A big day from Georgia State QB Darren Grainger was too much for ODU in a 31-17 Panthers’ win on Saturday.
Grainger passed for 195 yards and had 109 on the ground in the win for Georgia State (3-5, 2-2 Sun Belt).
It was the second loss in a row for ODU (3-5, 2-2 Sun Belt), which was missing several key players – with tight end Zack Kuntz missing his third consecutive game, and the defense having to go without linemen Amorie Morrison and Devin Brandt-Epps and linebacker Ryan Henry.
“That’s football,” ODU coach Ricky Rahne said. “They had some guys down, too. When you get to the eighth, ninth and 10th game of the year, you’re going to have to have developed players. You’re going to have to play with some guys who didn’t play as much earlier in the year.”
A special-teams mistake by the Monarchs would be crucial. A running-into-the-kicker penalty on a Georgia State punt extended a Panthers third-quarter drive that ended with a Grainger 1-yard TD run that put Georgia State ahead, 21-14.
ODU QB Wolff was then sacked and fumbled at the Monarchs 11, and it took Georgia State just one play, an 11-yard jaunt by tailback Marcus Carroll, to give the Panthers a 28-14 lead.
After again forcing ODU to punt, the Panthers drained nearly 10 minutes off the clock and made it 31-14 on a 26-yard field by Michael Hayes with 6:20 left.
Wolff finished 19-of-34 for 257 yards, two TDs and one INT, and was sacked six times.
Tailback Blake Watson had a quiet Saturday, gaining 56 yards on 14 rushing attempts.
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