Austin Peay State University Football releases complete 2023 Schedule

Clarksville, TN – Five home games, the program’s first-ever trips to Texas and Utah, and a game against an in-state FBS rival highlight the 2023 Austin Peay State University (APSU) football schedule, presented Tuesday in conjunction with the release of the first ASUN-Western Athletic Conference football slate.

Austin Peay State University’s 2023 schedule features six teams that have qualified for the FCS Playoffs since 2017 and five teams that have qualified in the past two seasons. The only FCS teams on the APSU Govs’ schedule that have not qualified for the FCS Playoffs in the past five years are North Alabama – who just completed its first postseason-eligible season in 2022 – and Lindenwood and Utah Tech – who are ineligible for the FCS Playoffs during their transition to the subdivision.

The Governors open the season with back-to-back games on the road, starting Sept. 2 with their first game against Southern Illinois since 1992 when they travel to Carbondale, Illinois. Austin Peay State University’s only FBS contest of the 2023 season is next when it squares off with Tennessee in a September 9th game at Neyland Stadium.

For the APSU Govs’ home 2023 opener, ETSU finally makes the return trip from the 2019 meeting when they travel to Fortera Stadium on September 16th. Austin Peay State University then hits the road for two more games, starting with its first ASUN-WAC contest against Stephen F. Austin, on September 23rd, in Nacogdoches, Texas. The Govs travel to Lindenwood for a September 30th meeting that will be the first-ever game between the two programs.

After a Week 6 bye, Gardner-Webb visits Fortera Stadium for an October 14th nonconference battle. The Governors then play five-straight ASUN-WAC contests to close the season, starting with an October 21st showdown at Southern Utah and an October 28th Homecoming contest against North Alabama in Clarksville.

Austin Peay State University hits the road for the final time in the regular season when it travels to Eastern Kentucky, on November 4th. The Governors close the regular-season slate with their only back-to-back home games when they host Utah Tech, on November 11th, and Central Arkansas, on November 18th, at Fortera Stadium.

The ASUN-WAC partnership will function in the manner of a single sports conference beginning January 1st, 2023. The 2023 schedule, based on existing commitments, will be limited to six conference games.

The ASUN-WAC Football partnership began with a combined group that built the ASUN-WAC Challenge in 2021. Featuring an automatic qualifier (AQ) into the FCS playoff each of the past two years, the football group enters year three with nine participating institutions: Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin State, Tarleton, and Utah Tech. The group will add the Texas Rio Grande Valley in the fall of 2025 when it begins sponsorship of football.
 
The group is currently building the 2024 schedule which will feature a full eight-game single round-robin. Future schedules are also being constructed as part of the multi-year conference agreement.
 
Austin Peay State University season ticket information, game times, and full broadcast information for the 2023 season will be available at a later date. For more off-season news and updates on Austin Peay State University football, follow along on Twitter and Instagram or be sure to check back at LetsGoPeay.com.

