CONWAY, S.C. (Interstat) — Samari Collier accounted for three touchdowns and rushed for 123 yards, leading Coastal Carolina to a 40-27 victory over Georgia State on Saturday at Brooks Stadium.

The Chanticleers improved to 6-3 on the season, while the Panthers fell to 1-8.

Collier, a quarterback from Desoto, Texas, was efficient through the air, completing 11 of 18 passes for 120 yards, but it was his dynamic running that anchored the Coastal Carolina offense. His 85-yard touchdown run on the Chanticleers’ first offensive play of the game quickly answered an early Georgia State score and set the tone for the contest.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth shootout, with both teams putting up 14 points. Georgia State struck first with a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Cameran Brown, capping a methodical 15-play, 75-yard opening drive. Collier responded immediately with his long scoring run. After the Panthers retook the lead on a 8-yard pass from Brown to tight end Grant Hollier, Collier engineered another scoring drive, finding Robby Washington on a 16-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14-14 as the quarter ended.

Coastal Carolina then seized control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Panthers 9-0 on three Kian Afrookhteh field goals from 30, 34, and 28 yards. The Chanticleers’ defense stiffened, forcing a series of punts and a fumble to keep Georgia State off the board.

The Chanticleers extended their lead in the third quarter. A 47-yard field goal from Philippe Laforge was followed by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Collier to Karmello English, pushing the Coastal Carolina advantage to 33-14.

Georgia State mounted a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points. Jordon Simmons, who finished with 99 rushing yards, scored on a 1-yard run, though a two-point conversion attempt failed. After the Panthers recovered an onside kick, quarterback TJ Finley connected with Ted Hurst on a 9-yard touchdown pass, pulling Georgia State to within six points at 33-27 with 6:39 remaining.

The Panthers’ hopes for a comeback were dashed on the ensuing drive. Coastal Carolina needed just three plays to answer, with Collier hitting English for a second time, this on a 31-yard scoring strike that extended the lead back to 40-27 with 11:35 left.

Georgia State had several opportunities to close the gap late, but a turnover on downs and a crucial interception by Coastal Carolina’s Ja’Marion Wayne in the final minutes sealed the victory for the Chanticleers.

Finley, who split time at quarterback for Georgia State, completed 16 of 26 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. His primary target was Hurst, who had a standout performance with 10 receptions for 165 yards and a score.

Defensively, Coastal Carolina was led by Se’Von McDowell with six tackles, while a host of Chanticleers, including Luke Murphy, Xamarion Gordon, and Ja’Marion Wayne, each recorded five tackles. For Georgia State, linebacker Kedrick Walker had a game-high nine tackles.

The combined score of 67 points went over the pregame over/under line of 56.5. Coastal Carolina covered the spread as a 7.5-point favorite. The result was slightly closer than projected by Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 42-31 Coastal Carolina win.