Box Score ATLANTA – Tra Barnett rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown and the Georgia State defense turned in a strong performance in a 28-15 victory over South Alabama on Senior Day at Georgia State Stadium, giving the Panthers (7-4, 4-3 Sun Belt) seven victories in the regular season for the first time in the program's 10-year history.
 
With the win, Georgia State finished with a program-best 5-1 record at Georgia State Stadium.
 
"First, I would like to say how proud I am of the football team and the 19 seniors who took the field tonight," head coach Shawn Elliott said. "It is amazing to think that we are sitting here with our seventh win. Seven wins have never been accomplished in the regular season at Georgia State University in ten years of football. We just did it. That is making history.
 
"There are a couple of things you remember. You always remember the first game you play, the last game you play, and you always remember Senior Day," Elliott continued. "They (the seniors) are going to remember this one. They set another standard. They have an opportunity to set another notch next week and the following."
 
Barnett, the senior from Elberton, Ga., recorded his seventh 100-yard game of the season and scored his 11th touchdown, both school records. In doing so, he topped the 2,000-yard mark for career rushing, another program first. He now has 2,039 yards.
 
Quarterback Dan Ellington, playing through a knee injury, completed 21 of 27 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran four times for 12 yards.
 
His top target today was tight end Roger Carter, who had career highs with seven receptions and 87 yards, including a 4-yard TD.
 
The GSU defense turned in one of its best performances of the season, holding the Jaguars to 326 yards of offense. Both touchdowns that South Alabama managed came in the final six minutes after GSU began playing backups.
 
Leading 14-3 at the half, Georgia State pulled away with back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter. First, Barnett capped a 75-yard march with a 2-yard scoring plunge to give the Panthers a 21-3 lead with six minutes left in the third quarter.
 
After the GSU defense forced a three-and-out, the Panthers took over at their 24 and drove 76 yards on 10 plays, capped by Carter's TD. The junior tight end caught a pass in the flat and bulled his way into the end zone for a 28-3 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
 
South Alabama took the kickoff and drove down the field for a first down at the GSU 15. But four plays netted eight yards as senior defensive end Terry Thomas came up with the fourth-down stop at the GSU 7 that effectively sealed the win.
 
After an early South Alabama field goal, Georgia State got on the board early in the second quarter with a 13-play, 82-yard drive. Destin Coates ended the march with a 6-yard scoring run to put the Panthers up 7-3 with 13 minutes to play in the half.
 
On South Alabama's ensuing possession, the GSU defense forced the Jaguars to turn the ball over on downs, the Panthers took over at their own 35-yard line. Ellington directed a 9-play, 65-yard drive, capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Devin Gentry, who made a nice catch in traffic in the corner of the end zone. That gave Georgia State a 14-3 led with six minutes left in the half.
 
Nineteen Panthers were honored before the game for Senior Day.
 
"These seniors are the difference. They are the reason we are sitting here with seven wins," Elliott said. "I expressed to them last night that it is some of the best leadership I have seen in 23 years of coaching. It did not just happen. I saw it happen at the end of last season. Their intentions were to be successful to not only work hard, but to do the right things. What a Senior Day for those guys."
 
Georgia State will conclude the regular season next Saturday at Georgia Southern. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. and air on ESPN+ and the GSU Radio Network (WAOK-AM 1380 and WRAS-FM 88.5).