Georgia State Football: Panthers developing young team in 2020

How will Georgia State football fare in 2020?

After a couple of successful seasons over the past three years, the Panthers will be enduring some hard times in 2020. How they respond to the challenges will give Georgia State a great look for their program going forward. They will start with the remaining of the offseason to find some efficient starters and prepare efficient game plans for 2020.

Here is the breakdown of the schedule for the Panthers in 2020:

• Game 1: vs. Murray State (W) – The Panthers should expect no trouble trying to establish some offensive efficiency against Murray State.
• Game 2: at Alabama (L) – Their first road game of the season, the Panthers will have a much different result from last year’s Tennessee matchup.
• Game 3: vs. Louisiana (L) – Even with the Panthers having a more efficient defense, they will not be able to consistently stop Louisiana’s top-10 rushing offense.
• Game 4: at Charlotte (L) – Fresh off a winning season and a bowl appearance, the 49ers are expected to finish their non-conference schedule with a win over the Panthers.
• Game 5: vs. East Carolina (W) – The Panthers’ strength in the run game might be enough to overpower the Pirates at home.
• Game 6: at Arkansas State (L) – The Red Wolves are returning nine starters on an offense that was ranked 26th in points per game (33.7) last season.
• Game 7: at Troy (L) – This will be a tight margined game, but the home-advantage of the Trojans might just be enough to give Troy the win.
• Game 8: Coastal Carolina (W) – The Chanticleers had a 5-7 record team last season and expect a decline in productivity.
• Game 9: ULM (W) – The Panthers should have their easiest conference win at home over the depleted Warhawks.
• Game 10: at Appalachian State (L) – Georgia State will have a tough time against the Mountaineers, who are easily projected to win the Eastern Division.
• Game 11: at South Alabama (L) – The Jaguars’ returning starters and home-field advantage will push them to a revenge win over the Panthers.
• Game 12: Georgia Southern (L) – The Panthers will finish their season against a run-orientated triple-option offense that expects to compete for the East.

Prediction: 4-8 (2-6 Sun Belt)

The Panthers will likely finish the 2020 season with a declining record of either 4-8 or 5-7. Their advancement in wins will be based on how they address their biggest areas of concern during the offseason.

On the offensive side of the ball, it will be finding a quarterback that can get the ball to the main different weapons that the Panthers have as well as push drives with his legs. Defensively, the Panthers will need to be more aggressive in getting to the quarterback and defending the passing game.

There are some games that the Panthers could find themselves with victories. The games that Georgia State can win are at Troy and at South Alabama. The Panthers trusting their offense in a freshman quarterback will be difficult to overcome against more experienced defenses.

There is hope for the Panthers as they place the season and take their time developing their young offense. The Panthers will find themselves in the middle of the pack of the Sun Belt with the tough competition from the other teams.

If the Panthers can find themselves in bowl contention late in the season, they could themselves contending for the East title next season. The process of becoming a consistent conference championship contender will take more time but they look to be on a winning path before, too.