The Sports Xchange
Nov 4, 2016

Arkansas State's Blaise Taylor returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown, one of two special teams scores for the Red Wolves, in a 31-16 conference road win over Georgia State on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.

The Red Wolves have won four in a row, after losing their first four games of the season. They have won 13 consecutive Sun Belt games.

Arkansas State's Cody Brown blocked a field-goal attempt and Chris Humes scooped it up and raced 57 yards for the only touchdown of the first half. The Red Wolves led 10-3 at halftime.

Georgia State quarterback Conner Manning returned after missing two games with an arm injury and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Rucker that tied the score, 10-10, with six minutes left in the third quarter.

Manning completed 22 of 46 passes for 237 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Johnston White scored on a 2-yard run on 4th-and-goal to give the Red Wolves a 17-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and Taylor followed minutes later with his punt return for a touchdown to put the Red Wolves up two scores.

Georgia State (2-7, 1-4 Sun Belt) answered with its own big play on special teams, with freshman Tra Barnett returning a kickoff 90 yards for a score to give the Panthers life.

Down 24-16 with just over two minutes to play, Georgia State went for it on fourth down from inside their 5-yard line, but failed to convert.

Arkansas State (4-4, 4-0) capitalized with another short touchdown run by White to seal the win.