CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University football team, fresh off a double-overtime thriller at Southeast Missouri, will host UT Martin in a 2 p.m., Sunday, contest at Fortera Stadium—a Homecoming contest truly unlike any other.

This Homecoming opponent also served as the last Homecoming opponent for the Govs, who toppled UT Martin in a 38-24 affair, Nov. 9, 2019. DeAngelo Wilson took the top off the Skyhawk secondary with six catches for 126 yards, while the Austin Peay defense surrendered less than nothing to UT Martin on the ground; the Skyhawks finished with negative-25 yards rushing.

A simple axiom has ruled the start of Austin Peay's last two games: give Brian Snead the ball and he will score. His first touch against both Tennessee State and Southeast Missouri saw him race to the end zone in both contests; he'll look to make it three straight on Sunday.

INSIDE THE FILM ROOM

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AT THE KICKOFF

WALDEN'S WORLD

Scotty Walden was hired as Austin Peay State University's 21st head football coach in November 2020. Walden, who at age 30 is the youngest head coach at the Division I level, takes over in Clarksville after serving as the head coach at Southern Miss to start the 2020 season. Considered one of the brightest young offensive minds in collegiate football, the American Football Coaches Association tabbed Walden as a Top 35 coach under 35 years of age in 2019.

ANOTHER OPENER

Playing at home for just the second time this season, Sunday's game against UT Martin is also Austin Peay's penultimate home game of the 2020 football season. The Govs have just three games scheduled at Fortera Stadium this season, which marks the fewest games Austin Peay will play in Clarksville in a single season in program history.

SERVING THE YOUTH

Austin Peay's Draylen Ellis and Elijah Culp became the first ever freshmen teammates to be named the Ohio Valley Conference's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in the same week.

OWNING THE OVC ACCOLADES

In weeks that Austin Peay has played, the Governors have picked up seven of the 14 Ohio Valley Conference weekly awards. Freshman quarterback Draylen Ellis has twice been named Newcomer of the week, Ellis and running back Brian Snead have also both been named Offensive Player of the week once. On the other side of the football, Jack McDonald and Elijah Culp have both been named Defensive Player of the week once.

NATIONAL NOTORIETY

Two weeks after Brian Snead rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns against Tennessee State to earn STATS Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week honors, Austin Peay freshman quarterback Draylen Ellis was named the STATS Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week. Ellis tossed for 262 yards and a program-record six touchdowns in the Govs double-overtime win at Southeast Missouri.

UP NEXT

After Sunday's Homecoming game against UT Martin, Austin Peay will hit the road again for a 2 p.m., March 28 contest at No. 8 Jacksonville State. Last season, the Govs picked up their first win over the Gamecocks since JSU joined the OVC in 2003. After the trip to Alabama, Austin Peay will return home for the final time this season when they host a 2 p.m., April 3 game against Murray State.

SCOUTING UT MARTIN

• Austin Peay's final Sgt. York Trophy contest for the 2020-21 season will be UT Martin's first; the Skyhawks have shared the title with the Govs each of the last two seasons.
• UT Martin signal-caller John Bachus has one of the league's deepest stables of pass catchers, with Colton Dowell (6.0 rpg, 55.0 ypg), Rodney Williams (4.3 rpg, 45.7 ypg), Peyton Logan (45.3 rpg) and Donnell Williams (58.0 ypg) among the league's top-10 in either receptions per game, receiving yards per game or both. Dowell was a STATS Preseason All-American
• While JaQuez Akins and Austin Pickett were preseason All-OVC, it's been the exploits of Deven Sims and Takeem Young that have led the way this spring. Sims leads the team with 28 tackles and four pass break-ups, while Young's 3.5 tackles for loss leads the Skyhawks.
• Former quarterback Dresser Winn has moved into a new role as punter and is starring within that framework. March 1, he was named OVC Specialist of the Week after averaging 42.7 yards per punt on seven attempts against Murray State, with three over 50 yards; he also engineered a late scoring drive with his career's fifth rushing score.

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