Coach CeeGee’s Georgia State Panthers (4-2, 2-1 Sun Belt) escaped with a 26-24 victory over the UAB Blazers in their Week 2 NDL Block 1 matchup, played as their sixth game of the season, but the win left the coach seething over a lackluster performance.
Despite moving to second in the Sun Belt East, the Panthers’ sloppy play on both sides of the ball drew CeeGee’s ire, with particular frustration aimed at junior QB Christian Veilleux’s persistent turnovers.
The game started disastrously for Georgia State, as Veilleux threw an interception on the first play, setting up UAB’s Lee Beebe Jr. for a 2-yard TD run to take a 7-0 lead. The Panthers clawed back in the second quarter with a 22-yard Liam Rickman field goal and a 9-yard Freddie Brock TD run, but Beebe’s 30-yard TD scamper put UAB ahead 14-10.
Rickman’s 23-yard field goal at the buzzer narrowed it to 14-13 at halftime.
A turning point came in the third when Gavin Pringle’s 82-yard pick-six off UAB’s Jacob Zeno (17/27, 173 yards, 1 TD, 5 INTs) gave Georgia State a 19-14 lead, though a failed two-point try kept it close. UAB’s Jonah Delange answered with a 49-yard field goal, making it 19-17.
In the fourth, Veilleux found Austin McGee for a 31-yard TD to push the lead to 26-17, but UAB’s Corri Milliner hauled in a 26-yard TD catch from Zeno with 2:34 left, cutting it to 26-24.
The Panthers’ defense held firm to secure the win.
Veilleux (15/20, 169 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) avoided disaster but drew CeeGee’s wrath for his season total of 15 interceptions in six games. “Christian’s got to protect the ball, or we’ll look at other options,” CeeGee warned, hinting at a potential QB change.
The run game struggled (106 yards, 3.7 YPC), with Brock (74 yards, 1 TD) carrying the load. Tailique Williams (6 catches, 61 yards) and McGee (3 catches, 36 yards, 1 TD) led the receivers, but the offense’s 275 total yards underwhelmed.
Defensively, Georgia State forced five interceptions, with Kenyatta Watson II grabbing three and Pringle’s TD return proving pivotal. Tavian Brown led with 12 tackles, but the unit allowed 319 yards, including Beebe’s 108 rushing yards and two TDs.
“We were lucky to win,” CeeGee fumed. “Our execution was atrocious—offense, defense, you name it. We can’t play like this and expect to compete for the Sun Belt title.”
With Blocks 1-5 now, the Panthers face UTSA next. Sitting at 4-2, Georgia State’s championship hopes hinge on cleaning up mistakes. “We’ve got the talent, but we’re nowhere near our potential,” CeeGee said.
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