APSU Sports Information: APSU Football
Clarksville, TN – No. 10 Jacksonville State took advantage of six Austin Peay State University turnovers, returning three for touchdowns, as it defeated the Governors, 44-14, in Ohio Valley Conference football action, Saturday night, in Governors Stadium.
The victory was the Govs second straight and dropped them to 2-2 in the OVC and 2-4 overall. It also was the Govs’ first 2011 home loss after earlier wins against Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State.
The Governors actually scored first, jumping out to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Devin Stark made a spectacular catch in the end on a pass from Jake Ryan. It was Stark’s fifth TD catch this season, the most by a Govs’ receiver had seven in 2006.
However, the visiting Gamecocks ripped off 31 unanswered points, including 28 in the second quarter, the first on a Washaun Ealey 27-yard touchdown run and the last on a Brooks Robinson 32-yard run with a Govs’ fumble. That was the first of three Gamecock defensive scores.
After Austin Peay cut the margin to 31-14 on a Ryan run, Jacksonville State ended the game with a pair of interception returns for scores. The first came on linebacker Ben Endress’ pick of Ryan, who threw under duress, at the Govs’ 10-yard. Endress eased his way into the end zone to make it a 37-14 game.
Then just a little more than a minute later, freshman defensive back picked off Ryan near midfield and returned it 45 yards for the score.
That was Ryan’s fifth interception of the game and the Govs’ sixth turnover. With the Gamecocks shackling the Govs run game, Ryan was forced to pass in hopes of bringing back the Govs. But the JSU defense kept pressure on Ryan all night and the secondary forced him to look to secondary receivers much of the game.
As a result, he finished 16 of 31 for 172 yards.
Defensively, senior weak safety Amius Smith and junior free safety Antwaun Majors each had 10 tackles, with Smith also recovering a fumble.
Ealey finished with 132 yards rushing, 124 in the first half, for JSU. Quarterback Coty Blanchard, who also plays third base for the Gamecocks baseball team, finished with 130 yards passing and 25 yards rushing. He also averaged 41.5 yards per punt.
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