Georgia State makes things easier on itself
Panthers set to face Houston (not the Texans) in 2011.
Georgia State football’s inaugural season closed with a thud on Nov. 19 against the defending National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide—losing 63-7.
The Panthers are hoping for a better outcome against another Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent in 2011 when GSU travels to Houston to take on the University of Houston Cougars.
The game is set to take place on Sep. 24 at Robertson Stadium with a kickoff time still to be determined.
“We are very pleased to announce a game with a quality FBS program like Houston,” said GSU Athletic Director Cheryl L. Levick. “Attractive intersectional matchups like this raise the profile of Georgia State football and help us build our program.”
The rest of the 2011 schedule, which will include six home games and four additional road games, will be announced in the next few weeks as Georgia State heads into its final season before starting play in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2012.
“This game presents another tremendous opportunity for our football team to test itself against a strong Houston program on their homefield,” head coach Bill Curry said. “Houston has an impressive coach in Kevin Sumlin and an outstanding quarterback in Case Keenum, who was injured this season but has been granted a sixth year of eligibility.”
The Cougars went 5-7 in 2010 and lost their final four games of the season. Houston finished the 2009 regular season 10-2 before falling to East Carolina, 38-32, in the Conference USA Championship Game and to Air Force, 47-20, in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
While betting lines for a game eight months in advance are clearly not available, there’s little doubt that the Panthers aren’t likely to be 57.5-point underdogs against Houston.
