Northern Illinois vs Georgia State Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 26, 2026

The Northern Illinois Huskies visit the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, with the opening kickoff at 2:00 PM ET and televised on ESPN+. Northern Illinois is 0-3 overall and 0-0 in Mountain West play after a 42-17 loss at Arizona. Georgia State is 2-1 overall and 0-0 in the Sun Belt after losing 44-30 at UCF. The Panthers opened with wins over North Carolina A&T and Kennesaw State, while the Huskies are still searching for their first victory. Cash in big with our free NCAAF picks.

Northern Illinois Huskies Searching for Their First Win

Northern Illinois has dropped games to Iowa, Illinois State, and Arizona, with the offense showing improvement after being shut out in the opener. Taron Dickens has completed 56 of 78 passes for 517 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His 71.8% completion rate leads the passing attack, although he has been sacked eight times. DeAree Rogers has 22 catches for 145 yards and one touchdown. La'Don Bryant has added 115 yards on eight receptions, while Cam Thompson has 62 yards and a touchdown on four catches.

The Huskies have rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 91 attempts, averaging 2.3 yards per carry. Telly Johnson Jr. accounts for 168 yards and one touchdown on 42 carries. Northern Illinois has recorded seven sacks and four interceptions on defense. Yassine Falke has three interceptions, while Avery Jones leads the pass rush with two sacks. Jashawn Nelson has recorded 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Jack Murray has 23 tackles with one sack.

Injuries: No injuries to report.

Georgia State Panthers Returning Home After Their First Loss

Georgia State started with a 59-10 win over North Carolina A&T and a 31-17 victory at Kennesaw State before falling 44-30 at UCF. Cameran Brown has completed 61 of 90 passes for 725 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. DJ Riles leads the receiving corps with 128 yards on 11 catches, while Rodshaun Dorsey has 120 yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions. Grant Hollier has added 94 yards on seven catches.

The Panthers have rushed for 717 yards and 10 touchdowns on 120 attempts, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Lanear McCrary Jr. leads the ground attack with 227 yards and two touchdowns, while Qwantavius Wiggins has 142 yards and two scores at 7.9 yards per attempt. Georgia State has six sacks and two interceptions defensively. Xavier Esqillion and Jabriel Rhodes-Nelson have two sacks apiece. Coby Owens and Jaydon Hood lead the Panthers with 15 tackles each.

Injuries: No injuries to report.

Key to the Game

Northern Illinois needs to slow Georgia State’s rushing attack and keep Brown from working in favorable second and third down situations. The Panthers are averaging 6.0 yards per carry and have five players with at least 66 rushing yards. Northern Illinois is averaging only 2.3 yards per attempt on the ground, placing more pressure on Dickens and the passing game. Georgia State can make that difficult with its pass rush. For the Huskies, creating turnovers is important after recording four interceptions, including three from Falke.

Northern Illinois vs Georgia State Game Pick

• Georgia State -10

Georgia State is the pick at home. The Panthers have scored 120 points across three games and have produced 1,531 total passing and rushing yards. Their ground game is the main difference, with 717 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns compared with Northern Illinois’ 205 yards and two scores. The Huskies have also allowed 110 points while starting 0-3. Georgia State has several productive rushing options and a quarterback averaging 8.1 yards per pass attempt, creating multiple ways for the Panthers to move the football.

Northern Illinois vs Georgia State Over/Under Pick

• over 56.5

The play is over. Georgia State has scored 59, 31, and 30 points, while its defense allowed 44 at UCF last week. Northern Illinois has increased its scoring from zero in the opener to 24 against Illinois State and 17 at Arizona. The Panthers have averaged 6.0 yards per rushing attempt and 7.8 yards per team pass attempt, creating plenty of chances for productive drives. Georgia State’s recent scoring output, combined with Northern Illinois allowing at least 28 points in every game, makes a higher-scoring matchup likely.