NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? For a second straight season Tennessee State kicker Eric Benson proved to be Austin Peay State University's biggest nemesis.

A year ago, Benson nailed a 43-yard field goal with 1:12 left to send the contest into overtime, a game the Tigers eventually won. On Saturday, Benson connected on a 29-yard field goal with two seconds left as Tennessee State defeated the upstart Governors, 37-34, in an Ohio Valley Conference contest played at LP Field.

Benson's kick thwarted an upset bid by the OVC's last-place team against the league's first-place club. The victory pushes No. 21 TSU to 6-1, 3-0 OVC. The Governors, meanwhile, fall to 0-7, 0-4 in the OVC.

The game-winning drive, sparked by TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner, came after APSU was stopped short on a fourth-and-one at the Tennessee State 34. Heffner, despite being bothered by a sore shoulder, twice overcame second-and ?long situations with first-down passes on the drive, one for 29 yards and the other 21.

TSU then turned it over to Javarris Williams, who finished with 195 rushing yards. He carried it five straight times to get it to the APSU 11 to set up Benson's game-winning kick.

In fact, it was Williams who got the Tigers off to a flying start. He rushed for 52 yards on the game's first drive and later had first-half TD runs of 23 and 40 yards.

The Govs, however, matched TSU in the first quarter, scoring their season's first two opening-period TDs, one on a three-yard T.C. Jennings pass to Jon Sanders and the second on a 53-yard strike from Jennings to Adrian Mines. However, the Govs kicking game woes continued as APSU failed to convert on both extra-point opportunities to trail 14-12 entering the second period.

But it was all TSU in the second quarter as they converted three possessions in two field goals and Williams' long TD run as the Tigers took a 27-12 lead into intermission.

The Govs got back into the game by taking the second-half kickoff and marching 75 for a score, capped by Ryan White's three-yard run up the middle. Jennings then ran for a two-point conversion to make it a 27-20 contest.

But Tennessee State came right back with Williams scoring for a third time on a three-yard run to make it 34-20 contest.

But the Govs produced the next two scores, one on a Theo Townsend one-yard run, culminating a 13-yard, 70-yard drive. Townsend finished with 150 yards rushing on 27 carries. It was APSU's first 100?yard rushing performance this season.

Then after the Govs botched their third kicking snap, this on a short field goal attempt, they turned misfortune into fortune. After the change of possession left TSU at its own five-yard line, Heffner attempted a third-down pass over the middle. APSU defensive tackle P.R. Morris, dropping back into pass coverage, snared the interception at the 11 and rumbled into the end zone to tie the contest at 34 all. It was Morris' first career interception and TD.

The defense then came up with an interception (LaDarius Davis) at their own 15-yard before the offense, with the help a penalty, moved into TSU territory before the Govs were stopped short at the TSU 34, giving the ball back to the Tigers with 4:54 left.

APSU totaled a season-best 340 yards in total offense. Jennings, meanwhile, finished 12 of 17 passing for 167 yards, with Adrian Mines catching six for 97.

Defensively, linebacker Kit Hartsfield, returning the lineup after missing two recent games with an ankle injury, led the Govs with eight tackles, including 1.5 for loss.

-AP-