Malik Overstreet · Georgia State Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Next stop, third-and-long. What's up, Atlanta, I'm Malik Overstreet. I went to policy school, I know every MARTA stop by heart, and I know every Georgia State third-down tendency the same way. I travel with the Panthers and I live with the Panthers, and every week I'll bring you the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines, at Atlanta speed. My system for sizing up opponents is simple: traffic. A defense that can't move is the Connector at rush hour. A defense that flies around is I-285 at 3 a.m. on a Sunday. We're the big-city kids in a conference full of small towns, and I love every road trip into the country. When we win, I dance like I just found a parking spot downtown. When we lose, I blame the traffic on 75/85. Let's ride.
The School in 60 Seconds
Georgia State football is young. The Panthers were founded in 2010 and play at the FBS level in the Sun Belt. Home is Center Parc Stadium, about ten minutes from our downtown campus, listed at 25,000 seats. The last five seasons: a strong 8-5 in 2021, then 4-8, 7-6, 3-9 and a tough 1-11 in 2025. So this 4-2 start? That's a green light on Peachtree at 5 p.m. You don't see it often, and you enjoy every second of it.
The Coach and the Scheme
Dell McGee is the head coach; CFBD dates his hire to Feb. 23, 2024. This year's offense moves like the HOV lane: 452.7 yards a game (23rd in FBS), 36.5 points (26th), 206 rushing yards (26th) and 246.7 passing (52nd). We convert 47.5% of third downs (26th) and score on 92% of red zone trips (24th). We hold the ball 32:34 a game, 25th. The defense is solid against the pass, 189.2 yards allowed a game (38th), and it gets after the quarterback with 19 sacks. Where we stall out: a minus-4 turnover margin, 113th in FBS.
Players to Know
QB Cameran Brown: 102 of 156 for 1,291 yards, 13 TD, 5 INT. At James Madison he also ran nine times for 71 yards.
RB Lanear McCrary Jr.: 385 yards on 78 carries, 4 TD. DJ Murray Jr. ran for 56 yards and caught three passes at JMU.
WR Rodshaun Dorsey: 21 catches, 333 yards and 7 touchdowns. Seven! He's the express train.
LB Xavier Esqillion: 7 sacks. Seven sacks in six games, folks. That's a man who never sits in traffic.
LB Jaydon Hood: team-high 35 tackles. S Deuce Lee: 1 interception.
The Conference Picture
Georgia State is 4-2 and 1-1 in the Sun Belt, 3-0 at home and 1-2 on the road. The wins: North Carolina A&T 59-10, at Kennesaw State 31-17, Northern Illinois 35-14 and Old Dominion 42-10. The losses: at UCF 44-30 and at James Madison 49-22. After Jonesboro, Coastal Carolina comes to Atlanta on Oct. 31. I'm not doing standings math tonight. I'm just saying a road win would be the express lane into November.
About the road: both losses came away from home, against good teams. This is a chance to change that story.
Season so far, by traffic report: the A&T game was the Downtown Connector at 4 a.m., wide open, 59-10. Kennesaw State was a short drive up I-75, and we got home happy, 31-17. Old Dominion came to town and we scored 42. JMU was a jam on a rainy Friday, and we never got out of it. A new week, a new route. Remember, after 1-11 last year, every one of these four wins means something.
This Week: Georgia State (4-2) at Arkansas State (3-4)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 7 p.m. ET · Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro · ESPN+.
Last week: James Madison beat us 49-22 on Oct. 17; Brown threw for 134 yards and a touchdown, and Dorsey caught a touchdown. Arkansas State beat Southern Miss 23-13, winning time of possession by about 20 minutes.
Our offense vs. their defense: Arkansas State allows 195.4 rushing yards a game (124th), and opponents convert 45.9% of third downs (129th). In the red zone, opponents score on 91.3% of trips (113th). That's the Downtown Connector at rush hour, and we're on the scooter.
Their offense vs. our defense: Trey Owens has thrown for over 1,600 yards, and receiver Hunter Summers has 422 receiving yards. Our 38th-ranked pass defense meets their 68th-ranked passing game.
Series: CFBD shows Arkansas State won four of the six meetings from 2016 through 2025.
Availability: no injury or availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Our run game against the 124th-ranked run defense. (2) Turnovers; Arkansas State is plus-3 and we're minus-4. (3) Red zone finishing.
My read: this one feels like a one-point game, decided in the last few minutes. Bring snacks, and stay to the final whistle.
To Ty Doucet-Harmon, Arkansas State's insider: we have duck in Atlanta too, my friend. It comes on a plate.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
Back in Atlanta? Ted's Montana Grill on Luckie Street, near Centennial Olympic Park, is an easy pregame or postgame family supper.
My call: Georgia State Panthers 30, Arkansas State Red Wolves 29.