Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team will welcome 11th-ranked Jacksonville State to Fortera Stadium, Saturday, September 28th, 2019 for a 2:00pm matchup against a perennial Ohio Valley Conference favorite that will reverberate up and down the league standings.
The Govs have not beaten the Gamecocks since returning to the OVC on a full-time basis in 2007, but it’s only recently that the Governors have assembled a talent level comparable to that of Jacksonville State.
Austin Peay State University’s offensive weapons (Kentel Williams, DeAngelo Wilson and Baniko Harley, to name a few) will provide a test for Jacksonville State, while the Governors defense will face down preseason All-Americans Josh Pearson, Zerrick Cooper and the rest of a high-powered Gamecock offense.
APSU encourages all fans to wear black for Saturday’s contest against Jacksonville State. In addition, a limited number of special edition Blackout shirts, sponsored by Domino’s, will be available to fans upon entry to the facility.
The Austin Peay State University athletics department has designated Saturday’s game as an Operation: Sellout event, unlocking a special single-game ticket discount available only online (LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets) and using the promo code SELLOUT. Fans who purchase their tickets online before 4:00pm (CT), Friday also will receive one of the special edition Blackout shirts in addition to the special ticket discount.
About Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Preseason All-American Josh Pearson is rocketing up the all-time Jacksonville State receiving charts, needing just two touchdown receptions for the program record. It helps to catch passes from Clemson transfer Zerrick Cooper, who already has more than 4,500 career passing yards in just 17 games.
The week that saw APSU’s Kordell Jackson come away with two pick-sixes and OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors, it was JSU’s Marlon Bridges who earned national acclaim for his pick-six, the third of his JSU career, in the Gamecocks win against then-fourth ranked Eastern Washington. Bridges, a preseason All-American and Buck Buchanan Award Watch List member, also has 3.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles as the catalyst for the Gamecock defense.
Last Time Out Against Jacksonville State
The Govs were within two points after three quarters in Jacksonville last season, thanks to a trio of Jeremiah Oatsvall touchdown passes. The Gamecocks 20-point outburst in the fourth quarter unfortunately put the Govs away, despite Oatsvall tacking on another late TD toss. For the sixth straight season, the Gamecocks will square off against the Govs as a top-10 foe.
Jacksonville State, owner of the last five OVC titles, has been ranked in the final national poll every season since 2012.
APSU Notably
For the third time since 2009, multiple ranked foes will visit Fortera Stadium, with the 11th-ranked Gamecocks joining Central Arkansas as ranked opponents hosted by the Govs. In two of those seasons, the Govs won at least one of those games, defeating 18th-ranked UT Martin in 2017 and 20th-ranked Eastern Kentucky in 2009.
Three of Austin Peay’s four nonconference outings saw DeAngelo Wilson surpass triple digits in receiving yards. He’s the first player since at least 1996 (with reliable game-by-game record-keeping) to accrue three 100-yard receiving games in his first four contests.
The Govs are looking for their first home win against Jacksonville State since 1960.
The Govs lead the nation with no fumbles lost and are still eighth nationally in sacks allowed per game (0.50). Only Sacred Heart (t-1st in fumbles lost, t-3rd in sacks allowed per game) and Youngstown State (t-1st in fumbles lost, t-10th in sacks allowed per game) have been as diligent as the Govs at protecting both the QB and the football.
The Govs have traditionally formed a formidable offensive line, and that trend has continued in 2019. Through four games, the Govs have surrendered just two sacks–coming within six plays of one another last week against ETSU.
Kentel Williams needs 12 yards to become just the third player in program history with 4,000 all-purpose yards. He’s less than 100 yards behind Tim Chilcutt (1962-65) for sixth all-time in kick return yards.
