ATLANTA (AP) — Despite all its mistakes, Vanderbilt seemed headed for its first 3-0 start since 2017.
Georgia State had other ideas.
Christian Veilleux threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Ted Hurst with 15 seconds remaining, capping a wild fourth quarter that gave the Panthers a stunning 36-32 victory over their Southeastern Conference opponent on Saturday night.
Georgia State blew a 12-point lead in the final period, with the Commodores (2-1) pulling ahead on Sedrick Alexander's 1-yard touchdown run with 1:14 remaining.
But Veilleux completed five passes on a lightning-quick drive, the last of them the throw to Hurst down the left sideline. He managed to get a foot down and stick the ball inside the pylon on his way out of bounds.
The Panthers (2-1) won for just the second time in 18 games against a Power conference team. The only previous victory for the 14-year-old program was a 38-30 upset at Tennessee in 2019.
This wasn't nearly as much of a stunner, but the Panthers celebrated wildly after beating the first SEC team ever to visit their home stadium, the baseball-turned-college football facility formerly known as Turner Field.
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot, but our guys are resilient," first-year coach Dell McGee said. "They kept fighting, kept believing and that's part of a championship football team, when you can answer the bell, when you go down and not panic."
For Vanderbilt, it was a bitter setback for a program that has long been the worst in the SEC but believes it is ready to become more competitive.
Coach Clark Lea knows what others are saying about his team.
Same ol' Commodores.
"I'm not going to sit here and talk anything about what this reminds me of from days past. I'm just not going to do it," Lea said. "I believe in this team."
But this one was tough to swallow.
"It's definitely a wake-up call," tight end Eli Stowers said. "We got complacent."
Veilleux threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, also connecting with Hurst on a 33-yard scoring play in the first half. The transfer QB had a score of his own on an 18-yard bootleg run with 11:42 left in the game, giving the Panthers a 29-17 lead.
Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. AJ Newberry gave the Commodores a shot with a 3-yard TD run with 2:29 remaining.
Georgia State botched the ensuing kickoff, only managing to return it to the 8. The Panthers went three-and-out while the Commodores used up their timeouts, setting up a punt that gave Vandy the ball back at Panthers 39 with 2:03 still remaining.
Consecutive personal fouls on the defense — one a silly hit out of bounds after Pavia's short run, the other a hands to the face on an incomplete pass — pushed Vandy to the 11. Two plays later, Alexander scored to put the Commodores ahead for the first time all night.
It didn't last.
The Takeaway
Vanderbilt: The Commodores simply made too many boneheaded mistakes. Pavia lost a fumble on the third play of the game that led to a Georgia State field goal. Steven Sannieniola took an inexplicable safety after bobbling a kickoff in the end zone, grabbing the ball after it barely rolled back across the goal line, and taking a knee thinking it would be a touchback. For good measure, CJ Taylor was ejected for targeting on a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Georgia State: Even though Vandy is a perennial last-place finisher in the SEC, it was still a significant win for the Panthers program that has struggled to make much of a mark in the crowded Atlanta sports market.
Up Next
Vanderbilt: Travels to No. 6 Missouri (3-0) next Saturday for its Southeastern Conference opener. The Commodores are looking to snap a nine-game losing streak in league play. Their last SEC win was a 31-24 triumph over Florida on Nov. 19, 2022.
Georgia State: The Panthers are off next weekend. They host rival Georgia Southern on Sept. 28 to open Sun Belt Conference play.
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