APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – In the second of three contests in the Sgt. York Trophy series, the Austin Peay State University football team will head to Music City to square off with in-state rival Tennessee State 6:00pm, Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
The Governors are looking to regain their recent momentum after suffering a 34-14 setback to No. 4 Jacksonville State a week ago.
The defeat did not affect the Govs much in the rankings as APSU maintains its positioning in the national hunt with six more votes in the FCS Top-25 Media Poll.
Austin Peay (3-3, 2-1 OVC) suffered a heartbreaking 41-40 defeat in last season’s installment of the series. It is a rivalry the Tigers lead by a 13-6 all-time margin, including winning the previous five contests between the two programs.
The Govs are home to the No. 12 rushing offense in FCS, courting a stable of rushers in the backfield. Kentel Williams (409 yards) ranks fourth in the OVC, followed by quarterback JaVaughn Craig (364 yards) at fifth. Ahmaad Tanner (292 yards) also cracks the top-10, coming in at ninth.
Tennessee State (4-2, 1-2 OVC) picked up their first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season last week, using three defensive scores in the fourth quarter to pull away from Eastern Kentucky, 45-21.
Offensively, Treon Harris has paced the Tigers in both rushing (337 yards, three touchdowns) and passing (671 yards, six touchdowns). Tennessee State is under the direction of eighth-year veteran head coach Rod Reed, who has compiled a 47-39 record at the helm.
Saturday Notables
Defensively, the Govs maintain their position as one of the nation’s top units. Allowing just 140 yards per game through the air, Austin Peay ranks first in the OVC and third in FCS in passing yards allowed.
Jaison Williams has been dominant the past two weeks. After earning OVC Co-Defensive honors for his performance against No. 18 UT Martin, the sophomore followed it up with a 10-tackle performance, including two forced fumbles, against No. 4 Jacksonville State.
Austin Peay checks in as the No. 2 scoring offense in the OVC, averaging 23.5 points per contest.
At 356.3 yards per game, APSU is the second best team in the conference in total offense. The rushing game highlights a potent Governor attack, averaging an OVC-best 245 yards per game on the ground.
Follow APSU Football Online
To follow all things Austin Peay football, visit our website at LetsGoPeay.com or check out the official Facebook page of Austin Peay Athletics. Live play-by-play can be found on Twitter @AustinPeayFB or by visiting PeayStats.com. Coverage of this weekend’s matchup will be streamed live on the OVC Digital Network.
