November 6th, 2010 • 1:00pm CDT • Clarksville, Tennessee • Governors Stadium (10,000)
Clarksville, TN – Since rejoining the Ohio Valley Conference the Governors own a 1-3 record against UT Martin. The Govs lost in Martin, 48-38, to end the 2009 season.
With the loss to Eastern Illinois, the Governors are assured of their third-straight losing season.
Austin Peay enters the contest on a five-game losing streak. The Govs have endured at least a five-game losing streak in five of the last seven seasons.
This is a Sergeant York Trophy contest. Austin Peay comes in 1-1 in Sgt. York games this season while UT Martin is 1-0.
Austin Peay comes into the game ranked 106th (out of 117 teams) or higher in four defensive categories–rushing defense (113th/240.00 ypg), total defense (109th/438.38 ypg), scoring defense (113th/39.25 ppg) and sacks (110th/.88).
Austin Peay has allowed 28 or more points in all six losses this season, including 28 by Eastern Illinois The Govs are permitting 39.25 points per game.
When the Governors lost a fumble and threw ithree nterceptions against Eastern Illinois, it was the most APSU turnovers since it committed five in the season opener against Cumberland. The Governors are ranked 106th in FCS in turnover margin (-1.00).
APSU is ranked 100th out of 117 teams in time of possession, averaging just 27:39 minutes per game.
The Govs are ranked 116 out of 117 teams in first downs permitted (23.75 per game).
Austin Peay enters Saturday’s contest with a 93-165-2 OVC record (36.2 percent).
Austin Peay has enjoyed only 18 winning seasons in 73 years of football and only two winning seasons since the turn of the century–a 7-5 mark in 2002 as a non-scholarship program and a 7-4 record in 2007 in Rick Christophel’s first season.
Skyhawks To Watch
Senior linebacker Josh Bey, the preseason OVC Defensive Player of the Year, has been credited with 78 tackles, including 10 for loss. Defensive end Tim Cox has 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks. Nose guard Darrin Nalls also has four quarterback sacks. Sophomore quarterback has completed 160 of 276 passes for an OVC-leading 1911 yards and 10 TDs. His favorite receiver is Stephen Shiver, who has 32 receptions for 487 yards and four TDs. Running backs Tevin Barksdale (467 yards) and Jason McNair (428 yards) each have rushed for more than 400 yards this season. Junior running back AJ Williams finished with 212 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns att SEMO, including a 91-yard kickoff return.
Setting The Scene
The Series: APSU trails the series, 25-31-2
Last Meeting: November 21st, 2009: UT Martin 48, Austin Peay 38
The Govs rejoined the OVC for football in 2007 after returning to scholarship football in 2006. The Govs finished sixth in the OVC a year ago with a 3-5 league mark and were 4-7 overall. The Govs are picked to finish tied for seventh in 2010. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks were picked to finish just ahead of the Governors in the preseason poll. UT Martin has posted an impressive 23-13 OVC record since Jason Simpson took over in 2006, including the OVC title in his first season. Jason Simpson owns a 3-1 record against the Governors. This will be APSU’s third Sgt. York Trophy game while only the second for UT Martin in 2010.
Offensive Notes
Both Terrence Holt (132 yards) and Ryan White (107 yards) each rushed for 100 yards against Eastern Illinois. It was the ninth 100-yard rushing game in White’s career and fifth in Holt’s. It also was the second time each rushed for 100 yards this season.
At Eastern Illinois, Austin Peay lost for the first time when Terrence Holt rushed for 100 yards and only the third time when White did such.
Running back Ryan White, the 2009 OVC rushing leader, was held to 18 yards on 10 carries at Jacksonville State. However, he bounced back with his second 100-yard rushing game this season at EIU.
Facing windy conditions, Jake Ryan completed just 8 of 17 passes for 63 yards at Eastern Illinois. Four of the receptions were recorded by Scott Thomas, who had 41 of the the 63 receiving yards.
The Govs returned to their regular starting offensive line at Eastern Illinois. Junior James Barker, who missed the Jacksonville State game with knee issues, returned to his starting left tackle spot, allowing fellow junior J.P. Washington to flip back over to the right side. Junior Tim Schmid started at center with senior Kelvin Little at one guard and first-year freshman Chris Hartman at the other guard.
Sophomore wide receiver Devin Stark has been nothing but versatile this season. At Tennessee State, September 18th, he carried the ball on a reverse for 13 yards. In the season opener, he threw the Govs’ first TD pass of the season, a 30-yard strike. He also had five catches for 109 yards, including a 41-yard catch at TSU. After catching five passes against Tennessee Tech, he had three catches for 35 yards against Southeast Missouri. He had two catches for 26 yards against JSU but failed to record one at EIU.
Adrian Mines, the Govs’ leading receiver the previous two seasons, will miss the season’s remainder after suffering a dislocated ankle against Jacksonville State. Mines’ 16 receptions this season is tied for the team lead with Devin Stark and Scott Thomas.
