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The Ball State Cardinals and Georgia State Panthers will face off in the 2021 Camellia Bowl, per Brett McMurphy. The game will take place at the Cramton Bowl Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 25th. The game will air on ESPN and will be available via live stream at WatchESPN.
Ball State (6-6, 4-4 MAC)
The Cardinals needed a victory in the final game of the regular season to become bowl eligible, and they did it by beating the Buffalo Bulls 20-3 in a rematch of last year’s MAC Championship Game. Ball State got off to a slow start, losing each of their first three matchups against FBS opponents by double digits before winning three in a row to get back on track. The Cardinals’ struggles have come on offense as they average just 4.8 yards per play against FBS opponents, the third fewest in the conference.
Georgia State (7-5, 6-2 Sun Belt)
The Panthers are back in a bowl game for the third consecutive year and finished the regular season a game behind the Appalachian State Mountaineers for the top spot in the Sun Belt East. The Panthers strength comes in running the ball, as they rank No. 3 among Sun Belt teams in yards per rush attempt. Georgia State closed out the season winning six of their last seven games including three consecutive victories.