Saturday, the Odyssey was in the press box watching a South Carolina team play a Georgia team. What an exciting double overtime shocker! Oh, wait, we were actually in Conway, South Carolina to see Coastal Carolina host Georgia State.
Georgia State’s QB, Dan Ellington, showed why he is the most valuable player in the Sun Belt. While most of his pub has come due to his passing chops, he repeatedly torched the Chanticleer D with his legs, amassing 128 rushing yards. He was one of 3 Panthers to rush for 100+ yards as Georgia State’s run game trampled a respectable Coastal defense, igniting a 31-21 victory.
With Georgia State’s only Sun Belt blemish being an overtime loss at Texas State, all of a sudden its November 16 date in Atlanta with Appalachian State takes on greater import. The game’s biggest surprise is that the Panther D showed up, limiting Coastal to 322 yards of offense.
The game’s 2nd biggest surprise was the presence of the Panther band, 349 miles from Atlanta. The upper deck, opposite the press box, was vacant save for the band, which was exiled to the boondocks.
The third surprise is the ongoing excellence of a Georgia State team picked toward the bottom of the Sun Belt. Kudos to coach Shawn Elliot as Saturday night was a rewarding homecoming for the South Carolina native. When a commuter school in the shadows of both Georgia Tech and the Atlanta Falcons has much success, such success is against absolutely all odds.
Elliott’s surging Panther team provided a contrast to two rebuilding teams in Raleigh on Thursday night. North Carolina State and Syracuse are both examples, among many, of the ACC’s big decline in 2019. After watching the Orange only tally 10 points against a middling defense, it strained belief that some thought in August that Syracuse might be the league’s 2nd best team.
Syracuse coach, Dino Babers, built his reputation on offense, believing in quick tempo. At his previous stop at Bowling Green, he dubbed his offense “Falcon Fast.” Should this offense be called “Syracuse Slow”?
Babers’ QB, Tommy DeVito, took 8 sacks and often would immediately scamper out of the pocket if his primary receiver was covered Which might have been fine if DeVito had the running chops of his lauded predecessor, Eric Dungey. Instead, DeVito made Dungey look like the 2nd coming of Donovan McNabb.
In Devito’s defense, he likely was not 100% after a shoulder injury suffered several weeks back. Still, one of his forays out of the pocket had to be disheartening to Syracuse fans. After a cavalcade of punts in the first quarter, Syracuse faced a 3rd and 8 in its own territory. DeVito successfully broke contain and the line of scrimmage. He slid down, 2 yards short of a first down, when normal effort seemingly would have produced a desperately needed first down.
Perhaps a QB needs to be 120% healthy to play behind that offensive line. North Carolina State’s defensive front 7 often had their way with the Syracuse front, holding the Orangemen to 41 net rushing yards on 37 attempts. DeVito throws a beautiful deep ball but badly needs not to lock in on his primary receiver.
NC State’s 16-10 triumph showed enough promise behind newly anointed starter, Bailey Hockman, that Wolfpack fans should enjoy a bowl trip after a 4-2 start. Let’s see if the Wolfpack can finally play well when they next leave Raleigh as their first two trips to West Virginia and Florida State were unmitigated disasters.
The weekend’s 4th surprise was Myrtle Beach. The Odyssey did not know how extensive and festive Myrtle Beach and its first cousin, North Myrtle Beach, were. Possibly the most festive place in the state to celebrate Will Muschamp’s shocking upset of Jake Fromm and Company. Conway’s proximity to Myrtle Beach cannot hurt Coastal Carolina recruiting.
8 sacks 37 rushes for 41 yards….
NC State only TD came on a double pass.