2023 APSU Football Schedule Scouting Report

	Southern Illinois Sept. 2 | Saluki Stadium | Carbondale, Illinois All-time series: SIU leads, 5-2 Last meeting: L, 37-7 at Carbondale, Illinois (9/19/92) First meeting in 21 years between the two schools that are separated by just 155 miles. Austin Peay’s last win in Carbondale was a 12-9 win in 1938 – the first game in series history. After back-to-back trips to the second round of the FCS Playoffs in 2020 and 2021, the Salukis went 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2022. Southern Illinois had 10 players named to the 2021 All-MVFC Team, including quarterback Nic Baker, who could return for his senior season. Baker ranked 19th in the FCS in passing yards (2,751) and 22nd in passing touchdowns (20) – he ranked second in the MVFC in both categories.
	Tennessee Sept. 9 | Neyland Stadium | Knoxville, Tennessee All-time series: UT leads, 1-0 Last meeting: L, 45-0 at Knoxville, Tennessee (8/31/13) The second meeting between the in-state foes and the second time the Governors have served as the Volunteers’ home opener – the previous meeting was also former head coach Butch Jones’ debut at UT. The game against Tennessee marks the second-straight season the Govs will play a team that was ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff Poll the season before and the third-straight season they take on a team from the Southeastern Conference. Josh Heupel led the top offense in the FBS in 2022 with Tennessee averaging 538.3 yards and 47.3 points per game. But the Vols will lose quarterback Hendon Hooker, the 2022 SEC Offense Player of the Year, and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner, to the NFL Draft.
	ETSU Sept. 16 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville All-time series: ETSU leads, 15-12-2 Last meeting: L, 20-14 at Johnson City, Tennessee (9/21/19) Just the second meeting between the former Ohio Valley Conference rivals since 1978, APSU has won four of the last five games against the Buccaneers. ETSU’s first trip to Clarksville in 45 years. APSU has won a conference title in two of the last three seasons (1977, 2019) in which it has played ETSU. After an 11-2 season and a trip to the second round of the FCS Playoffs in 2021, ETSU went just 3-8 under first-year head coach George Quarles in 2022. The Bucs were led by All-Southern Conference and All-America defensive back Alijah Huzzie, who led the FCS in passes defended and ranked third in interceptions, however, Huzzie is currently in the transfer portal.
	Stephen F. Austin Sept. 23 | Homer Bryce Stadium | Nacogdoches, Texas All-time series: First-ever meeting Last meeting: N/A Austin Peay’s first-ever trip to Texas, first-ever game against a team from the Lone Star State, and its first meeting with former Athletics Director Ryan Ivey (2015-18). The Govs’ 2023 conference opener and its first-ever game against a team from the Western Athletic Conference. The 2022 Co-WAC Champions, Stephen F. Austin went 6-5 overall and 3-1 in conference action. The Lumberjacks had a league-best 16 players on the 2022 All-WAC team, including wide receiver Xavier Gipson, who repeated as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Gipson made 42 catches for 874 yards and six touchdowns in his third season at SFA and earned Associated Press First Team FCS All-America honors.
	Lindenwood Sept. 30 | Hunter Stadium | St. Charles, Missouri All-time series: First-ever meeting Last meeting: N/A One of two teams on the Governor’s schedule that is transitioning to the FCS level, Lindenwood went 7-3 overall and 1-3 in the OVC during its first FCS season in 2022 with wins over Central Arkansas and Murray State. The Lions led the OVC in scoring offense (39.5 ppg), total offense (509.1 ypg), and passing offense (326.2) during their first season in the league with senior quarterback Cade Brister leading the conference in passing yards (3,065) and touchdowns (27) – he was the only player in the OVC with 3,000 passing yards or 20 passing touchdowns. Brister also rushed for 11 touchdowns, which were the sixth most in the OVC. Lindenwood’s Payton Rose also led the conference in receiving with 1,149 yards and a dozen touchdowns, he was one of two OVC receivers with 1,000 yards and the only one with double-digit touchdown receptions.
	Gardner-Webb Oct. 14 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville All-time series: GWU leads, 2-0 Last meeting: L, 31-15 in Clarksville (9/13/08) APSU and the Runnin’ Bulldogs played a home-and-home series during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, with GWU winning both meetings. The 2022 Big South Champions, Gardner-Webb went 7-6 overall and 5-0 in conference play before going on the road and beating Eastern Kentucky, 52-41, in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. Last season Gardner-Webb ranked 33rd in the FCS in rushing yards per game (174.8) and ranked fifth in rushing touchdowns (33) – it led the Big South in both categories. Former Tennessee Tech quarterback Bailey Fisher led the Runnin’. Bulldogs with 11 rushing touchdowns and Narii Gaither led the team and ranked second in the conference with 1,019 rushing yards.
