CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – After a back-and-forth first half, the Austin Peay State University football team could not gain any offensive traction in the second half and dropped a 40-16 ASUN Conference decision to Jacksonville State, Saturday, at Fortera Stadium.

Austin Peay (5-3, 1-2 ASUN) played Jacksonville State, which is in its first year transitioning to the FBS level, to a 16-16 tie thanks to Maddux Trujillo's program record-tying 55-yard field goal just at the halftime gun. The Govs rolled up 274 yards in the first half – 148 yards on the ground – while holding Jacksonville State to 182 yards – 144 of those through the air.

Jacksonville State (7-2, 3-0 ASUN) opened the second half with a touchdown drive, the first of three touchdown drives to start the second half. Austin Peay only gained one first down on its first three drives and saw a turnover turned into JSU's third touchdown of the half and a 33-16 lead. The Gamecocks closed the scoring with a blocked field goal that Jamari Jemison returned 69 yards for a touchdown.

After its 274-yard first half, the Govs were held to 11 offensive yards in the third quarter and 94 yards in the second half. Jacksonville State came out of the half and amassed 166 yards in the tide-turning third quarter.

DiLiello completed 12-of-31 passes for 181 yards with a touchdown and led the Govs ground game with 96 rushing yards on 17 carries. CJ Evans Jr. ran for Austin Peay's first touchdown as part of his 12-carry, 71-yard performance.

Zion Webb led Jacksonville State, completing 12-of-24 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown with a pick. He also had 75 rushing yards on 14 carries and a receiving touchdown.

Austin Peay begins a season-ending, three-game road trip with a 4 p.m., Saturday, ASUN Conference matchup at North Alabama.

SCORING SUMMARY

APSU 0, JSU 6 – Jacksonville State set up at midfield after a 19-yard punt return by Sterling Galban. After a couple of rushes for minimal gain, Zion Webb stood in the pocket against the Govs pressure on 3rd-and-7 and completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Perry Carter down the JSU sideline. The Gamecocks missed the PAT.

APSU 7, JSU 6 – Following the JSU scoring drive, Austin Peay pieced together a methodical scoring drive of 10-plays, 75-yards. DiLiello completed back-to-back passes of 16 and 20 yards to James Burns and Trey Goodman, respectively, to move the ball inside the JSU 20-yard line. Evans Jr. followed up with a rush of nine yards and a rush of four yards to score the touchdown. Maddux Trujillo converted his PAT to give APSU a small edge as the first quarter came to an end.

APSU 7, JSU 9 – Each team went without scoring on its first two drives of the second quarter. Jacksonville State broke that string midway through the quarter as it took advantage of an Austin Peay 23-yard punt that let it start its drive at the JSU 42-yard line. Webb opened the drive with a 30-yard completion to PJ Wells. The Gamecocks ran the ball on the next five plays, but only got to the APSU 14-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Alen Karajic connected on a 40-yard field goal to give JSU the lead.

APSU 13, JSU 9 – The Govs responded on the game's next drive. DiLiello's 27-yard completion to Josh DeCambre got the ball into Jacksonville State territory. Two plays later, DiLiello looked for McCray down the APSU sideline, but the Govs receiver and Gamecocks defender got tangled up and a pass interference penalty extended the APSU drive. DiLiello paid off the penalty with a 23-yard touchdown strike to McCray, giving Austin Peay the lead again.

APSU 13, JSU 16 – A pair of big plays helped move Jacksonville State down the field on its final possession of the first half. Webb found Ahmad Edwards for a 37-yard completion to move the ball into Austin Peay territory. Matt LaRoche burst through the left side of the line for a 25-yard run on the next play. Three runs later, LaRoche scored the touchdown on a three-yard run and Jacksonville State led with 25 seconds left in the half.

APSU 16, JSU 16 – That 25 seconds proved just enough for Austin Peay to level the score just before halftime. Evans Jr. opened the drive with a 13-yard run. DiLiello found Burns along the Govs' sideline and he scampered for a 29-yard gain, stepping out with one second left. A false start pushed the ball back to the JSU 38-yard line but Trujillo was unfazed, hitting an APSU record-tying 55-yard field goal to tie the game.

APSU 16, JSU 23 – Jacksonville State took advantage of another drive that started near midfield. Starting at its own 47-yard line, Webb completed an 18-yard pass to Edwards on the second play of the drive. Three plays later, Webb hit an 11-yard pass to Perry Carter and JSU was inside the Govs' 10-yard line. Two plays later Pat Jackson ran through the middle of the line for a three-yard touchdown.

APSU 16, JSU 30 – The Gamecocks pieced together their own methodical drive late in the third quarter. Webb rushed for 14 yards, passed for 15 yards, and ran again for 16 yards to move the ball inside the Austin Peay 20-yard line. Six plays later, Jacksonville State converted the drive into a touchdown courtesy the "Philly Special" with Sterling Galban connecting with Webb for a five-yard touchdown completion.  

APSU 16, JSU 33 – An Austin Peay turnover led to Jacksonville State's next scoring drive. Tullis Jordan's 19-yard return of an interception set up Jacksonville State at the APSU 20-yard line. The Govs defense held the line and did not allow a first down on the ensuing drive. Karajic converted a 39-yard field goal to extend the JSU lead.

APSU 16, JSU 40 – Austin Peay saw a promising drive stall out after a DiLiello 58-yard run. Trujillo lined up for a 44-yard field goal but the attempt was blocked and Jamari Jemison returned the blocked field goal 69 yards for a touchdown.