Panthers Win the Lending Tree Bowl

Photo Screenshot from @GeorgiaSateFB Twitter

Georgia State top Western Kentucky 39-21 in the LendingTree Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

𝘾 𝙃 𝘼 𝙈 𝙋 𝙄 𝙊 𝙉 𝙎#LightItBlue | @LT_Bowl pic.twitter.com/y2RGQ2iHOh

— GSU Football (@GeorgiaStateFB) December 27, 2020

Georgia State evened its bowl record at 2-2, including 2-1 under head coach Shawn Elliott, who has guided the Panthers to bowls in three of his four seasons.

This is first time in the 11-year history of the program the Panthers completed back-to-back winning seasons while defeating WKU (5-7, 4-3 C-USA) in a bowl game for the second time, following a win over the Hilltoppers in the 2017 AutoNation Cure Bowl for the program’s first bowl victory.

Redshirt-freshman quarterback Cornelious Brown IV, the MVP of the game, went 15-for-29 for 226 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 10 times for 40 yards, helping the Panthers pile up 478 yards of offense with 227 yards rushing and 248 yards passing.

Running back Destin Coates was named the Offensive Player of the Game with 117 yards rushing and one touchdown. Outside linebacker Jontrey Hunter earned Defensive Player of the Game honors, while placekicker Noel Ruiz was named the Special Teams Player of the Game.

“What a great win! What an awesome evening it turned out to be, finishing the 2020 season here at the LendingTree Bowl and getting a great win over Western Kentucky,” head coach Shawn Elliott said. “It’s awesome to watch our players and coaches fight and persevere through all the adversity this year. It’s amazing what these players can do when they put their minds to it.”

Georgia State’s 6-4 final record is the best winning percentage in program history and gives the Panthers back-to-back winning seasons for the first time.

The Panthers will take a three-game winning streak (South Alabama, Georgia Southern, Western Kentucky) into their 2021 season opener vs. Army on Sept. 4 at Center Parc Stadium.