Recalling a Few Men: The Greatest Opponents GSU Football Has Ever Faced
Since the program’s start in 2009, Georgia State Football has pushed itself to play everyone and anywhere. While playing in a different schedule has provided some benefits, the Panthers have had the opportunity to see a number of extremely talented players play across the line of scrimmage.
Following LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels’ outstanding solo performance on Saturday night, the GSU coaching staff tossed around names of some of the best players the program has ever had.
Given the onset of this conversation regarding Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Trophy aspirations, it seems appropriate to begin with Ingram, the inaugural recipient of the honor Georgia State last faced on November 18, 2010, the inaugural year of the program. Even though Mr. Ingram had a short day at work, he still managed to find the end zone once in his twelve carries for 86 yards.
And Julio-o-o-o-o could not be overlooked! The future Falcon recorded seven receptions for 86 yards on a night in which he scored two receiving touchdowns. Jones is undoubtedly one of the best college players the Panthers have ever faced off against and is among the best wide receivers to play in the National Football League this century.
It’s simple to forget a lot about the Panthers’ 3-8 sophomore season in 2011, but on September 24th, they did lose to the Cougars 56-0, and they did lose their lunch. That year, Keenum amassed an incredible 5,631 passing yards and 51 touchdowns in total, with 415 of those coming on that fateful September day.
Also, Keenum was the reason for this for the numerous fans of the Falcons and GSU crossover. For him to post the video, he had to be online.
Yes, in the Tide’s lopsided 45-3 victory on October 5th, he only had 5 carries for 50 yards, but really? Derrick Henry is here. Future Heisman winner, NFL defenses’ nightmare fuel in the future. Adequate said.
CBC Marcus Peters (Image courtesy of Scout.com)
2014: Marcus Peters, cornerback, and linebacker Shaq Thompson (tie) – Washington
The Panthers’ 45-14 loss to the Huskies on September 20th was decided by a tie between two defensive standouts.
Although Thompson was a First Team All-American that season and both players were selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Peters had two interceptions in the game, so it’s likely him.
2015 – Defensive Lineman DeForest Buckner – Oregon Weird to pick a defensive player from a game Georgia State lost 61-28, I know, but it was not your typical Ducks offense full of studs who have lived long in the memory of CFB watchers. Marcus Mariota graduated the year before, it was Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams Jr at QB.
That would be Buckner, who in their 2015 game against the Panthers recorded 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. The San Francisco 49ers selected him among the top 10 picks in the 2016 NFL Draft due to his skill in the middle of the Oregon D-line. He went on to be selected to the Colts’ First Team in 2020 and the Niners’ Second Team in 2019, respectively, as an All-Pro.
The Edge Rusher, 2016. Watt, T.J. – Wisconsin
The second Watt brother, who might now have a better professional career in some capacity, was a member of the 2016 Badger team that Georgia State almost defeated in a 23-17 setback on September 17. He finished the season leading his team in sacks (11.5), and he had one during Wisconsin’s victory over the Panthers (for a 15-yard loss; I’d really like to know what went wrong here!).
He is currently among the best players in the NFL, so it makes sense that he would rank among the best defensive players GSU has ever faced.
2017: Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, running back
September 16th marked Shawn Elliott’s second game as head coach of the GSU program. The Panthers traveled to Happy Valley to take on Barkley and the #5-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. With just 47 yards on 10 carries, Georgia State’s defense had him pretty well contained in the ground game. However, the future #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft torched them as a receiving option out of the backfield with an 85-yard touchdown catch. Yes, Penn State triumphed 56-0. We still recall James Franklin icing Brandon Wright’s field goal attempt by 56 points!
2019 – Wyoming – Arizona Bowl – Linebacker Logan Wilson
Although Mr. Wilson made headlines in 2019 for some controversial tackling while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the 2019 Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl, he was the second-leading tackler for the Cowboys, who defeated GSU 38–17. Wilson was selected by the “Who Dey”-ers in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
When talking about the quote-unquote “best players” that GSU has faced, it’s easy to fall into the P5 trap. However, 2019 is a good year to highlight some of the better Group of 5 players that the Panthers have faced, such as Wilson and Appalachian State’s standout running back Darrynton Evans.
Quarterback, 2020 Grayson McCall – Carolina’s coast
You can read a box score, so I’ll try to keep my commentary about the Halloween 2020 Georgia State vs. Coastal Carolina game to a minimum. However, the Panthers only faced the mullet-wearing three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year twice in their history.
During the 2020 season, McCall and his team were at the pinnacle of their abilities, going 11-0 in the regular season before losing to Liberty in the Cure Bowl.
2022: Fieldback From North Carolina, Drake Maye
There were two UNC signal-callers available; Sam Howell had much more impressive stats against the Panthers in 2021 (352 passing yards, 102 rushing yards, and five total touchdowns); however, Maye is the one who I believe will be selected in the top three of the NFL Draft, so he has the advantage.
On September 10th at Center Parc Stadium, Maye only managed 284 passing yards against Georgia State, and Jacorey Crawford picked up one of his seven interceptions for the season, but he and the Tar Heels made just enough plays to win 35-28.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels of LSU in 2023
We’ve reached the current moment. After Daniels’s 25-of-30 passing performance last Saturday for 413 yards, 96 yards on the ground, and a school-record-tying eight total touchdowns, his Heisman campaign received a “Hey, look at that crazy stat line” boost. By the way, Joe Burrow, the most recent resident of Heisman House with the Tigers, owned that record.
I’m not sure if Jayden will be able to lift the coveted trophy in New York in a few weeks, but from my elevated position in Tiger Stadium on Saturday, I can say that Georgia State has never faced a player more impressive than him. Although the numbers, which as of this writing include 1,014 rushing yards, 3,577 passing yards, and 46 touchdowns overall, speak for themselves, there is more to it than that. You have to give a shout-out to the guy who may be at the top of this Remember Some Guys list for a while, even though it was to the Panthers’ dismay this past weekend. He is a truly exceptional talent.
