By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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What the Panthers did this year was ultimately emerge as one of college football’s most consistent teams.

Resounding winners of the TaxAct Camellia Bowl, Georgia State finishes the season as one of the hottest teams in all of college football.

Following a 1-4 start against perhaps the nation’s toughest introductory schedule, the Panthers lost just once after the first week of October, that defeat coming, by four points on a late go-ahead touchdown, on the road at eventual Sun Belt Champion Louisiana. Georgia State rallied to a remarkable 7-1 finish, beating the likes of rival Georgia Southern, nationally-ranked Coastal Carolina and Ball State in the postseason along the way. Simply put, the Panthers finished the year on a run for the record books.

A Christmas Day showcase in Montgomery proved to be a stand-alone spotlight for a rising program that just debuted back in 2010.

Georgia State, winning the Camellia Bowl by a score of 51-20, was simply on a different level than Ball State, outscoring the Cardinals 28-0 in the third quarter. The Panthers controlled the game from the trenches, outrushing Ball State 259 yards to 74. Darren Grainger completed 15-of-19 passes with three touchdowns, running for 122 yards and another score. Tucker Gregg and Jamyest Williams combined for over 100 yards rushing, Aubrey Payne caught eight passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns, Jamil Muhammad recorded two sacks and Antavious Lane scored on a 55-yard pick-six.

For Georgia State, the postseason proved to be both a celebration and a continuation alike.

The Panthers promptly won four straight to end the year, a streak started by a milestone triumph at Coastal Carolina. That afternoon, Grainger, a Conway-native, led Georgia State to 42 total points in pacing a balanced and proficient offensive attack. He was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week as the Panthers snapped the Chanticleers’ 12-game home winning streak and earned their first-ever victory over a ranked opponent. Grainger, in his homecoming, made history.

Still a young program barely over a decade old, Georgia State continues to add to a rapily-growing profile. This season, alone, the Panthers led for much of the game, including with less than a minute remaining, at SEC power Auburn, beat their archrival on the road, went down to the wire with the conference champions, defeated a nationally-ranked foe for the first time and went for over 50 in a bowl game on Chistmas Day. All while winning six of their last seven overall.

Georgia State’s tradition is taking shape with each and every game played.

When the season got off to a slow start, the Panthers stayed the course. Not only does Georgia State now have meaningful momentum entering 2022, the Panthers, fresh off arguably the best stretch the program has ever had, heads into the off-season in an all-out sprint. Georgia State is here and ready for more.

What the Panthers did this year was ultimately emerge as one of college football’s most consistent teams. From 1-4 to 8-5, it’s a distinction they earned.