Quarterback Jake Ryan, after setting career highs for TD passes (2), yards (224), and completions (16) at Middle Tennessee, enjoyed a strong performance against Tennessee State. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 178 yards and one TD. He was a perfect 4-for-4 for 49 yards on the game-winning drive, including the TD pass to Adrian Mines. Ryan broke his own personal best for completions with 17 (25 attempts) against Tennessee Tech.
Defensive Notes
After forcing eight turnovers in the first two games, the Govs defense has been able to force just three turnovers in the last six games, the third occurring in the fourth quarter at Eastern Illinois. The Govs are ranked 106th nationally in turnover margin (-1.00).
Defensive tackle Antonio Faulkner continues to have strong season up front for the Governors. He was credited with two tackles for losses against Eastern Illinois, making it the fourth time this season he has been credited with two or more tackles for loss this season. Faulkner is tied for 38th in FCS statistics in tackles for loss, averaging 1.25 per game.
Freshman defensive end Iosua Siliva became the first APSU defender other than Antonio Faulkner to be credited with more than one tackle for loss when he collected 1.5 tackles for loss (seven yards) against JSU.
Austin Peay was credited with two quarterback sacks at Eastern Illinois, and both came from freshmen–defensive end Iosua Siliva and defensive tackle Reese Bulmash.
APSU entered the EIU contest as the FCS’s worst against the run (260 yards per game). Then Govs limited Eastern Illinois to only 100 yards rushing. However, the Govs permitted 219 yards passing, including two long late first-half TDs.
Sophomore free safety Antwaun Majors, who took over the position after Jay R Harper tore his Achilles tendon during summer practice, finished with 17 tackles against Southeast Missouri, October 16th. He became the first player to have more than 16 tackles in a game since Daniel Becker had 19 tackles against Tennessee State, September 15th, 2007. He also leads the Governors in total tackles with 64.
Sophomore linebacker Darrick Dillard led the Governors in tackles against Eastern Illinois with 11 stops, including eight initial hits. It was the second time this season Dillard collected double-digit stops, the first time coming in the opener against Cumberland.
Defensive tackle Steven Johnson returned to the starting lineup against Tennessee Tech after sitting out the Wisconsin contest with shoulder issues. However, Johnson reinjured his shoulder in the second half against Tennessee Tech. He recently had shoulder surgery and his college football career is completed.
Special Team Notes
Sophomore kicker Stephen Stansell is a perfect 17-of-17 on extra-point attempts and 11-of-16 on field goal attempts so far this season, including three field goals of 50 yards or more to become APSU’s first kicker in history to record three 50-yard field goals in a season.
After opening the season averaging 40 yards per punt or better in all five games, senior Ryan Key endured his season’s worst performance against Southeast Missouri, averaging only 32.0 yards per punt, largely due to a shanked 11-yard first-half punt. However, he bounced back against Jacksonville State to average 44.2 yards per punt, including a pair of first-quarter 51-yard boots. However, Key was forced to punt four times at Eastern Illinois, all against 15-20 miles-per-hour wind, resulting in him averaging just 34.0 yards per boot. As a result, his punting averaging dropped from 42.66 to 41.69 yards per punt and consequently he slipped from seventh to 19th nationally in FCS statistics.
Sophomore placekicker Stephen Stansell is one of 32 kickers who received September and October recognition for the Fred Mitchell Award. The annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award (also known as the Fred Mitchell Award) is provided to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker among more than 600 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, III and NAIA football teams.
Stansell booted three kickoffs against Eastern Illinois–all aided by the wind–and all three went through the end zone for a touchback.
Kicker Stephen Stansell, who tied a school record with four field goals as the Govs rallied for a 26-23 win against Tennessee State, September 18th, was named FCS College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Placekicker Co-Performer of the Week. The 5-11, 183-pound sophomore from Athens was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day against TSU at LP Field, scoring 14 of APSU’s 26 points. The four field goals tied the school record originally set by Tom McMillan, September 5th, 1987, at Kansas State.
Earlier this season senior punter Ryan Key boomed a career-best 70-yard fourth-quarter punt at Middle Tennessee. It was the Govs’ longest punt since Jaime Iracheta booted one 65 yards against Morehead State, September 4th, 1997.
College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) named Ryan Key honorable mention Punter Performer of the Week after he averaged 44.7 yards per punt, including a 70 yarder, at Middle Tennessee. September 11th. The 44.7 average was the second best of his career.
Terrence Holt, with his eight returns against Wisconsin, set the career FCS record for kickoff returns. He now has 179 for his career
With his eight combined returns at Wisconsin, Holt set the FCS record for total kick (kick + punt) returns. He now has 228.
All-America kick returner Terrence Holt has chalked up at least 1,100 yards in kickoff returns in each of his three previous seasons. He has 765 yards in kick returns entering this week’s game.
Senior linebacker Ricky Thomas has blocked seven kicks during his career, including a punt at Eastern Illinois.
