Georgia State wins 2nd-straight bowl game, secures program-record 8-win season in TaxAct Camellia Bowl

Published 8:42 am Monday, December 27, 2021

Georgia State scored a TaxAct Camellia Bowl record 51 points, including 28 unanswered in the third quarter, to earn a 51-20 win over Ball State.

Redshirt junior quarterback Darren Grainger connected on 15-of-19 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another 122 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Grainger’s top target proved to be redshirt senior tight end Aubry Payne, who scored a pair of touchdowns and accumulated 109 receiving yards.

The Panther defense also contributed two touchdowns—one on a 37-yard fumble recovery by redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Javon Denis and another on a 55-yard interception return by redshirt sophomore safety Antavious Lane.

Lane’s interception was his school-record fifth of the season and pushed his Panther career record tally to nine. Lane paced the Panthers with 10 tackles in the postseason win.

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Shamarious Gilmore—1-of-2 five-time All-Sun Belt players in conference history—appeared in his school-record 60th game.

Georgia State, which won 7-of-8 games to conclude the year, finishes 8-5—the first eight-win season in program history. The Camellia Bowl appearance marked the first-ever string of three-straight bowl games for the Panthers, while the victory gave the program back-to-back bowl wins for the first time.

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