ATLANTA (AP) — Zak Wallace ran for two touchdowns and Ja’Quez Cross’ TD run from 15 yards out proved to be the difference as Arkansas State ran past Georgia State 27-20 on Saturday night.
Arkansas State (6-4, 4-2) is in second place in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division, two games back of Louisiana-Lafayette with two games remaining in the regular season.
Zach Gibson put Georgia State (2-8, 0-6) on the board first with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ted Hurst midway through the first quarter. The Red Wolves answered with back-to-back drives, the first covering 75 yards in seven plays capped by Wallace’s 13-yard scoring run and the second a six-play, 54-yard drive cashed in by Wallace from a yard out.
Christian Veilleaux got the Panthers even with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Michel Dukes with 2:03 left in the half, but Clune Van Andel kicked a 44-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the half for a 17-14 lead. Cross’s touchdown with 14:03 left in the game proved to be the game winner, giving Arkansas State a 24-14 lead before Van Andel added a career-best 52-yard field goal with just under eight minutes left.
Arkansas State had just 97 yards passing, but Jaylen Raynor led a ground game that amassed 261 yards by picking up 114 yards on 16 carries. Cross had 76 yards on 14 carries and Wallace added 62 yards on 14 carries.
Veilleux was 17-of-35 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown with an interception for Georgia State. Dukes had 32 yards on six carries, but the Panthers were held to 65 yards on 23 rushes as a team.
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