Clarksville, TN – It’s Senior Day, a BLACKOUT, and the regular-season home finale when the No. 21-ranked Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team hosts Jacksonville State for an ASUN Conference showdown, Saturday, at Fortera Stadium. The game begins at 3:00pm CT.
Austin Peay State University will honor ten senior football players – Ethan Caselberry, Joshua DeCambre, Ray Horton, Chukwuemeka Manning Jr., Aaron Odom, Kam Ruffin, Josh Samuel, Devin Smith, Tre Williams, and Jariel Wilson – and its head of student managers Alex Edwards.
Fans also are encouraged to wear black for Saturday’s BLACKOUT game against the Gamecocks. In addition, Kids that wear a Halloween costume will receive free admission to Fortera Stadium.
Coming off its second of two bye weeks in a three-week span, Austin Peay State University enters Saturday’s game after routing rival Murray State, 52-17. The Governors are 5-2 overall with a 1-1 mark in ASUN Conference play and currently lead all ASUN teams in the ASUN-WAC Power Rankings.
The APSU Govs have the ASUN’s top defense this season, leading the league in total defense (265.6 ypg), scoring defense (18.1 ppg), and rushing defense (78.4 ypg) – they rank fourth, 13th, and fifth in the FCS, respectively, in those categories. Austin Peay State University also leads the ASUN and ranks third in the FCS in third-down conversion defense, holding opponents to just a 25.5 percent conversion rate on third downs.
The Austin Peay State University defense is led by Antoine Williams, who was named to the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award Watch List and ranks second in the league the ASUN in total tackles (56.0) and tackles per game (8.0). Williams also ranks fourth in the conference with 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
On offense, quarterback Mike DiLiello – who was named to the Stats Perform Walter Payton Award Watch List – ranks eighth in the FCS and second in the ASUN with 17 touchdowns passes. DiLiello also has run for seven touchdowns, which is tied for the sixth-most rushing touchdowns among FCS quarterbacks, and ranks fifth in the FCS with 144 points responsible for.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver and return specialist Kam Thomas also was named to the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Watch List. Thomas returned a punt a school-record 94-yards for a touchdown against Central Arkansas and returned a kick 92-yards for a touchdown against Murray State – he is the only player in Division I football to return a kick and punt for a touchdown this season.
Saturday’s game will feature the Blazin’ VIPeay Zone presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, which will be at all five home football games for the 2022 season. Buffalo Wild Wings will provide all-you-can-eat food and drinks – including beer – in the Blazin’ VIPeay Zone, which is available to season ticket holders in section M and the VIPeay Zone Chairback section.
Single-game and group tickets are available online at LetsGoPeay.com/buytickets or by calling the Austin Peay ticket office at 931.221.PEAY (7329).
Saturday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Barry Gresham and Ethan Schmidt on the call.
Inside The Film Room
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Notably
Good Directions
In the past six seasons, Austin Peay State University’s 39 victories are the 14th most in the FCS and the 34 wins entering the 2022 season were the most in a five-year stretch in program history. There are three other ASUN Conference teams that rank in the top 15 in FCS wins during the past six seasons – Kennesaw State (52, 4th), Jacksonville State (47, 7th), and Central Arkansas (3, t-15th).
Defend The Fort (And The Ranking)
Since debuting in the FCS Polls during the 2018 season, Austin Peay State University is 7-0 at Fortera Stadium as a ranked team. The APSU Govs won their first game as a ranked team at home when they beat Presbyterian, 24-0, in 2018 before winning three times during the 2019 season, once in 2021, and twice so far this season.
Opportunity Week For The Win
During the Scotty Walden Era, Austin Peay is 3-0 coming off a bye week, or “Opportunity Week.” The Govs have won by an average of 27.6 points in those contests after a 52-17 win over Murray State two weeks ago.
The Govs had their second Opportunity Week of the season to prepare for Jacksonville State, it was the first time they have had two byes in a single season under Walden.
