GOVS-MOCS POSTGAME NOTES

Notes following No. 10 Austin Peay's 24-21 loss to No. 18 Chattanooga in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee.

FROM THE TOP

• Mike DiLiello broke the Austin Peay career passing touchdown record with a 27-yard strike to Tre Shackelford in the third quarter for the 49th touchdown of his APSU career.
• With 111 yards of total offense against Chattanooga, DiLiello also surpassed JaVaughn Craig (6,220) and finished his career as Austin Peay's total offense leader (6,260).
• Jevon Jackson totaled 184 yards on the ground to finish the season with 1,373 rushing yards – the third-best season in Austin Peay history.

CAPTAINS/COIN TOSS

• Captains Mike DiLiello, Tyler Long, Kenny Odom, and Michael Ruttlen Jr. took the coin toss for the Governors. Jalen Armstrong, Sam Howard, Kam Thomas, and Jau'Von Young served as alternate captains. Jeremiah Collins served as Austin Peay's honorary team captain.
• Austin Peay won the coin toss and improved to 4-8 at the coin toss this season and 17-23 under Scotty Walden.
• The Governors deferred their option until the second half and Chattanooga elected to receive the opening kickoff.
• Austin Peay is 3-1 this season and 13-4 under Walden when they win the opening coin toss.
• Weather in Clarksville at kickoff: 50 degrees, clear skies, winds northeast at three mph.

SERIES UPDATE            

• Austin Peay falls to 7-1 all-time against Chattanooga and 0-3 against the Mocs in Clarksville.
• The Governors will close the upcoming 2024 season with a rematch against Chattanooga, Nov. 23, at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville.

DEFEND THE FORT          

• Austin Peay finished the 2023 season 5-1 at Fortera Stadium
• The Governors dropped their first FCS game at Fortera Stadium since falling to Southeast Missouri, 30-14, on Oct. 9, 2021.

NOVEMBER AIR

• Scotty Walden drops to 8-2 overall and 8-1 against FCS opponents in the month of November at Austin Peay.
• The Govs lost an FCS game in November for the first time since they fell to Eastern Illinois in 2018.

THOSE ARE THE BREAKS

• Austin Peay falls to 2-3 this season and 4-8 under Scotty Walden when trailing at halftime.
• The Governors are now 0-1 this season and 1-1 under Walden when tied at the end of the third quarter.

OFFENSIVE SPARKS

• With his 29th touchdown pass of the season, DiLiello tied Craig (2019) for the Austin Peay single season passing touchdown record.
• Jackson's 184 yards on the ground were his third-best single-game total of the season and his eighth 100-yard performance of the season.
• Jackson's 184 yards topped Craig's 164 yards against Sacramento State in 2019 for the most rushing yards by a Gov in an FCS Playoff game.
• Jackson's 184 yards also top Craig's (2019) 167 yards for the most rushing yards by a Gov in a single postseason.
• Jackson rushed for two touchdowns against Chattanooga to finish the season with 10 rushing touchdowns, the most by a Governor since Ahmaad Tanner totaled 11 rushing scores in 2021.
• Kenny Odom recorded a career-high seven receptions in the contest.
• Shackelford's 27-yard touchdown reception was his sixth of the season.

DEFENSIVE STANDS      

• Xavier Smith finished the game with a career-best 13 tackles, he also added a tackle for loss and two pass breakups.
• Sam Howard finished the game with 12 tackles, his second straight contest with double-digit tackles and his team-leading fifth double-digit tackle game of the season.
• Tyler Long also added 11 tackles, his fourth double-digit tackle game of the season.
• Kory Chapman recorded his second interception of the season and the fifth of his Austin Peay career.

SPECIAL TEAMS SYNOPSIS

• Jaden Barnes opened the second half with a career-long 70 and finished the game with a career-best 95 kickoff return yards.
• Riley Stephens had a career-high nine punts for a 38.9-yard average.
• Stephens also recorded one punt downed inside the 20-yard line, two 50-plus yard punts, and a long punt of 57 yards.

GOVS-MOCS POSTGAME QUOTES

Austin Peay head coach Scotty Walden

Opening Statement… "I am kind of in shock, when your season ends, that's playoff football. I want to think our city and our fans, we have the best support in the country. I want to thank them for their support all season. There is nothing for these kids to hang their heads about. I've never been prouder of a football team in my career for their heart and for who they are. I've never been more impressed by a group of men in my life on and off the field. The way they treat people is what I'm proud of. I got in this thing to develop men and help change and shape lives. I'm so proud of the transformation and growth I've seen this year. They are champions for this community and this university. They deserve all the glory and praise coming their way."

