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The Georgia State Panthers and the Ball State Cardinals will compete for holiday cheer in the Camellia Bowl on Saturday at Cramton Bowl at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Panthers will be seeking to avenge the 31-21 loss they suffered the last time these two teams played Sept. 2 of 2016.
Georgia State decided to play defense against itself four weeks ago, but the squad still came out ahead despite their 90 penalty yards. They blew past the Troy Trojans 37-10. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Georgia State had established a 30-3 advantage. Their CB Jamyest Williams looked sharp as he rushed for one TD and 108 yards on 15 carries. That touchdown -- a 50-yard rush in the fourth quarter -- was one of the highlights of the game.
Special teams collected 13 points for Georgia State. K Noel Ruiz delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
As for Ball State, they can't say they have nothing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving week. They captured a comfortable 20-3 win over the Buffalo Bulls four weeks ago. The team ran away with 17 points in the first half and mostly just sat on those in the second to pick up the victory. No one had a standout game offensively for Ball State, but QB Drew Plitt led the way with two touchdowns.
The Cardinals' defense was a presence, as it collected four interceptions. Those interceptions were spread across their defensive unit.
The Panthers are the favorite in this one, with an expected 6-point margin of victory. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (5-2), so they might be worth a quick bet.
A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Georgia State is 194th worst in the nation in passing yards allowed per game, with 258.8 on average. The Cardinals have experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the 200th most rushing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 21 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
