Getty Georgia State will take on the UL Monroe Warhawks Saturday. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
After losing two in a row, Army (3-3) heads to Georgia State Stadium to take on the Panthers (4-2), who have won their last two. This will be the first time the Black Knights and the Panthers have ever played each other.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on regular national TV anywhere, but you can watch it live right here on ESPN+, the digital streaming service from ESPN that has exclusive coverage of dozens of college football games and other live sports every week, all the 30-for-30 documentaries and additional original content (both video and written) all for $4.99 per month.
You can sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then watch Army vs Georgia State live on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
Army vs Georgia State Preview
Army had a strong start to their season, beginning 2-0, while almost beating a former top ten team in Michigan. They’ve dropped two in a row for the first time since 2017, however, and they’re 1-2 when playing away games so far this year. They will need to play better on both sides of the ball this week.
The Black Knights, led by senior quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr., are averaging just over 26 points a game. Their offensive attack has been heavy on the run–they’re averaging 250.7 yards per game compared to just 72.5 yards passing. They’ll likely rely primarily on the run, but they’ll need both to click against a Georgia State team who is playing very well right now.
Army will need a strong defensive effort, as well. Their defense has 12 takeaways in six games, and they’re giving up just over 20 points per game. Army coach Jeff Monken says the key will be for his team to run the ball while also stopping the run:
“We have to be able to run the ball effectively and stop the run and we haven’t done that the last couple of weeks. Hopefully, that will improve. Certainly working towards that.”
The Black Knights will have their work cut out for them on defense facing the Panthers leading rusher Tra Barnett, who is averaging over six yards a carry. Georgia State is scoring over 35 points a game, and this Army defense will have their work cut out for them trying to stop him.
The Panthers have a solid quarterback in Dan Ellington, who has 13 touchdowns and three interceptions on the season. Ellington is also the team’s second-leading rusher. He can air it out and take off with the ball when plays break down around him, so much will come down to how well Army’s defense can contain him and Barnett.
Much will also come down to how Georgia State’s defense plays. The Panthers are currently giving up 37.5 points per game and over 452 yards of total offense, and they’ll need to tighten up against a tough Army team that does not want to drop their third straight game.
The Panthers are favored by 6 points at home in what appears to be an intriguing contest between two run-heavy offenses. With no prior history between the two teams to draw upon, this could be one of the more interesting games of the weekend.