Georgia State vs. Utah State Prediction, Preview, and Odds
The Georgia State Panthers are facing off against the Utah State Aggies on Saturday afternoon in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl inside Albertson Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Both teams are entering this game after a 6-6 regular season and with a bunch of players missing this game for a multitude of reasons. Let’s take a deeper dive into both teams and discuss which side we should be taking in this side.
Panthers Ready to Attack
The Georgia Panthers are looking to be better offensively than they were in the regular season as they were 96th in college football with 200.9 passing yards per game. They are tied for 77th in the sport with 25.8 points per game with a large part of it being on the back of their 171.6 rushing yards per game. Senior quarterback Darren Grainger is looking to step up in this game as he did well as he is 225-of-336 (67.0 completion percentage) for 2,364 yards with 17 passing touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Their defense struggled throughout the season as they are 105th in college football throughout the regular season as they gave up 30.8 points per game. They have been doing decently well as they have 16 total takeaways (10 interceptions, six fumble recoveries) as well as 27 total sacks. Senior cornerback Gavin Pringle has been a star in the secondary as he has 37 total tackles (25 solo, 12 assisted) with 1.5 sacks, four pass deflections and four interceptions.
Players Out for Georgia State
Cornerback JayT Jackson: Transfer Portal
Cornerback Tony McCray: Transfer Portal
Cornerback Bryquice Brown: Transfer Portal
Linebacker Evan Graham: Transfer Portal
Offensive Tackle Montavious Cunningham: Transfer Portal
Offensive Tackle Cameron Dye: Transfer Portal
Running Back Jaquan Dixon: Transfer Portal
Running Back KZ Adams: Transfer Portal
Running Back Marcus Carroll: Transfer Portal
Wide Receiver Robert Lewis: Transfer Portal
Safety Jalen Tate: Transfer Portal
Wide Receiver Rico Arnold: Transfer Portal
Wide Receiver Ja’Cyais Credle: Undisclosed (OUT)
Tight end Kris Boyd: Undisclosed (OUT)
Aggies Ready to Roll
The Utah State Aggies ended the regular season on a strong stretch as they won three of their last four games to be bowl eligible. They were a strong offensive team as they are tied for 24th in the nation with 34.1 points per game and were able to be a threat both passing and running the game. With Cooper Legas expected to miss this game, freshman quarterback McCae Hillstead needs to step up in this game. He has played a decent amount of snaps this year as he has gone 87-of-147 (59.2 completion percentage) for 1,005 yards with 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Their defense needs to figure out how to be a lot better than they were throughout the season as they have time to prepare for this matchup. The Aggies are tied for 118th in the nation with 33.8 points per game given up. As a team, they recorded 19 total takeaways (10 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries) and 24 total sacks. Linebacker MJ Tafisi Jr has been doing great as he has 131 total tackles (50 solo, 81 assisted) with a pass deflection and a pair of forced fumbles.
Players Out for Utah State
Cornerback Malone Mataele: Transfer Portal
Defensive Lineman Vaughn Mamea: Transfer Portal
Safety Devin Dye: Transfer Portal
Running Back Reggie Foster: Transfer Portal
Defensive Lineman Adam Tomczyk: Transfer Portal
Defensive Lineman Siaosi Lauhingoa: Transfer Portal
Quarterback Cooper Legas: Shoulder (OUT)
Wide Receiver Micah Davis: Foot (OUT)
Cornerback Avante Dickerson: Undisclosed (OUT)
Safety Anthony Switzer: Undisclosed (OUT)
Tight End Broc Lane: Undisclosed (OUT)
Quarterback McCae Hillstead: Ankle (Questionable)
Running Back Robert Briggs Jr: Undisclosed (Questionable)
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Best Bets
Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
With the Georgia State Panthers being devastated in their secondary with so many players at that group specifically, the Utah State Aggies are in the driver’s seat. There is a reason why this game opened as the Panthers being a 2.5-point favorite and now the spread has the Aggies being a 2.5-point favorite. Georgia State backed into a bowl game as they lost each of the previous five regular season games while Utah State won three of their last four games. Quarterback McCae Hillstead has been in a great position as he played well throughout the season and that helps him have more confidence. All in all, go with the Utah State Aggies to cover the spread and win by at least a field goal here.
Prediction: Utah State Aggies -2.5
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
The Aggies over/under is 8-3-1 throughout the regular season and have a lot of their offensive weapons available while the Panthers are depleted, specifically on the defensive side of the field. It’s difficult to say the regular season numbers will carry over but lately, these defenses are struggling as Georgia State is giving up 41.8 points in their last five games while Utah State is allowing 36.7 points in their previous three games. McCae Hillstead and Darren Grainger should be able to dominate the opposing defense and should be able to go up and down the field and put points on the board. Go with OVER 59.5 POINTS in this game as the better option.
Prediction: Over 59.5
After playing sports throughout most of middle school, high school, and college, Arthur has been writing about sports for nearly a decade. With years of experience, he has had a very good career in the betting world. Arthur has brought his talent to StatSalt and Winners & Whiners and he has been an integral part of our team. Make sure you follow along with Arthur each and every day. You won't be disappointed.
