”
