CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Looking to pick up its third-straight win against a longtime conference rival, Austin Peay State University's football team closes United Athletic Conference play when it battles Eastern Kentucky in a 1 p.m., Saturday contest on Clarksville Kicks Cancer Day at Fortera Stadium.

In the first of three-straight home games to close the regular season, Austin Peay fell to No. 15 Abilene Christian, 35-34, to drop to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in UAC action under first-year head coach Jeff Faris. With two games remaining, the Governors sit in sixth place in the UAC standings, while Eastern Kentucky is tied for third in the conference with a 6-4 record overall and a 4-2 mark in UAC action.

Austin Peay is 4-2 against Eastern Kentucky in their last six meetings, and a win on Saturday would give the Govs more wins against the Colonels since 2017 than they had in the first 57 years of the series from 1959-2016. A win on Saturday also would give the Govs their first three-game winning streak against the Colonels in series history.

The Governors are 1-4 at Fortera Stadium this season and are 29-12 at home since the start of the 2017 season. The Colonels are 1-4 on the road this season and are 8-18 on the road under fifth-year head coach Walt Wells.

Last time out, wide receiver Jaden Barnes recorded six catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first player in Austin Peay history to post back-to-back 150-plus-yard receiving games. Quarterback Austin Smith also completed 18 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns while adding 22 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Smith is the first APSU quarterback to throw for 300-plus yards in back-to-back games since Mike DiLiello threw for 353 and 310 yards against North Alabama and Eastern Kentucky, respectively, in 2023.

La'Vell Wright led the Govs on the ground against Abilene Christian, carrying the ball 17 times for 66 yards and a touchdown. Wright leads the Governors in rushing this season with 95 carries for 543 yards and five touchdowns.

Defensively, Dion Hunter totaled 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack against Abilene Christian; he leads the Govs, ranks 31st in the FCS, and fourth in the UAC with 83 tackles this season. Jaden Lyles, who had eight tackles against ACU, also ranks 40th in the FCS and fifth in the UAC with 79 total tackles.

The Governors' defense ranks 15th in the FCS and second in the UAC with 11 interceptions this season. Austin Peay has an interception in 7-of-10 games this season and multiple picks in three games, with six Governors recording an interception this season. The Govs also have recovered two fumbles this season and rank 52nd in the FCS and fourth in the UAC with 13 turnovers gained. 

Saturday's game, presented by Tennova Healthcare of Clarksville, is Clarksville Kicks Cancer Day, which is dedicated to cancer awareness. Fans will receive "GOVS" trucker hats, sponsored by Tennova Healthcare of Clarksville, upon entrance to Fortera Stadium while supplies last.

Single-game and group tickets are available online at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets, through Ticketmaster, or by calling the Austin Peay Athletics ticket office at 931-221-PEAY (7329). Special ticket offers and information on everything happening in and around Fortera Stadium can be found in this week's Fan Experience preview.

Fans can also purchase tickets to the Blazin' VIPeay Zone, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, available at all home games this season. Buffalo Wild Wings will provide all-you-can-eat food and drinks – including beer in the Blazin' VIPeay Zone, which will be located in the south end zone of Fortera Stadium under the scoreboard and will open one hour prior to kickoff, when the gates open, before closing at the end of halftime.

Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Alex Gould and Ethan Schmidt on the call. Fans also can tune into the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) or via the TuneIn app to hear Brian Rives and Van Stokes call all the action. ESPN Clarksville will kick off its coverage by re-airing the Austin Peay Football Coaches Show at 11 a.m., followed by pregame coverage, which begins an hour before kickoff.

NOTABLY

REPEAYT CHAMPS

For the first time in program history, Austin Peay won back-to-back conference championships with the 2023 United Athletic Conference and the 2022 ASUN Conference titles. When you add in the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference championship, the Govs have won three titles – in three conferences – since 2019.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'

Dating back to 2017, Austin Peay's 54 victories are tied for the 10th-most in the FCS and are tied for eighth-most among current FCS programs. The Govs' 54 wins are the most among UAC members since 2017, with Central Arkansas (53) and Eastern Kentucky (45) in second and third, respectively. The Governors' 54 victories in the past eight seasons are the most in any eight-year stretch in program history and are more than the 51 victories they had in 19 seasons from 1998-2016. The Govs also have five winning seasons since 2017 after posting just eight winning seasons in their first 39 years in the FCS (1978-2016).

