HEAR IT FROM HEALY

JUNIOR LINEBACKER GUNNAR SCHOLATO

SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK JAVAUGHN CRAIG

GOVS-RACERS POSTGAME NOTES

FROM THE TOP

• Austin Peay held Murray State under 100 yards total offense (88), the fewest allowed to an opponent since 2012 (Culver-Stockton, 41; Oct. 3, 2012).
• Murray State converted just 3-of-15 third-down attempts (opponents are 6-for-29 against the Govs on third-down the last two weeks).
• The Govs secured back-to-back wins for the first time since 2011.

CAPTAINS/COIN TOSS

• For a fourth consecutive game, sophomore JaVaughn Craig and senior Malik Boynton served as captains.
• Austin Peay won the toss and elected to defer to the second half.
• Austin Peay is 2-2 on coin tosses in 2017.

SERIES UPDATE

• The win was Austin Peay's 15^th in the series, which dates back to 1953.
• It marks Austin Peay's first win in Murray since 2007.
• It's the Governors largest margin of victory in this series since a 24-0 win in 1980.

LINEUP

• Nate Howard, Juantarius Bryant and Trent Taylor made their season's first start on defense. For Howard and Bryant, it also was the first of their Austin Peay careers.
• Craig made career start No. 7 for the Governors.
• The same 11 started on offense for the Governors for the third consecutive game.

OFFENSIVE SPARKS

• Kentel Williams' first-quarter touchdown reception was his second of 2017; he's the only Governor with a touchdown catch this season.
• Austin Peay's ground game continued to be productive. For the third time in four games and the seventh time in their last eight dating back to last October, the Governors gained 200 or more yards on the ground, finishing with 297 yards on 58 carries (5.1 ypc).
• Craig broke the century mark on the ground for the first time this season and third as a Governor, tallying 103 yards on 14 carries, including the game-sealing touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
• The Governors did not suffer a three-and-out until the 7:28 mark of the third quarter.
• Freshman Ahmaad Tanner set career-highs in carries (16) and yards (70).
• Elijah Brown, Terrius Callahan and DeAngelo Wilson each caught their first passes as a Governor.  

DEFENSIVE STANDS

• The Governors forced four consecutive Murray State three-and-outs to start the game. The Racers finished the first quarter with negative-two total yards.
• Junior Gunnar Scholato's second-quarter interception was the third of his Austin Peay career and his first in 2017.
• Murray State did not achieve positive yardage until the 8:15 mark of the second quarter and were held to five total first-half yards.
• Sophomore Jaison Williams made 2.5 tackles for loss, giving him 4.5 TFL in 2017 (tied with Howard for the team-high).
• The Governors held the Racers without a first down for the first half's entirety—Murray State didn't pick up its first first-down of the contest until the 12:12 mark of the third quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Logan Birchfield's 45-yard field goal in the first quarter was a career-long, and the longest by a Governor since Nov. 12, 2016 (Nick Gauna, vs. Eastern Kentucky).
• With two field goals and three extra-points in this game, Birchfield now has 17 points in the last two contests. He entered this season with 25 career points.