Clarksville, TN – With Austin Peay State University head football coach Will Healy’s second nationally-ranked recruiting class ready to take their place, with preseason practice right around the corner, the Governors are looking to put not one but three losing streaks in the rearview mirror during the 2017 season.
Entering the season, the Govs have lost their last 27 contests overall, as well as their last 21 Ohio Valley Conference games – with their last overall win — and conference victory — coming in a 20-13 final versus Murray State on November 18th, 2014 at Fortera Stadium.
But as frustrating as those two streaks are, the winless streak away from home has reached 43 games, with the last win away from Clarksville coming during the 2010 season, on September 18th of that season, with a win at Tennessee State, in a 26-23 final.While none of those numbers are very positive, there are some other numbers heading into this season that gives the Govs and their fans hope they can break some, if not all, of those streaks.
First, the Governors opponents for 2016 posted a combined 68-59 win-loss record, with seven of the 11 finishing with winning records, as well as three making a post-season appearance.
Compare that to Austin Peay’s 2017 opponents who were a combined 59-67 in 2016, with only four ending the season with more wins than losses and only one seeing the post season.
Second, the Govs have favorable breakdowns in winnable games – both at home and on the road.
Austin Peay opens the season on the road for its first two games, both coming against NCAA Bowl Championship Series teams in Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) University.
While both finished last year with losing records, Miami did go to a bowl, falling to Mississippi State by a point at the St. Petersburg Bowl, so a win versus either one of these teams would be an upset.
The Govs should have their best chance to end their overall losing streak in Week 3 of the season, with their home opener versus Morehead State on September 16th.
The Eagles were 4-7 least year, but graduated its starting quarterback, who threw all but three of the teams pass attempts in 2016.
After the three non-conference games to open the season, the Govs open OVC play at Murray State before facing three straight teams that posted winning records in 2016 — hosting Tennessee Martin and Jacksonville State before traveling to Tennessee State.
The Govs then return home to face Southeast Missouri, for homecoming, before heading to Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky, while ending the season hosting Eastern Illinois.
As for the Govs home OVC contests, the homecoming game versus Southeast Missouri maybe the best chance to earn a win, but the games versus Tennessee Martin and Eastern Illinois are also contests the Govs could come out on top of.
Bottom line, the Govs have their best chance to end all three losing streaks that they’ve had in several years.