Six interceptions. Count 'em. One, two, three, four, five, six picks.

Of the seven Ohio Valley Conference teams that play football, there are three teams that don't even have six interceptions this season and two have just seven. Among FCS teams, the Govs six interceptions against the Panthers would be tied for 79th out of 121 teams in total picks this season.

Speaking of the FCS, the six-interception day on Saturday catapulted the Governors into a tie with Holy Cross at the top of the national rankings with 15 picks this season. Not only that, but with 15 picks and eight fumbles recovered, the opportunistic Austin Peay defense leads the FCS with 23 turnovers gained this season.

Now let's get into the particulars. When you think of Austin Peay and interceptions in recent years, it's only fair to think of Kordell Jackson. But, a combination of injuries and teams not throwing the football anywhere in the same area code of the two-time Consensus All-American has kept him without a pick in 2021.

But a new leader has stepped up in the secondary and he announced his presence with a two-pick game to open the season at Chattanooga… ladies and gentlemen, I present, Johnathon Edwards.

With picks against Morehead State and Southeast Missouri, the Philadelphia, Mississippi native entered Saturday's game with four interceptions – a respectable number that had him ranked in the top 20 in the FCS. He left the field Saturday night with seven picks and a share of the FCS lead after matching the best-single game total in the FCS this season with three INTs against the Panthers.

Edwards' seven picks not only ties the national lead, but it matches Jackson's 2019 season – ya know, the one where he was named a Consensus All-American – for the second-best single season in Austin Peay history and, oh yeah, there are two games left for him to pick off two more passes and match Howell Flatt for the best single season in program history.

I'm looking at you FCS All America and award voters… Jackson was a Consensus All-American with seven picks in 2019 – and sure, he had two pick-sixes that Edwards doesn't have this season – but… seven picks, 33 tackles, six pass breakups, a QB hurry, two fumble recoveries, seven interceptions and he's the national leader in turnovers gained with 9. You know what to do.

Now, let me tell you about the baddest man on the Austin Peay defense, Koby Perry. When I try to describe the way Perry plays defense, I have to borrow – and clean up – a chant to describe Roy Kent, a defenseman for AFC Richmond on the show Ted Lasso.

"He's here! He's there! He's every *bad word* where."

Watch the Govs play and tell me that doesn't describe Perry. The man leads the team with 67 tackles, he plays from sideline to sideline, and when he hits you… you're going to feel it the next day. But besides the big hits, Perry has turned into a ball hawk in recent weeks, with interceptions in back-to-back games – including a 75-yard pick-six against UT Martin.

Perry had a pick and six tackles against Eastern Illinois but, behind Edwards, he wasn't even the second-biggest story of the day for the Govs because Shamari Simmons decided to intercept a pair of passes on back-to-back Panther drives in the fourth quarter.

With Edwards' and Perry's picks already in the books, it was the Ashland, Alabama native's first two interceptions as a Governor that helped Austin Peay tie the single-game record with six picks. Simmons' interceptions also made him and Edwards the first pair of Govs to record multiple picks in the same game since Johnny Bell (three interceptions) and Dustin Wilson (two interceptions) against Kentucky Wesleyan (10/23/99).

The Simmons' picks made him the sixth Governor – shoutout to Jack McDonald, Isaiah Norman (twice), and Kory Chapman for already contributing to the cause – to intercept a pass this season. Six Govs, 15 picks, and the FCS lead in interceptions… I would say that's pretty good.

This defense – that lost arguably the most impactful defense player in program history for a chunk of the season – is just getting started. It's hitting its stride with just under a calendar years' worth of tutelage from assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Chris Kappas and co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Akeem Davis.

In the locker room following the six-interception day against Eastern Illinois, I congratulated Davis and informed him that his DBs had tied the program record with six picks, he confidently looked at me mid-handshake and said, "Now we're gonna go get seven." I believe him… and you probably should too.