Georgia State (4-2, 1-1 Sun Belt) at Arkansas State (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt). Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. Central), Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, ESPN+.
Your hosts are Malik Overstreet, a Georgia State fan who knows every MARTA stop and every Panther third-down tendency, and Ty Doucet-Harmon, an Arkansas State fan who guides duck hunters through the flooded timber of the Delta.
Ty: Welcome to the country, city boy. No traffic out here, just geese.
Malik: We have duck in Atlanta too, my friend. It comes on a plate.
Players to watch
Georgia State quarterback Cameran Brown has completed 102 of 156 passes for 1,291 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. Receiver Rodshaun Dorsey has 21 catches for 333 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back Lanear McCrary Jr. has 385 yards. Linebacker Xavier Esqillion has seven sacks, and Jaydon Hood leads with 35 tackles.
Arkansas State quarterback Trey Owens has more than 1,600 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 68.7%. Receiver Hunter Summers has 31 catches for 422 yards. Safety Joe Drew leads with 64 tackles, and cornerback Dontrae Henderson has two interceptions.
Malik: Seven sacks for Esqillion. That man never sits in traffic.
What happened last week
Arkansas State beat Southern Miss 23-13. All five scoring drives ran between seven and 13 plays, and the Red Wolves closed it out with a 14-play drive that ate the final 7:21. They won time of possession by about 20 minutes. Clune Van Andel made field goals of 29, 40 and 44 yards, and Kenyon Clark and Timothy Carter ran for touchdowns.
Georgia State lost 49-22 at James Madison. Brown threw for 134 yards and a touchdown and ran nine times for 71 yards, and Dorsey caught a touchdown.
Ty: Fourteen plays, 7:21. That's sitting in the blind till the birds come in.
Injuries and availability
The Sun Belt doesn't publish an official availability report, and no injury news had surfaced for either team as of Oct. 18.
What the coaches are up to
Butch Jones is in his sixth season at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves are coming off back-to-back bowl wins, over Bowling Green in the 2024 68 Ventures Bowl and Missouri State in the 2025 Xbox Bowl.
Dell McGee has led Georgia State since February 2024. After 1-11 last year, his Panthers have four wins. His offense averages 452.7 yards and 36.5 points a game.
Player storylines
Georgia State runs for 206 yards a game, and Arkansas State allows 195.4 on the ground, which ranks 124th. Third downs matter too. Opponents convert 45.9% against the Red Wolves, while the Panthers convert 47.5%. Arkansas State's best counter is its pass defense, 31st in FBS, and a plus-3 turnover margin. Both of Georgia State's losses came on the road.
What's happening on campus
It's Arkansas State Homecoming, with the theme "Into the Howlverse," based on "Into the Spider-Verse". Game day starts with the sixth annual Ag for Autism Furry 5K at 8 a.m. Friendly dogs are welcome, and Halloween costumes are encouraged. The alumni tailgate runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Athletics is giving 2,000 fans Thunder Sticks, and the Red Wolf Walk is at 3:45 p.m. There's also a free pregame concert held with the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home. Homecoming royalty will be crowned, and new members join the A-State Hall of Honor.
Anything else fun and true
Arkansas State won four of the six meetings from 2016 through 2025, and Ty keeps that tally next to his duck calls. Arkansas State has a week off after this, then hosts UL Monroe on Nov. 7. Georgia State hosts Coastal Carolina on Oct. 31.
Malik: Next stop, third-and-long. Mind the gap, Ty.
Ty: Quack-quack, wrong pond, Malik. But you're welcome at the tailgate.
The Cover Window
My call: Georgia State Panthers 30, Arkansas State Red Wolves 29.