Panther Pride Peaks in Tuscaloosa!

Panther Pride Peaks in Tuscaloosa!


Going to Tuscaloosa to watch GSU play the defending National Champions in front of over 100,000 fans, was a great experience for all involved! PANTHER FANS were treated to the spectacle of our New Favorite Team playing in the huge Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of The University of Alabama Crimson Tide's legendary football heritage. 


While watching the BAMA fans gather before the game to line the walkway on which the Crimson Tide enter the stadium,  I was "fast-forwarding" 20 years into our future, to where, in my mind, "Panther Pride" will be legendary on its own merit, and we will have our own signature cheers and events with which to inspire awe in our opponents. 

Bama Fans Lining the Walkway, waiting for their team to arrive. 

The score may not reflect it, but Panther fans have a lot to be proud of! GSU is the 

only team to run a kickoff back for a TD on BAMA this year. Here is my shaky video. 

(My son is # 18) 

We had some good kickoff coverage. We completed a 55 yard pass. We made a good goal line stand! Defense made some good stops. It was exciting

to watch our guys on the field! I know the team loved playing in Bryant-Denny Stadium! 

The enthusiasm of the BAMA fans was infectious.Those of us in Blue may have been vastly outnumbered by those wearing Crimson and Houndstooth, but we were not intimidated or discouraged! 
Hearing our GSU Marching Band perform our new fight song caused  Panther Fans' pride to soar to new heights! 



 "The sky is the limit" when it comes to 

writing the future of the GSU Panther 

Football "Tradition." Maybe the athletic 

department should have a forum (online 

and public meetings) and become 

intentional about getting input on ideas 

for new "Panther traditions" and ways to  

build team spirit, fan support, and 

sponsor buy-ins for all Panther sports.

(Perhaps everyone making claws out of their 

hands for first downs, while chanting "Pounce Panthers!")

It would have been nice to have seen a "miracle" win in Tuscaloosa, but, regardless of the score I am VERY PROUD OF OUR INAUGURAL PANTHER FOOTBALL TEAM! Our program is only going to get better!  GREAT WORK, GUYS! See you in 2011!

Click here for more Game Day Photos

The Panthers are on the Prowl--Entering the Stadium of 100,000+ Fans!

GSU Panthers in Tuscaloosa!

GAME DAY PHOTO LINK




GSU Panthers in Tuscaloosa!


The Panthers have scouted out the stadium and visited the Bear Bryant Museum. 


Here are some photos to get Panther Fans revved up for tomorrow's game!

The Kickoff is 7:33 EST, 
Thurs., November 18th, on ESPN-U

GO PANTHERS!

Coming out of the tunnel!

101,821-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. 

 Blake Wyatt GSU #18 in front of Bear Bryant's Desk

Trophies in Bear Bryant Museum 

Coach Curry's Exhibit in the Museum

It's OFFICIAL: GSU Has WINNING Inaugural Season!

It's OFFICIAL: 

GSU Has WINNING Inaugural Season!

Today's 23-17 win over Lamar puts Georgia State up by two games, and thus ensures GSU a WINNING INAUGURAL SEASON. Now, even if we happen not to beat BAMA, we'll still end up with a winning season! YAY PANTHERS!

Our Panthers kept things exciting for the fans, right up until the end of the game! Here are some photos of happy team members with family, friends, and fans, taken this afternoon, before, during and after our last home game of the 2010 season!

Before the game, our GSU Marching Band and Drum Line set the tone for a festive game day experience. Here is a short video of the drum line.

The band was awesome at halftime, as they filled the field and played with "guest students" from several Georgia high schools. Thanks to the Band, Flag team, Cheerleaders, and Pantherettes, for your contributions to the overall Panther Football Experience!

Thanks to the TEAM, Coaches, and Support Staff for all your hard work!

