56.7 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeSportsAPSU Football has Seven Players named to All-OVC Teams

APSU Football has Seven Players named to All-OVC Teams

APSU Sports Information

APSU FootballBrentwood, TN – For the second consecutive season, seven members of the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team earned All-Ohio Valley Conference recognition, the league announced Tuesday. The seven All-OVC selections is tied for the most in program history.

Austin Peay Football team has seven members to receive All-Ohio Valley Conference recognition. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Football team has seven members to receive All-Ohio Valley Conference recognition. (APSU Sports Information)

Junior running back Kentel Williams, junior defensive lineman Jaison Williams and senior linebacker Gunnar Scholato each earned first-team honors, while senior offensive linemen Byron Glass and Ethan Self, senior defensive back Malik Davis and junior defensive back Juantarius Bryant were named second-team All-OVC.

Kentel Williams led the FCS in rush yards per carry, averaging 7.99 yards per tote. He finished second in the OVC with 831 yards rushing on 104 carries, including seven touchdowns. He led the OVC and finished fourth in the country averaging 167.78 all-purpose yards per game, leading the OVC with 547 kickoff return yards. It is the second All-OVC recognition for Williams after being named to the All-Newcomer Team as a freshman in 2016.

Jaison Williams, a unanimous preseason All-American and Buck Buchanan Award watch list selection, set a career-high with 14.0 tackles for loss on the season. He notched a career-best 3.5 tackles for loss at Morehead State and had 3.0 tackles for loss – including 2.0 sacks – at Eastern Illinois. He finished with 4.5 sacks on the season to move into third all-time at Austin Peay in career sacks with 17.5. He tallied 44 total tackles, seven quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery in his junior campaign. It is the second straight year he has been named first-team All-OVC.

Gunnar Scholato is making his third consecutive appearance on an All-OVC team after being named to the second-team as a sophomore and the first-team last season. He led the Govs in tackles for the third year in a row, racking up 109 total stops to finish third in the conference. He finished second on the Govs with 11.5 tackles for loss and set a career high with 3.5 sacks. He became the first Gov with multiple 100-tackle seasons since 2001, and his 364 career tackles rank ninth at APSU. He finished the year second among active players in the FCS in career tackles.

Byron Glass became the model of consistency and durability during his career at Austin Peay, playing in all 45 games since his freshman season. He started in 44 consecutive games, the longest streak on record at APSU since starts began being tracked in 1998. Self was a four year starter as well, recording 35 starts over his career, including all 11 as a senior. It is the first All-OVC honor for either player.

Glass and Ethan Self were stalwarts on an offensive line that paved the way for the top rushing attack in the OVC, gaining 237.5 yards per game on the ground. The o-line allowed just nine sacks all season, which ranked ninth in the FCS. All told, they helped lead the way for three consecutive seasons of gaining more than 4,000 yards of total offense – only one other season in APSU’s history saw the Govs reach the 4,000-yard milestone prior to that.

Malik Davis finished second for the Govs in tackles, recording 78 during his senior campaign, with three games in double-digit tackles. He also patrolled the entirety of the field, leading the Govs with four interceptions, while breaking up four additional passes to finish the year with eight passes defended. He posted 5.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage and forced a fumble, proving his versatility as a defender. It is his first recognition on an All-OVC team.

Juantarius Bryant‘s year began with a bang, as the former walk-on was awarded a scholarship while former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett spoke to the team in fall camp. He proved his worth yet again, finishing third on the team with 65 total tackles, with two double-digit tackle games. He continually made his presence felt with big hits and recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, to go along with a pass break up and a fumble recovery. It is the first All-OVC honor of his career.

RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles