Georgia State wins 2021 Camellia Bowl

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Georgia State had a very merry Christmas with a 51-20 victory at the eight annual Camellia Bowl at Montgomery’s historic Cramton Bowl.

The Ball State Cardinals got an early lead with a touchdown about six minutes after kickoff, but the Panthers quickly tied it up 7-7. The Panthers stayed on a roll to recover a fumble and gain a 14-7 lead before the second quarter.

In that second quarter, senior Noel Ruiz jumped the Panthers’ lead 17-7 with a 27-yard field goal. A 34-yard field goal from Jacob Lewis brought the Cardinals up to 17-10.

Ruiz came back with his second field goal at 28 yards, followed by Lewis’ second one at 43 yards, ending the half at 20-13.

The Panthers piled it on in the third quarter, adding 28 more points with the help of sophomore Antavious Lane’s fifth interception of the season. This nabbed Lane a school record as he returned it for 55 yards.

A fourth quarter defensive touchdown and another Ruiz field goal sealed the final at 51-20.

Before Christmas Day, the Panthers won six of their last seven games to close the regular season. They finished 6-2 in Sun Belt Conference play. One of their two losses was to Auburn on Sept. 25.

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