Austin Peay (3-2 | 1-1 UAC) vs. West Georgia (5-0 | 2-0 UAC)
Saturday, October 4th, 2025 | 3:00pm
Clarksville, TN | Fortera Stadium
Clarksville, TN – For the first time since the final game of the 2023 season, two ranked teams meet in Fortera Stadium when the No. 21-ranked Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team takes on undefeated, No. 16-ranked West Georgia in United Athletic Conference action on Saturday, October 4th at 3:00pm.
Austin Peay (3-2, 1-1 UAC) enters Saturday’s game after picking up its first conference win against Utah Tech, 42-10, in Week 5. West Georgia (5-0, 2-0 UAC) picked up its sixth-straight win, dating back to last season, when it went on the road and beat Southern Utah, 27-24, on a last-season field goal last week.
Austin Peay State University is 1-0 all-time against West Georgia after picking up head coach Jeff Faris‘ first UAC win and road win against the Wolves in Carrollton, Georgia, last season.
The Governors are ranked in the Stats FCS Media Poll (No. 21) and the AFCA Coaches Poll (No. 22) for the fourth-straight week and 37th week in program history. The Govs are 20-16 all-time when nationally ranked and 12-3 at home when ranked nationally; they are also 2-1 all-time while ranked under Faris.
Austin Peay State University is 2-0 at Fortera Stadium this season and 31-14 since 2017. West Georgia is 3-0 on the road this season and 4-3 under second-year head coach Joel Taylor.
Quarterback Chris Parson was named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week after going 18-of-25 for 204 yards and a career-best three touchdowns, while leading the Govs with 11 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown against Utah Tech. Parson is 80-for-120 for 1,026 yards and seven touchdowns with 54 rushes for 210 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Courtland Simmons has added 129 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, while Javious Bond has rushed 18 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns.
Jaden Robinson leads the Govs with 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 14 catches, while Shemar Kirk leads the team with 16 receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Jackson Head also has added 12 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Ellis Ellis Jr. leads the Govs and ranks 18th in the UAC with 27 tackles; he also ranks 15th in the FCS and second in the UAC with five pass breakups this season. Linebacker Montreze Smith Jr., a native of Carrollton, Georgia, is second on the team with 22 tackles. In addition, defensive linemen Charles Crews III and Davion Hood are tied for the team lead with 5.0 tackles for loss this season; Hood also leads the Govs with 2.0 sacks, and Crews III is tied for third in sacks with 1.5.
Kicker Carson Smith is 5-for-7 on field goals and 22-for-22 on PATs this season with three field goals from 40-plus yards. Smith ranks 55th in the country and fifth in the conference with 7.4 points per game this season. Bond also ranked fourth in the FCS with a 19.3-yard punt return average and seventh with 116 total punt return yards this season – he leads the UAC in both categories. Bond also has returned five kicks for 73 yards and ranks 47th in the FCS and fourth in the UAC with 189 combined kick return yards this season.
Saturday’s game is Clarksville Kicks Cancer Day at Fortera Stadium, with the game presented by Tennova Healthcare. Season, single-game, and group tickets are available online at Ticketmaster or by calling the Austin Peay Athletics ticket office at 931.221.PEAY (7329). Special ticket offers and information on everything happening in and around Fortera Stadium can be found in this week’s Fan Experience preview.
New to gameday at Fortera Stadium this season is the Coors Light Tailgate Experience and Big Gov Pregame Show, located between the Jenkins Family Fieldhouse and Fortera Stadium. Buffalo Wild Wings will provide food each week, while Coca-Cola, AJAX Distributing, and Michael Waltrip Brewing Co. will provide alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options.
More information on the Coors Light Tailgate Experience can be found here, and tickets can be purchased by calling the Austin Peay State University Ticket Office at 931.221.7329.
Fans can also purchase tickets to the Blazin’ VIPeay Zone, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, available at all home games this season. Buffalo Wild Wings will provide all-you-can-eat food and drinks – including beer in the Blazin’ VIPeay Zone, which will be located in the south end zone of Fortera Stadium under the scoreboard and will open one hour prior to kickoff, when the gates open, before closing at the end of halftime.Saturday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Barry Gresham and Ethan Schmidt on the call.
Notably
DECADE OF THE GOVS
Despite being only halfway through the 2020s, Austin Peay is 10 wins away from matching its 43 wins in the 1980s as the winningest decade in program history. The Governors are 33-27 in the 2020s, and their .550 winning percentage is the second best in a decade in program history, trailing only the .551 (32-26-1) winning percentage from the 1940s.
