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HomeSportsAPSU Football cruises to 58-21 win at Tennessee Tech

APSU Football cruises to 58-21 win at Tennessee Tech

APSU FootballCookeville, TN – One week ago, head coach Mark Hudspeth challenged his Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team after a discouraging loss to Tennessee State: Will this define you, or will your response define you?

Early returns indicate that the Govs will not let one week define them.

Austin Peay State University Football scores early and often in blowout of Tennessee Tech Saturday, 58-21. (Robert Smith, APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay State University Football scores early and often in blowout of Tennessee Tech Saturday, 58-21. (Robert Smith, APSU Sports Information)

The Govs throttled Tennessee Tech in a 58-21 win at Tucker Stadium, Saturday, dispatching the Golden Eagles in convincing fashion. Coupled with UT Martin’s loss to Southeast Missouri, it puts the Govs back in business in the Ohio Valley Conference race, and tied with the Skyhawks and Eastern Kentucky with one loss each in league play.

Some early trickery by Tennessee Tech put the Golden Eagles on the board first. On Tennessee Tech’s first play from scrimmage, a backward pass from Bailey Fisher to Metrius Fleming allowed Fleming to find a wide-open David Gist for 58 yards to inside the Austin Peay 10-yard line. The next play, with offensive linemen out wide to provide protection, Fisher hit Fleming on a bubble screen for the score.

The Govs responded quickly, marching 75 yards on seven plays, with the final 46 traversed by DeAngelo Wilson after JaVaughn Craig, throwing into a stiff wind, hit him in stride over top of the Golden Eagle defense.

The rest of the quarter involved Tech punting and the Govs capitalizing. Austin Peay’s next series was a 7-play, 80-yarder that included huge chunks eaten up by Wilson (25 yard reception) and Kentel Williams (22 yard catch to the Tennessee Tech two-yard line). Craig punched it in from a yard out to give the Govs a lead they would never relinquish.

Next drive, same result. Ahmaad Tanner for 17 yards. Wilson again for 15 yards; he had six catches for 142 yards in the first quarter and concluded the frame with a diving 30-yard snare in the back of the end zone. 20-7 Good Guys, 45 minutes to play.

The start of the second quarter was reminiscent to the end of the first. Big chunks of yardage to Baniko Harley (12-yard reception), Tanner (12-yard run) and finally Craig, dropping back and finding his receivers covered but wide open running room in front of him. Twenty-seven yards later, he was in the end zone again.

Prince Momodu reeled off a 34-yard run to start the next drive. You’ll note a lot of different names have been mentioned as breaking off big yardage; that’s because Craig and the coaching staff schemed to get as many people involved as possible, which is how four different runners went for more than 60 yards (Williams, Momodu, Tanner and Craig) and eight different receivers hauled in passes. Momodu racked up the first 42 yards of this drive on runs, which ended with a one-yard plunge by Williams for the score.

The list went on. Kadeem Goulbourne hauled in his first career touchdown catch, a six-yarder from Craig. Logan Birchfield nailed a 44-yard field goal to end the half. When the dust settled for halftime, the Govs had an insurmountable 44-14 lead.

The second half started just like you’d expect from a juggernaut that rolled up more than 600 total yards for the sixth time in program history. Craig hit Harley for a 53-yard strike for six, Harley’s fourth score of the season.

The Govs put the bow on scoring early in the fourth quarter when Craig, fresh off yet another 26-yard scamper, found Geordon Pollard for his first career touchdown reception from nine yards out. Craig finished 16-of-23 through the air, on a day when passing was perilous, for 291 yards and five touchdowns, the first Gov to toss five in a game since Jeremiah Oatsvall in last season’s meeting with Tennessee Tech. For kicks, the Chattanooga native ran for a team-high 84 yards.

Tanner, Momodu and Williams combined for 228 yards on 46 carries to keep the chains moving. Wilson continues to be dominant (seven catches, 161 yards). Jack McDonald (11 tackles), Shaun Whittinghill (2.5 tackles for loss) and the rest of the defense held the Tennessee Tech rushing attack to under 100 yards and less than three yards per rush. It was a total team effort, in conditions fraught with uncertainty, one week after having their resolve tested in a hostile road environment. And the Govs showed their mettle once again.

Next Up For APSU Football

Every game counts with the margin for error so slim, and next week the Austin Peay State University Govs take to the road once again for a noon start at Eastern Kentucky in APSU’s penultimate regular season road contest.

 

Box Score

Austin Peay 58 at Tennessee Tech 21

  1 2 3 4 Final
Austin Peay 20 24 7 7 58
Tennessee Tech 7 7 0 7 21
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