Thanks to Athletic Director, Cheryl Levick, the athletic department staff, sportscasters, film crew, and all others who work "behind the scenes."
Special thanks to the Dome Personnel, concession workers, and clean up crew. This season couldn't have come together without everyone's help, (including the students and their athletic fees! A BIG thanks for those!)

For the last year, it seemed like this football season would never get here. Now, it seems as if our Inaugural Season has flown by! I'm looking forward to next year, already!

As a football parent (Blake Wyatt, #18, OLB, Special Teams), I have enjoyed getting to know the players and their family members. I've also enjoyed meeting other FANS! (Video clip of one of Blake's special team plays I captured today.)

Together, we have watched our team make history, and together, we are on our way to an even brighter future for GSU football! Let's spread the word about the fun, excitement, and entertainment we've enjoyed this season, so next year's experience, and crowds, will be even better!  

In the meantime, I'll be heading to Tuscaloosa, on November 18th, for the GSU/Alabama Game. Hope to see you there! What a way to end our season! STAY TUNED....

Saturday, November 6th: Last Home Game in Georgia State's Inaugural Football Season!

Saturday, November 6th: Last Home Game in Georgia State's Inaugural Football Season!


(Roll mouse over dark words, and click links.)


It has been an exciting Inaugural Year for Georgia's newest college football team, the Georgia State University Panthers! The experience has been first class all the way! All home games are played in the Georgia Dome, with the final home game this Saturday, at 1 p.m. The team is on track to finish with a winning season!

My son Blake, #18, is a defensive back. As a "special teams" player, Blake was fortunate to be on the field for the First Ever Kick-off, of Georgia State's First-Ever Football Game against Shorter, and he has played in every game since! (Blake is in the middle of the line, on the far right in the video,  jumping up just before the kickoff!)

There are a bunch of great guys playing on the team. Coach Bill Curry, and the rest of the coaching and support staff are class acts. Even I, one of the least dedicated sports fans you will ever meet, have fallen in love with the Georgia State Panthers! (The hugs I get from lots of the players, after the game, as "Blake's Mama," are nice, too!)

Coach Bill Curry and Blake Wyatt

Blake with Samoan brothers, Louie (ILB), on left, and Jake Muasau (OLB)

Blake with his former roommate, quarterback Drew Little

Blake with running back, Sam Burkhalter, #44

Blake with roommate Kail Singleton (ILB)

The atmosphere in the Dome, where all our home games are played, has been electric! When the cheerleaders yell "G-S," the crowd responds, with unbridled enthusiasm, "U!" My "cheerleading voice," dormant since my college cheerleading days, has been reawakened!  Everyone is learning the cheers, learning the players' names, and taking ownership of "our" new team!


As the brand new Georgia State University Marching Band takes the field, pre-game, and begins to play, the Dome comes alive! The band forms a lane, through which the football team enters the Dome, and as the cheerleaders and flag bearers run onto the field, ahead of the team, the crowd goes wild! We are ready for some FOOTBALL!


Everyone is learning the new Georgia State Fight Song, written in the spirit of traditional Division One fight songs. The music gives the Fight Song a strong sense of history, and the lyrics give it an "edge!" ("We're from the A-T-L, we're gonna' give 'em hell!")


This weekend is GSU's last Home Game. The Panthers are playing the Lamar University Cardinals, from Beaumont, Texas. We have the next week off, then play our final game of the season on Thursday, November 18th, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, against last year's National Championship Team at The University of Alabama! How about joining me in praying for the safety of both teams, and an UPSET victory for GSU! Hey, it could happen!

Y'all come to the game Saturday! For the best ticket prices, call Georgia State at 1-866-GA-STATE. Tickets will be available at the Gate, starting at $15.00.  To order online, go to Ticketmaster, for prices starting at $14.05 including service fee. Forward this to your friends! Let's pack the Dome! GO PANTHERS!

The GSU Panthers!

Panthers Win! 

Special Teams Jumping Before Kickoff!

Ed, Blake, Britt, and Jamie