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BOISE — Utah State couldn't get much of anything going against Georgia State Saturday and lost 45-22 on the blue turf of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Aggies defense had no response for Georgia State's high-powered offense, and the Panthers finished with 643 yards of total offense, setting a Potato Bowl record for total yards and a season high for the Aggies in total yards allowed.
The Panthers also set a Potato Bowl record for 386 total rushing yards, surpassing the Aggies total yards on the day (347).
"Honestly, just handled us," Aggies head coach Blake Anderson said. "One of our worst offensive outings of the season."
The attack was led by senior quarterback Darren Grainger, who finished with three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, and surpassed the century mark in both rushing and passing yards.
"He had a couple (mistakes), but nothing critical and seemed to make a play when he had to," Anderson said of Grainger. "Phenomenal player, really didn't expect anything different from him."
Running back Freddie Brock also added 276 yards on 24 rushes and one touchdown for Georgia State's offense.
The game appeared like it would be a track meet early, as only one of the first six combined possessions did not result in a touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, the Panthers led 21-14.
The Aggies, however, ended the scoring shootout as the Panthers held them scoreless through the entirety of the second and third quarters. They wouldn't score until late in the fourth quarter when McCae Hillstead connected with Terrell Vaughn for a 2-yard touchdown reception. Altogether, the Panthers put together 31 unanswered points.
Hillstead replaced Levi Williams, who started at quarterback for the majority of the game in his final collegiate game. Williams will not return to Utah State for his final season of eligibility, as he plans to enter the Navy SEALs.
Perhaps one of the only bright spots on the day was Jalen Royals' 35-yard touchdown reception, which secured for him the Utah State school record for most touchdown receptions in a season. That and defensive lineman Paul Fitzgerald's three sacks.
Though both players were likely pleased with their individual performances, it paled in comparison to their devastating loss.
"We still lost, so that takes away the enjoyment of it," Fitzgerald said.
In any case, the bowl loss is disappointing to Utah State fans, players, and coaches alike.
"That's the hard part, is we did a lot of work to get here, overcame a lot of adversity to get here, then just did not play in any phase the way we're capable of," Anderson said. "I love our dudes, I love what they did to get us to a bowl game, but as I told them in the locker room, we're a better football team than we showed today."
Utah State moves to just a 1-4 record in the Potato Bowl in their five appearances since the bowl's creation and finishes the 2023 season with a 6-7 record, the same record they recorded last year. Georgia State moves to 7-6 on the season and snaps their five game losing streak with the victory.
