Austin Peay (0-1) at Pittsburgh (0-0)
Saturday, September 12th, 2020 | 3:00pm CT
Pittsburgh, PA | Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, PA – Following an off week, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team returns to action when it helps Pittsburgh open its 2020 schedule with a 3:00pm (CT), Saturday, September 12th, 2020 contest at Heinz Field.
The game will be broadcast nationally on the ACC Network.
The Governors return to the field after opening the college football slate at the August 29th Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff where they saw a late comeback effort thwarted by Central Arkansas.
Pittsburgh opens its 2020 schedule seeking to build on a 2019 campaign that saw it win the Quick Lane Bowl and finish with an 8-5 record.
About Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh returns 16 starters from last season’s team that appeared in the Quick Lane Bowl and downed Eastern Michigan. Included among those returners are preseason All-ACC selections: junior safety Paris Ford, senior defensive end Patrick Jones II and senior center Jimmy Morrissey.
Pittsburgh senior quarterback Kenny Pickett returns after piecing together an impressive 3,098-yard campaign in 2019. The Panthers receiving corps saw nine individuals finishing the season with at least 100 receiving yards – five with 200-plus yards. Pittsburgh lost leading receiver Maurice Ffrench but returns three of tis top four receivers.
The Panthers were impressive against the run in 2019, ranking 12th among FBS programs in limiting opponents to 108.5 yards per game. Pittsburgh’s defensive line also was No. 1 in the nation in sacks (3.92 per game) with their Jaylen Twyman (18th, 0.81 per game) and Patrick Jones II (36th, 0.65) each ranked among the nation’s Top 40 in sacks and returning in 2020.
Pittsburgh plays its home games at Heinz Field, home of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. However, playing in an NFL facility will not be a new experience for the Govs. OVC member Tennessee State plays a majority of its games at Nissan Stadium – home of the Titans.
At The Kickoff
Plenty Of New Faces
In its season-opening outing against Central Arkansas, Austin Peay State University utilized 11 first-time starters. Six of those new faces came on offense and included freshman running back C.J. Evans, who took his first touch to the house – a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage.
Taking Stock
Austin Peay State University returns 14 starters (7 offense/7 defense) from the starting lineup at 2019 season’s end. Offensively, the APSU Govs will have to replace leading rusher Kentel Williams (1,414 all-purpose yards) but return 2019 season-opening starter Jeremiah Oatsvall at quarterback. Defensively, the Govs lost a starter on each of its position groups, the biggest loss being free safety Juantarius Bryant (107 tackles). Meanwhile, APSU will field a new group of kickers after losing all three starters from 2019, including placekicker Logan Birchfield (103 points).
Back In The Saddle
Redshirt junior quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall will hold the QB1 spot on the depth chart for a second-straight opening game. The Brentwood Tennessee native was injured just eight plays into Game 2 of the 2019 season, the first injury-shortened season of his career. One of only seven APSU quarterbacks with more than 3,000 career passing yards, he also ranks third in career rushing yards by a quarterback (970).
Preseason Positives
Seven Austin Peay State University athletes were recognized on the Preseason All-OVC teams released in July. Nickel back Kordell Jackson, the league’s 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, also was its preseason defensive pick. Wide receiver DeAngelo Wilson, who amassed a APSU record 1,564 receiving yards, was its Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
ACC Network Information
The ACC Network is available through the following video providers: Altice, AT&T, Charter/Spectrum, Cox Cable, DIRECTV, DISH, Google Fiber, Hulu Live TV, Optimum, Sling, Verizon Fios, Vidgo and YouTube TV, among others. All ACCN games will also be available on the ESPN App to authenticated cable subscribers. Fans interested in learning more about ACCN can visit GetACCN.com.