	Southern Utah Oct. 21 | Eccles Coliseum | Cedar City, Utah All-time series: First-ever meeting Last meeting: N/A Austin Peay football’s first-ever trip to the 45th state in the union, the game against Southern Utah – formerly known as Dixie State – will be the farthest west the Governors have ever played during the regular season. Southern Utah also made a trip to Richmond, Kentucky to take on Eastern Kentucky last season and fell to the Colonels, 35-28. The Thunderbirds went 5-6 overall and 2-3 in WAC action during the 2022 campaign and closed the season with back-to-back wins, including a 17-7 victory at Sam Houston in the season finale. Redshirt junior quarterback Justin Miller ranked second in the WAC after passing for 2,815 yards and 20 touchdowns, he also added three touchdowns on the ground and was one of seven Thunderbirds to earn All-WAC honors.
	North Alabama Oct. 28 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville All-time series: UNA leads, 13-7 Last meeting: W, 38-35 at Florence, Alabama (11/5/22) Austin Peay’s 2023 Homecoming game, the Governors are 30-45-1 all-time on Homecoming after beating EKU last season. During its first postseason-eligible season in the FCS in 2022, North Alabama went 1-10 overall and 0-5 in the ASUN Conference. The Lions averaged 184.6 rushing yards per game, which ranked 29th in the FCS and fourth in the ASUN with sophomore tailback ShunDerrick Powell rushing for a league-leading 1,513 yards and 18 touchdowns en route to being named the 2022 ASUN Offensive Player of the Year and an All-America selection – however, Powell entered the transfer portal following the season. UNA made a change in its football leadership following its Week 9 contest and named Brent Dearmon as its new head coach on Dec. 3.
	Eastern Kentucky Nov. 4 | Roy Kidd Stadium | Richmond, Kentucky All-time series: EKU leads, 47-7 Last meeting: W, 31-20 in Clarksville (11/24/22) The most common opponent on Austin Peay’s 2023 schedule, the Governors and Colonels have split their last six meetings with APSU winning two of the three contests in the Bluegrass State. EKU claimed a share of the 2022 ASUN title after going 7-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play, the Colonels were knocked out of the FCS Playoffs when they lost in the first round to Gardner-Webb, 52-41. EKU Walt Wells was named the ASUN Coach of the Year and redshirt junior quarterback Parker McKinney was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Year. McKinney led the ASUN with 3,502 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns during the 2022 season, he ranked second and fourth, respectively, in those categories nationally.
	Utah Tech Nov. 11 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville All-time series: First-ever meeting Last meeting: N/A The first team Austin Peay has ever hosted from the Beehive State, Utah Tech went 4-7 overall and 2-2 in the WAC during its first season while transitioning to the FCS level. The Trailblazers closed the 2022 season with three-straight FCS wins, beating No. 19 Stephen F. Austin, Southern Utah, and Tarleton. Sophomore running back Quali Conley earned All-WAC honors and led the conference in rushing yards (1,095), touchdowns (8), and yards per game (99.55) last season. All-WAC sophomore receiver Joey Hobert also led the league in receiving yards (1,258), touchdowns (16), and yards per game (114.36) – Hobert finished ninth in the voting for the 2022 Stats Perform Walter Payton Award.
	Central Arkansas Nov. 18 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville All-time series: UCA leads, 4-0 Last meeting: L, 49-20 at Conway, Arkansas (10/1/22) Central Arkansas claimed a share of the 2022 ASUN Conference title, posting a 5-6 record and a 3-2 mark in the ASUN. The last time UCA made the trip to Clarksville they picked up a 24-16 win over the Governors, but APSU went on to win a conference title and advance to the FCS Playoff Quarterfinals that season. Central Arkansas sophomore defensive end David Walker was named a finalist for the 2022 Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award after leading the ASUN in tackles for loss (22) and sacks (12), he ranked first and second, respectively, in the FCS in those categories. The Bears also had the ASUN’s leading tackler in sophomore defensive back TaMuarion Wilson, who racked up 104 tackles and a league-best 69 solo stops.