CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – After recording back-to-back shutouts at home, Austin Peay State University's football team hits the road for the first time since its season opener when it takes on Alabama A&M in a 2 p.m., Saturday showdown at Louis Crews Stadium in Huntsville, Alabama.

Last week the Governors shut out Mississippi Valley State, 41-0, in their first of two consecutive games against the Southwest Athletic Conference. Mike DiLiello completed 25 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns and earned ASUN Conference Player of the Week in the rout of the Delta Devils.  

Austin Peay enters Week 3 of the season on a two-game winning streak and looking for its first road victory of the season. The Govs have scored 104 unanswered points and haven't allowed a point in 123:17 of game time.

DiLiello and the Governors' offense are averaging 480 yards of total offense per game, which leads the ASUN and ranks seventh in the FCS this season. DiLiello leads the ASUN with 760 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns this season. Drae McCray and Trey Goodman have combined to catch seven touchdowns this season – more than any other team in the conference.  

On defense, Antoine Williams leads the ASUN in total tackles (25) and tackles per game (8.33) this season. Josh Rudolph is tied for third in the league with 21 tackles and his 14 solo stops are the top mark in the conference this season.

Saturday's game will be streamed on the Alabama A&M Athletics YouTube channel. Fans also can tune into the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) to hear Brian Rives and Van Stokes call all the action. The Governors Sports Network is also available through the TuneIn app. ESPN Clarksville will kick off its coverage with a re-airing of the Austin Peay Football Coaches Show at noon, followed by pregame coverage which begins an hour before kickoff.

INSIDE THE FILM ROOM

Check out the Governors official Youtube channel each week for new episodes of Inside The Film Room, game highlights, and much more!

NOTABLY

GOOD DIRECTIONS

In the past five seasons, Austin Peay's 36 victories are tied for the 13th most in the FCS and are the most in a five-year stretch in program history. Awaiting the Governors in the ASUN Conference are three other teams that rank in the top 15 in the FCS in wins during the past five seasons – Kennesaw State (49, 3rd), Jacksonville State (43, 7th), and Central Arkansas (35, 16th).

SHUT IT DOWN

Austin Peay's defense has posted back-to-back shutout wins against Presbyterian and Mississippi Valley State. It is the first time the Governors have recorded consecutive shutouts since the 1964 season when they beat Tennessee Tech, 29-0, on Nov. 14 and UT Martin, 35-0, on Nov. 21. The Austin Peay record for consecutive shutouts is four and was set with three-straight shutout wins against UT Junior College, Bethel, and Cumberland to close the 1946 season and then a shutout win against Tennessee Wesleyan in the 1947 opener.

ON ALL CYLINDERS

Austin Peay has scored 104 points in its last two games, which is the most points in a two-game stretch in program history. The previous record of 103 points was set in 1968 when the Govs beat Findlay, 47-20, on Nov. 2 and then beat Murray State, 56-35, on Nov. 9. If Austin Peay can score 46 points against Alabama A&M, it will break the record for points scored in a three-game span -- a record which includes the two games above and a 46-13 win over Middle Tennessee on Oct. 26, 1968.

WALDEN; OR, LIFE AT AUSTIN PEAY

In his first 390 days at Austin Peay, Scotty Walden coached the Govs through 17 games in a 273-day span. His ten wins during that time are tied with Watson Brown (10-7, 1979-80) and only College Football Hall of Fame coach Boots Donnelly (11-6, 1977-78) has more wins through his first 17 games at Austin Peay. In his 20th game at Austin Peay, Walden picked up his 12th win against Mississippi Valley State and secured his spot with the third-most wins by an Austin Peay head coach in their first 20 games.

PRESEASON PROPAGANDA

In the inaugural ASUN Football Preseason Coaches Poll, Austin Peay received a first-place vote but was tabbed to finish fifth in the league with 15 points. Kennesaw State was picked atop the league with four first-place votes and 34 points, while Central Arkansas – who received a single first-place vote – and Eastern Kentucky were tied for second with 25 points. Fourth-place Jacksonville State received 19 points and North Alabama rounded out the poll with 8 points.

NEW KIDS IN STACHEVILLE

50 newcomers and 25 players that redshirted a season ago combine with 40 returning letterwinners to make up the 2022 Austin Peay football roster. The 50 newcomers are made up of 23 transfers -- with nine players having Group of Five experience and a pair of players having Power Five experience -- and 27 true freshmen.

LAST TIME OUT

Austin Peay picked up its fourth-straight win at Fortera Stadium and posted its second-straight shutout with a 41-0 win against Mississippi Valley State. The Govs' defense intercepted a pair of passes and allowed just 121 yards of total offense, with the Delta Devils running for 71 yards and passing for just 50 yards. APSU only allowed the MVSU offense to cross midfield on two of its 13 drives.

SCOUTING ALABAMA A&M

• This is the first-ever meeting between Austin Peay and Alabama A&M.  
• This is Austin Peay's second-ever game against a SWAC opponent after beating Mississippi Valley State last week.
• After finishing third in the SWAC's East Division with a 7-3 record and a 5-3 mark in conference play last season, Alabama A&M was tabbed to finish third in the East this season while receiving one first-place vote in the league's preseason poll. The Bulldogs' 87 points in the preseason poll were the fifth most in the league, regardless of division.
• Alabama A&M led the SWAC in scoring offense (37.9), total offense (477.1), passing yards (366.0), and passing touchdowns (37) in 2021. QB Aqeel Glass was the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, but he has since graduated. AAMU still returns a pair of Preseason First Team All-SWAC selections on offense in running back Gary Quarles and wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim and one second-team selection in offensive lineman Carson Vinson.
• The Bulldogs' defense allowed 425.9 yards and 35.1 points per game last season; both were the fourth-worst marks in the SWAC. Senior safety JaBraun McNeal is Alabama A&M's top-returning tackler after recording 38 tackles and two tackles for loss last season. Junior Phillip Hopkins also returns, he recorded 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, and a team-leading 2.5 sacks in 2021.
• A First Team All-SWAC selection last season, running back Gary Quarles led the league with 10 rushing touchdowns. Quarles averaged 95.5 rushing yards per game, which led the SWAC and ranked 14th in the FCS. Quarles also caught 21 passes for 224 yards last season. The 5-6 graduate running back was a 2021 BOXTOROW All-America Honorable Mention and earned Phil Steele First Team All-SWAC.

UP NEXT

Austin Peay hosts a 3 p.m., Sept. 24 contest against No. 19 Eastern Kentucky at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville. The game against the Colonels will serve as Austin Peay's 76th Homecoming Game and will also be the first-ever ASUN Conference football contest. The Governors and Colonels have split their last four meetings, with the EKU picking up a 35-27 win in Richmond, Kentucky last year

Single-game and group tickets for the three remaining home games are available online at LetsGoPeay.com/buytickets or by calling the Austin Peay ticket office at 931-221-PEAY (7329).