End Zone Embargo
The Governors’ defense is allowing just 18.1 points per game – which leads the ASUN and ranks 13th in the FCS – while no other ASUN team is holding their opponents to less than 25 points per game this season.
Ground Govs
Austin Peay State University has already posted a pair of 300-yard rushing games this season with 322 yards against Eastern Kentucky and 308 yards against Presbyterian. The Govs have not rushed for 300-plus yards multiple times in a season since 2017 when they topped the 400-yard mark twice and the 300-yard mark two more times.
Ahmaad Tanner and Kentel Williams led the rushing attack in 2017 with 697 and 674 yards, respectively. This year, Jevon Jackson and CJ Evans Jr. lead the Governors on the ground with 416 and 400 yards, respectively.
Scotty Walden; or, Life at Austin Peay State University
After just 24 games at Austin Peay State University, Scotty Walden already ranks eighth in program history with 15 career wins. Walden is just two victories behind Roy Gregory for sixth place and is four wins behind Bill Schmitz and Fred D. Brown for fifth place — Gregory, Schmitz, and Brown all needed six seasons to reach their win total. With five more wins, Walden would match Rick Christophel — who also coached six seasons — for the fourth-most wins in program history while becoming just the fifth head coach to win 20 games at Austin Peay.
Preseason Propaganda
In the inaugural ASUN Football Preseason Coaches Poll, Austin Peay received a first-place vote but was tabbed to finish fifth in the league with 15 points. Kennesaw State was picked atop the league with four first-place votes and 34 points, while Central Arkansas — who received a single first-place vote — and Eastern Kentucky were tied for second with 25 points. Fourth-place Jacksonville State received 19 points and North Alabama rounded out the poll with 8 points.
Last Time Out
Coming off a bye, Austin Peay State University picked up its sixth-straight win against rival Murray State in a 52-17 rout. The APSU Govs racked up 570 yards of total offense while holding Murray State to just 34 rushing yards and no points in the second half.
About the Jacksonville State Gamecocks
This is the 32nd meeting between Austin Peay and Jacksonville State.
It is the 15th conference game between the Governors and Gamecocks but is the first as members of the ASUN Conference.
Playing its final season of football in the ASUN before moving up to the FBS and Conference USA, Jacksonville State was tabbed to finish fourth in the inaugural ASUN Preseason Poll. At 6-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play, the Gamecocks are coming off a 31-14 loss to Southeastern Louisiana at Burgess-Snow Field in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Despite having no offensive players named to the Preseason All-ASUN Team, JSU is averaging 244.6 rushing yards per game, which leads the ASUN and ranks 6th in the FCS. Running back Anwar Lewis ranks 12th in the FCS with 749 rushing yards and his 7.34 yards per carry ranks seventh in the FCS – he ranks second in the ASUN in both categories. JSU has rushed for a league-best 25 touchdowns this season, with Lewis running for eight scores – which ranks 15th in the FCS and third in the league.
Defensive lineman Jaylen Swain and linebackers Stevonte Tullis and Markail Benton were all named Preseason All-ASUN selections. Benton and Fred Perry led JSU with 53 tackles this season with Tullis adding 52 stops. Chris Hardie has a team-best 9.5 tackles for loss and Swain has 6.5 tackles for loss with a team-best 4.0 sacks. Tullis also leads the FCS with three fumble recoveries this season.
Two-time ASUN Offensive Player of the Week Zion Webb is in his sixth season at Jacksonville State. Webb is averaging just 10.1 completions and 154.1 passing yards per game this season with eight passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, the 6-0, 200-pound quarterback ranks seventh in the FCS, second in the ASUN, and leads ASUN QBs with 10 rushing touchdowns this season.
Next Up For APSU Football
The Austin Peay State University football team closes the season with three-straight road games, starting with a November 5th ASUN Conference contest at 4:00pm against North Alabama at Braly Stadium in Florence, Alabama. It is the 20th all-time meeting between the Governors and Lions but the first since 1978.