NOVEMBER AIR

Before falling to No. 18 Chattanooga in the first round of the 2023 FCS Playoffs, Austin Peay had won 14-straight FCS games in the month of November. Still, the Govs have won 15 of their last 18 games in November and are 15-2 in FCS games during that stretch. Before falling to No. 15 Abilene Christian in Week 11, the Governors had won 15-straight regular-season FCS games in November – with seven wins on the road – and last dropped a regular-season game in the 11th month when they lost at Eastern Illinois in 2018.

FARIS ERA, YEAR I

A Knoxville, Tennessee native, Jeff Faris was named Austin Peay's 22nd head football coach in December 2023. With two games remaining in his first season at the helm of the Governors football program, Faris needs two victories to finish the season with the fifth-most wins by an Austin Peay head coach in their debut season. Mark Hudspeth's 11 wins in 2019 are the most by an Austin Peay head coach in their first season, while James "Boots" Donnelly (8, 1977), Watson Brown (7, 1979), and Rick Christophel (7, 2007) round out the top four.

ALL THREE PHASES

Against Alabama A&M, Austin Peay scored an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the first quarter – possibly for the first time in program history. The last game the Governors scored in all three phases was against ETSU (9/16/23); however, they weren't scored in a single quarter. Going deeper into Austin Peay's digital recording-keeping era indicates the only other occurrence of scoring touchdowns in all three phases was in a 34-27 win against No. 11 Tennessee Tech (10/1/94).

SCOUTING THE COLONELS

• Saturday is the 56th between Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky; the Colonels lead the all-time series, 47-8.
• Austin Peay has won four of its last six meetings with Eastern Kentucky dating back to 2017.
• The Governors are 2-0 against the Colonels in Atlantic Sun and United Athletic Conference contests.
• After going 5-6 overall and 4-2 in the UAC during the 2023 season, Eastern Kentucky was tabbed to finish fourth in the UAC's 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll. After picking up back-to-back wins against No. 7 Tarleton State and No. 16 Central Arkansas, the Colonels are 6-4 overall and tied for third in the UAC with a 4-2 conference record.
• Leading an offense that isn't quarterbacked by Parker McKinney for the first time since the 2017 season, EKU quarterback Matt Morrissey ranks fourth in the UAC in passing yards (1,629) and touchdowns (11) while ranking fourth in the league with 148 completions. Dequan Stanley ranks 17th in the UAC in receiving yards (370) and is tied for sixth in touchdown receptions (5) – he leads the Colonels in both categories. In addition, Marcus Calwise Jr. has a team-leading 29 receptions for 325 yards and two touchdowns.
• Eastern Kentucky's defense is holding teams to just 24.4 points per game this season, which ranks 49th in the FCS and second in the UAC. The Colonels also rank 44th in the FCS and third in the UAC with 14 turnovers gained. Maddox Marcellus ranks fourth in the UAC and leads EKU with 8.1 tackles per game this season, while Darrian Baker leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss. In addition, Gabe Stephens leads EKU with 5.0 sacks and three forced fumbles, which is tied for fourth-most in the FCS.
• Redshirt senior running back Joshua Carter leads EKU with 183 carries for 922 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Carter averages 5.0 yards per carry and 92.20 yards per game. He ranks 16th in the FCS and fifth in the UAC in rushing touchdowns this season while ranking 20th in the FCS and fourth in the UAC in rushing yards. Carter has rushed for 100 yards in four games this season and has a touchdown in eight-straight games – including three multi-score performances.

UP NEXT

The final of three-straight games at Fortera Stadium to close out the regular season is up next when Austin Peay takes on Chattanooga in a rematch of last year's FCS Playoff's First Round game at 1 p.m., Nov. 16 in Clarksville. The Week 12 contest between the Governors and Mocs will be streamed on ESPN+.

For news and updates throughout the 2024 season, follow Govs football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.