Gerogia State football prepares for Troy

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

ATLANTA — Georgia State head coach Trent Miles is looking for his squad to respond with toughness as the Panthers play at Troy Saturday at 3 p.m. ET at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“They’re working hard,” Miles said at his Tuesday press conference. “But it comes down to preparing the best you can mentally and physically and coming out and being tough on Saturdays.”

Both teams enter the game with a record of 1-8, but Troy (1-8, 1-4 Sun Belt) has been a traditionally strong program in the Sun Belt Conference under head coach Larry Blakeney, who has announced that he will retire following the season.

Blakeney has 176 career victories in his 24th season at Troy. He ranks seventh in number of victories by an active FBS coach, and only Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer (228) has more wins at his current school than Blakeney’s 176 at Troy. The field at Veterans Memorial Stadium is named for him.

Miles has been friends with Blakeney for years and appreciates his accomplishments.

“I have nothing but the utmost respect for him and what he’s done,” Miles said. “I’ve seen that program go from Division II to Division I-AA, now to Division I and win many championships. Twenty-four years at that spot and winning at all types of levels shows what kind of a coach he is.

“At the Sun Belt meetings, Coach Blakeney, Coach [Dennis] Franchione and I tend to gravitate together.”

For Troy, redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Silvers is completing 66 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and just three interceptions. Similar to Georgia State, the Trojans have spread the ball to a number of different receivers; both teams have five players with 15 or more catches.

Georgia State (1-8, 0-6 Sun Belt) quarterback Nick Arbuckle continues to lead the Sun Belt in passing with 2519 yards (279.9 yards per game) and 16 touchdown passes as he approaches the Panther season and career records in both categories. With three games to play, the junior college transfer is just 54 yards behind the GSU season record for passing yards (2,573) and 605 yards off the career record (3,124). His 16 TD passes are just two off the season and career record of 18.

Arbuckle’s targets include Biletnikoff Award watch list member Donovan Harden at receiver (47 receptions for 719 yards and 7 TD) and John Mackey Award watch list member Joel Ruiz at tight end (37-464-3).

Georgia State inside linebacker Joseph Peterson is doubtful with an ankle injury and is expected to miss his second straight game. The Panthers’ leading tackler and top defensive player will likely miss an opportunity to play near his hometown of Dothan, Ala., less than an hour from the Troy campus.