GOVS-HILLTOPPERS POSTGAME NOTES

Notes following Austin Peay's 38-27 loss to Western Kentucky, Saturday, in the 2022 season opener at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

FROM THE TOP

• Austin Peay's 27 points are the second-most points the program has ever scored against an FBS opponent.
• Austin Peay held the lead against an FBS opponent for the first time since they led Kentucky, 13-0, at the 14:51 mark of the second quarter in the final game of the 2016 regular season.
• 13,688 fans attended today's season-opening contest.

CAPTAINS/COIN TOSS

• Captains Kam Ruffin, Ethan Caselberry, Sam Howard, and Josh Rudolph took the coin toss for the Governors. Trey Goodman, Drae McCray, and Mike DiLiello served as alternate captains.
• Austin Peay won the toss for the first time this season and deferred until the second half. Western Kentucky elected to receive the opening kickoff.
• The Govs are 0-1 this season and 4-4 under head coach Scotty Walden when winning the opening coin toss.
• Weather in Bowling Green at kickoff: 87, Fair, winds South at 6 mph.

SERIES UPDATE                                           

• The Governors fall to 6-36-1 all-time against Western Kentucky and have still never won in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
• WKU has won the last six meetings in the series.

THOSE ARE THE BREAKS

• The Govs are 1-4 under Walden when trailing at halftime and are 1-5 when trailing at the end of the third quarter.

OFFENSIVE SPARKS

• Mike DiLiello made his debut at quarterback and is the first Austin Peay signal-caller to rush for a touchdown in his debut since Draylen Ellis against Tennessee Tech (2/21/21).
• Mike DiLiello completed his first and second touchdowns as a Governor – both to Drae McCray – on a 44-yard strike in the first quarter and a 24-yard toss in the fourth quarter.
• DiLiello completed 14 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns with 17 rushes for 24 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
• McCray caught his ninth and tenth career touchdown passes and has multiple TD grabs in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
• McCray also recorded 90 receiving yards, he has posted at least 80 yards in six of the first 12 games of his Austin Peay career.
• Trey Goodman completed his first career pass, a 39-yard strike to James Burns on a wide-receiver pass in the fourth quarter; he is the first Govs receiver to complete a pass since Baniko Harley against Tennessee State (2/28/21).
• Josh Samuel rushed for 77 yards on 20 attempts in his first game as a Governor.

DEFENSIVE STANDS                   

• Dating back to last season, Austin Peay's defense has intercepted a pass in a program-record seven-straight games.
• Antoine Williams led the defense with a career-high 14 tackles, that is the most tackles by a Governor since Koby Perry racked up 16 tackles at UT Martin (10/31/21)
• Josh Rudolph also added a career-high seven tackles with six solo stops and his first-career tackle for loss.
• Shamari Simmons had two pass breakups and an interception, he has an interception in back-to-back games dating back to last season and has five interceptions in his last four games.
• Devin Smith posted a career-best four tackles

SPECIAL TEAMS SYNOPSIS

• Maddux Trujillo extended his own program record with a made field goal in game which he has an attempt when he knocked in a 41-yarder in the first quarter.
• Trujillo drilled a career-long 49-yard kick in the third quarter, it was the longest field goal by a Gov since Logan Birchfield hit a 49-yarder against North Carolina Central (9/29/19).
• Matt Rigney punted five times for a 41.8-yard average, he had a long of 47 yards and one kick downed inside the 20-yard line
• Kam Thomas' 33-yard punt return in the third quarter was the longest punt return by a Gov since he broke off a 41-yard return against Morehead State (9/18/21).

GOVS-HILLTOPPERS POSTGAME QUOTES

Austin Peay head coach Scotty Walden

Overall thoughts… "We are looking forward to focusing on both the positives and negatives of today's game… We played an elite team that played for a Conference USA Championship last season and won a bowl game. We knew they were a very good football team, and I think we gave them everything they wanted.  One thing we talked about going into this one was earning their respect and the respect of others, and I think we did that today. Obviously, it hurts losing a game because we expect to win every game we play in and compete at a high level. It's disappointing that we did not walk away victorious, but it was not from an effort, attitude, and belief standpoint. Our guys fought."

On the defense… "Our defense played their tails off. Our front seven got after them. They are not really a running team, but when you have an FBS-FCS matchup sometimes a team has a big boy mentality and can think they can run all over you. I was very impressed by how our defensive line stood firm. I was also very impressed with our safeties Kam Ruffin, Shamari Simmons and Ethan Caselberry came downhill to play the run and give us an extra man in the box… I am very proud of this defense, they swarmed to the ball, they were physical and did not back down."

Austin Peay quarterback Mike DiLiello

On the team's performance... "We are just a few plays away from executing a very good or perfect football game. We have to take away the turnovers and miscues... I was telling the guys in the locker room to keep their heads up because we played a very good football team today and played a very good football game too. We just have to execute the little things. It's a game of inches."

On WKU's defense… "We knew in certain situations that they were going to pressure us, so we had a good game plan for it… We have a great group of guys that played their tail off. The defense played great too. We had a great game plan for all of their pressures and answers for what they were bringing at us, we just have to execute."

On the APSU football program … "We treat our program just like an FBS program. Our facilities are phenomenal, our coaches are great and we have a very good team behind us. We always say that it does not matter who we play, when, where, or how, FBS, Power Five, non-Power Five, we are going to line up and play how we play. At the end of the day, it is awesome for us to be on national television to let the nation see what Austin Peay has."