On the end of the game… "When you're in a moment like that and you see the ball go through the upright it's just shock. So proud of our team in the 3rd quarter to come from a 21-7 deficit. We won the quarter and had a moment. These guys have been the most resilient football team I've ever coached. Tonight, we just didn't have enough in the tank to pull it off. I'm extremely proud of this team's fight."

On halftime adjustments… "It was little blips we couldn't execute or capitalize on. Coming out in the third quarter and got a stop, and it was time to be more aggressive and go play, these guys played their hearts out. We're an explosive offense and we knew they were going to make us earn it. It wasn't a new scheme it was just being more aggressive.

On this team's culture… "There's no doubt in my mind that we got back to Govs football. The SIU loss was the lowest of lows we've had here in a long time, and then we battled a Power 5 school to the wire, then we went on a run, and at some point, the runs are going to run out, but we definitely got back to playing Govs football. We made way too many mistakes to overcome at the end, but we got back to it. They put in over 700 hours of community service in season. This group is forever etched in my heart as special young men."

Austin Peay quarterback Mike DiLiello

On the end of the game… "I mean just shock you know, it doesn't feel real. For some of us it hasn't set in yet but we did a phenomenal job as an offense producing 14 in the 3rd, but our defense holding them to just three points in the entire second half is just amazing, and we have to do better as an offense. I'm so proud of this team and all we've been through. From the start of the season taking a tough loss and then ripping off 9 straight and an outright conference championship. Right now, it's obviously dimmed a little but I think when the dust settles people will realize this team has nothing to be ashamed of."

On this season… "We've done a lot this season and this group has nothing to be ashamed of. We have program goals, our goal is to recruit good players and people. You could sense some turmoil between offense and defense when I first got here, and now that's none of that. It's awesome to see the growth and the seniors leading."

Austin Peay defensive lineman Jau'Von Young

On his development at Austin Peay… "Austin Peay has changed a lot. Coming here my freshman year and just seeing the support from the community change, it's an amazing place and community. I can't put into words just how special this place is. We get recruits here and talk about it, I start itching at the bit to talk about how special this place is. Mentally and physically when I came in I was a little childish, you know going through the work and grind to do what we've done the last 5 years, it'll change you and it'll make you grateful for everything. One thing they build in this program is life lessons, it's more than just being the football player, they are going to develop the whole man. I'm a better person than when I came to Austin Peay, for the good. Coming to Austin Peay was the best decision of my life and I say that with everything in my heart."

On Clarksville's support of the program… "The support at the games has been amazing, it's loud and there's a lot of community behind us, and the crowds, it shows the Clarksville community behind us. Winning a championship, I'm very proud of that. At the end of the day, I will hang my head high because I'm a champion."

Chattanooga head coach Rusty Wright

Opening Statement… "It's a four-quarter game, you have to play the full game this time of year. We played our best half of the year in the first half, I got a football team, not just players, a group that plays their tail off. In the end, I took my headphones off because I knew it was going through. We had a great plan offensively defensively and man it was a lot of fun. Chattanooga got better tonight, couldn't be prouder of this group."

On tonight's game… "I would've liked it to be a little less stressful.... it doesn't matter what happens or who you're playing, you gotta keep playing, it was pretty cool to walk it off. When he called that timeout, I told them alright, this one matters. I trust that kid. I trust all these guys to do what they're supposed to do to the best of their ability."

On winning a close game… "Anytime you go on the road and win a game in the playoffs, it's big. I have faith in what I'm doing it's just a matter of finally getting it done. We needed to win a game like this to get over the hump there's no question. I have belief in my kids to go out there and do what they do. It's huge for us. Chat got better tonight no matter what the outcome was going to be.

Chattanooga defensive lineman Marlon Taylor

On his teammates… "Anytime we trust each other and our teammates, we can control what we can control. If someone goes down, we just go on to the next cause we all work and we know each other and how we do it together. We weren't worried about who went down or missed kicks because I knew he would make it eventually."

Chattanooga quarterback Luke Schomburg

On tonight's game… "Preparation is where you win, even when I wasn't getting the start, I prepared like I was. I knew I was getting the start since Alabama, so I was prepared. I learned that I can play the speed I'm comfortable with and be fine. After those first couple of plays, I've been able to play my own speed and be comfortable."