The APSU Govs also are 17-11 at home during the 2020s, and their .607 winning percentage is the second best in a decade in APSU history, trailing only the .714 (20-8) winning percentage at home in the 1940s.
Additionally, the Govs have a 16-15 record on the road during the 2020s, making this the only decade in program history where Austin Peay has a winning record on the road.
KANSAS STATE HAS COMPANY
For the second time in program history and the first time since beating Kansas State, 26-22, in the 1987 season opener, Austin Peay beat an opponent from the Football Bowl Subdivision when it defeated Middle Tennessee, 34-14, in Week 1.
The Govs, who were named the NCAA FCS Team of the Week, ended a 30-game losing streak to FBS opponents in a contest where they led 21-0 in the second quarter and maintained no less than a 10-point lead throughout the wire-to-wire win against the Blue Raiders. The APSU Govs’ 34 points against Middle Tennessee were the most they have ever scored against an FBS opponent, topping the 33 points they scored against MTSU (2010) and UCF (2017).
UAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
A pair of Govs earned UAC weekly honors for the first time this week, with quarterback Chris Parson being named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week and wide receiver Kamari Maxwell being named the UAC Freshman of the Week.
Parson is the first Gov to be the offensive player of the week since Jaden Barnes (11/4/24) after going 18-of-25 for 204 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 11 times for 82 yards and a touchdown against Utah Tech. Maxwell is the first Gov to be the freshman of the week since Corey Richardson (9/23/24) after leading the Govs with four catches for 71 yards with 44 yards after the catch.
WE WILL
On May 6th, 2025, Will Hardrick, a senior on the Austin Peay football team, tragically passed away. In addition to a helmet sticker with Hardrick’s initials and jersey number, a different Governor will be chosen to wear No. 0 each week in honor of Hardrick.
Each Monday of the season, head coach Jeff Faris will select the player who best exemplifies Hardrick’s character and work ethic to wear the No. 0 in his honor that week. In Week 6 against West Georgia, redshirt sophomore running back Courtland Simmons will wear No. 0.
About the West Georgia Wolves
Saturday is the second meeting between Austin Peay State University and West Georgia; the Govs lead the all-time series, 1-0.
After going 4-7 overall and 1-7 in the United Athletic Conference during its first Division I season in 2024, West Georgia was picked to finish tied for seventh in the 2025 UAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Wolves are off to a 5-0 start, with a win at No. 22 Nicholls and two UAC wins, under second-year head coach Joel Taylor.
West Georgia ranks second in the UAC in rushing offense (214.0), fourth in scoring offense (32.6), sixth in total offense (372.8), and eighth in passing offense (158.0). West Georgia has ran for 180-plus yards in four games, with a season-best 342 yards against Nicholls. Running back Latrelle Murrell leads UWG with 87 carries for 501 yards, while running back TJ Lester has 66 carries for 282 yards and five touchdowns. Murrell also has six catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns; he is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.
West Georgia leads the UAC in total defense (278.6), ranks second in scoring defense (16.0), second in rushing defense (87.8), and third in passing defense (190.8). The Wolves have held three-of-four opponents under 100 rushing yards, with Eastern Kentucky’s 154 yards being the most they have allowed.
The Wolves average 7.0 tackles for loss per game, which is tied for 17th in the FCS and second in the UAC, led by defensive lineman David Hoage, who ranks third in the FCS and leads the UAC with 9.0 tackles for loss. The Wolves also lead the UAC and rank sixth in the UAC with 3.20 sacks per game, led by Hoage and Geoffrey Speight, who each have three sacks in 2025.
Quarterback Davin Wydner went 33-of-47 for 388 yards and a touchdown and ran for a touchdown in West Georgia’s last meeting with Austin Peay. This season, Wydner is 65-of-129 for 772 yards and eight touchdowns – with a UAC-leading seven interceptions – and has rushed 59 times for 240 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-5, 220-pound Ole Miss transfer ranks third in the UAC in passing touchdowns, fifth in passing yards, and seventh in rushing touchdowns.
Follow the APSU Govs
For news and updates throughout the 2025 season, follow Austin Peay State University football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.
Next Up For APSU Football
The Austin Peay State University football team hits the road for its final game before its bye week when it takes on Eastern Kentucky in United Athletic Conference action on October 11th at 5:00pm CT at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. The Week 6 contest between the Governors and Colonels will be streamed on ESPN+.
