Georgia State quarterback Darren Grainger ran for 142 yards and a score and threw for 144 and a touchdown to lead the Panthers to a 35-14 win over Connecticut Saturday night at Center Pac Stadium in Atlanta in front of 15,186 fans.
The Panthers (2-0) ran for 250 yards on the night led by Grainger and running back Marcus Carroll who had 107 rushing with three touchdowns.
After trading punts on the game’s first two possessions, the Panthers struck for the game’s first points as Grainger took the snap in shotgun and burst right through the middle of the Husky defense, going 65 yards untouched for a 7-0 lead at 8:40.
UConn’s first chance at points came McFadden missed 48-yard field goal, wide left, with five seconds left in the first after the Huskies got a GSU turnover on the Panther’s 47-yard line.
Georgia State got on the board twice in the second quarter, their first being set up by a muffed punt return on the UConn 46-yard line. Grainger need six plays to put his team up 14-0, hitting Robert Lewis at the right front pylon for a nine-yard score at 5:22.
The Panthers closed out the half with a nine-play drive that covered 63 yards with Marcus Carroll scoring from two-yards out for a 21-0 lead into the locker room.
UConn starting quarterback Joe Fagnano was forced out of the game late in the second quarter with an injury and the Huskies would go to junior Ta’Quan Roberson the rest of the way.
The Huskies (0-2) struggled on offense in the first half and were outgained 247 to 88 in total yards. UConn ran it 22 times in the first 30 minutes but managed just 25 yards.
In the third quarter, the Panthers forced a UConn punt on the opening possession, then Grainger engineered a 15-play drive that covered 92 yards and was capped by Carroll who scored his second of the night on a three-yard plunge to make it 28-0.
The Huskies got on the scoreboard with 9:16 left in the fourth quarter as Roberson hit Kevans Clercius in the back of the endzone from 11-yards out for his first TD pass at UConn.
Carroll scored his third on the night with 6:26 to play, bursting through the middle for a 39-yard score, pushing him over the 100-yard mark for the night.
UConn finished with just 50 yards on the ground on 31 rushes on the night. Roberson finished 19-of-30 for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns with an interception. Buckman caught nine balls for 93 yards and his first TD as a Husky.
Defensively, Noah Plack (Bridgeville, PA) posted 13 tackles, two for a loss. Linebacker Jackson Mitchell (Ridgefield, CT) made seven stops and had a half a sack.
The Huskies (0-2) return home this Saturday to face Florida International at 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. It will be the first of three straight home games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Georgia State 35, UConn 14
At Atlanta
UConn (0-2) 0 0 0 14 — 14
Georgia State (2-0) 7 14 7 7 — 35
First quarter
G: Darren Grainger 65 run (Liam Rickman), 8:40
Second quarter
G: Robert Lewis 9 pass from Grainger (Rickman kick), 5:22
G: Marcus Carroll 2 run (Rickman kick), 0:23
Third quarter
G: Carroll 3 run (Rickman kick), 4:07
Fourth quarter
C: Kevens Clercis 11 pass from Ta’Quan Roberson (Joe McFadden kick), 9:16
G: Carroll 39 run (Rickman kick), 6:26
C: Brett Buckman 32 pass from Roberson (McFadden kick), 3:57
