Elite Professional Makes Triumphant Return As Georgia State Head Coach
Dell McGee has been involved in this rivalry since the beginning, experiencing both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
As the running backs coach at Georgia Southern, he participated in the first match-up between the Panthers and Eagles in 2014 at the old Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Panthers fans had long been eager for this game, but it wasn’t until Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt Conference, where Georgia State was already a member, that the match-up became a reality. When the highly anticipated game finally took place, it proved to be a nightmare for the Panthers, as the Eagles dominated with a 69-31 victory, highlighted by Matt Brieda’s impressive 201 yards and four touchdowns on just 12 carries, contributing to a total of 613 rushing yards in front of 28,427 fans.
Georgia Southern went on to clinch the Sun Belt Championship, but the following year at Paulson Stadium, Georgia State responded with a commanding 34-7 win, limiting Brieda to 45 yards and the Eagles to just 135 rushing yards in front of 23,401 spectators.
Since that point, the rivalry has intensified, with Georgia State currently leading the series 6-4. Georgia Southern’s 41-33 victory last year broke a three-game losing streak against the Panthers.
After the 2015 season, McGee took over as interim coach for the GoDaddy Bowl, leading the Eagles to a 58-27 triumph over Bowling Green. “I was fortunate to work with Willie Fritz at Georgia Southern. He was both a great mentor and friend,” McGee reflected. During his time there, the team achieved notable success, winning a Sun Belt title in their first year in FBS.
Despite being a favorite among players and fans for the head coaching position, McGee was passed over for Tyson Summers, later moving on to Georgia, where he played a key role in the Bulldogs’ back-to-back national championships before joining Georgia State.
The upcoming game will be the inaugural Georgia Grown Bowl, sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. This initiative highlights the rivalry while promoting Georgia’s leading industry: agriculture. Following the game, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper will present the winning team with the Commissioner’s Cup.
McGee recently celebrated a significant victory, with the Panthers managing a thrilling last-minute win against Vanderbilt, taking the game 36-32. Quarterback Christian Veilleux orchestrated a seven-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown pass to Ted Hurst with just 15 seconds remaining. Though Vanderbilt is not typically a powerhouse, they pushed Missouri to two overtimes the previous week.
As Georgia’s recruiting coordinator, McGee successfully brought Veilleux from Pitt and Hurst, a transfer from Valdosta State who played at Savannah’s Jenkins High School. Veilleux, now a junior, has completed 63.8% of his passes for 717 yards and six touchdowns, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt in passing yards and fifth in completion percentage.
Running back Freddie Brock, who transferred from Maine two years ago, made a name for himself last season with a school-record 276 yards in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. This season, he’s rushed for 230 yards—averaging 5.9 yards per carry—ranking third in the conference. He also scored the game-winning touchdown in a 21-17 victory over top-ranked Chattanooga.
Hurst has emerged as a key target with 15 receptions for 237 yards (15.8 yards per catch) and three touchdowns, ranking sixth in the conference in both receptions and yards while leading in touchdown catches. Last season at Valdosta, he had 38 catches for 596 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games.
“We saw the potential in him on tape,” McGee said. “We were fortunate to get him, and I’m really pleased with how he’s developed in our offense.”
Linebacker Keith Swint, a Clemson transfer and the SBC Defensive Player of the Week following the Vanderbilt game, also made significant contributions with eight tackles, two for loss, two sacks, and two pass breakups.