GOVS-COLONELS POSTGAME NOTES

Notes following Austin Peay's 30-27 overtime loss to Eastern Kentucky in United Athletic Conference action at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee.

FROM THE TOP

• On a 60-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, Jaden Barnes became the fifth wide receiver in Austin Peay history to post a 1,000-yard receiving season.
• Austin Peay's defense matched its season high with 10.0 tackles for loss, led by a career-high 3.0 TFLs from Davion Hood.
• The Govs also matched their season high with three takeaways, recovering two fumbles and intercepting a pass.

CAPTAINS/COIN TOSS

• Captains Garrett Hawkins, Chandler Kirton, and Harrison Wilkes took the coin toss for the Governors.
• Hawkins and Kirton took the overtime coin toss for the Governors.
• Eastern Kentucky won the coin toss and deferred its option until the second half. Austin Peay elected to receive the opening kick.
• Eastern Kentucky won overtime coin toss and elected to play defense first.
• Austin Peay is 6-5 at the opening coin toss this season.
• Austin Peay is 3-2 this season when it losses the opening coin toss.
• Weather in Clarksville at kickoff: 61 degrees, clear skies, winds east at 6 mph.

SERIES UPDATE            

• Austin Peay falls to 8-48 in the all-time series against Eastern Kentucky.
• The Governors fell to EKU for the first time since the 2021 season.
• The Govs have still won three of the last five meetings with the Colonels.

OT OBSERVATIONS

• Austin Peay falls to 9-9 all-time and 3-7 at home in overtime contests.
• The Govs dropped to 4-2 all-time when they lose the OT coin toss.
• The Governors were on a four-game winning streak in overtime – including two wins against EKU – and had not lost in OT since falling to Eastern Kentucky, 13-10, on Sept. 27, 2008.
• The Govs and Colonels have gone to overtime in three of their last five meetings, with the road time winning each decision.
• Austin Peay's four overtime contests against EKU are more than it has played against any other opponent.

UAC WINS

• The Govs fall 9-5 all-time in United Athletic Conference games.
• Austin Peay falls to 3-4 all-time at home in UAC contests.

DEFEND THE FORT

• Austin Peay now is 29-18 (.617) at Fortera Stadium since the start of the 2017 season.

THOSE ARE THE BREAKS

• Austin Peay falls to 4-2 this season when leading at halftime.
• The Governors also drop to 4-2 this season when leading after three quarters.

OFFENSIVE SPARKS

• The Governors' offensive line allowed just one sack and is allowing just 1.5 sacks per game in its last six games.
• Austin Smith went 23-of-35 for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
• Barnes finished the game with 131 yards and has 1,026 receiving yards this season, which is fourth-best single-season mark in APSU history.
• Barnes recorded his team-best eighth touchdown of the season, which is tied for the eighth-best single-season total in program history.
• Barnes' 100-plus receiving yards in four-straight games and has a touchdown catch in three-straight games.
• Barnes' 60-yard touchdown catch was his second-longest scoring grab of the season, all eight of his touchdown catches this season have been for more than 30 yards.
• The average length of a Barnes touchdown reception this season is 50.9 yards.
• Barnes led the Govs with eight receptions and Romon Copeland Jr. added six catches for 41 yards.
• Corey Richardson had a career-best two receptions for 27 yards.
• Jackson Head's lone reception was a two-yard touchdown catch – his first career touchdown.
• Tae Gayden recorded his first career reception on a three-yard catch.
• La'Vell Wright led the Govs on the ground with eight carries for 16 yards.

DEFENSIVE STANDS      

• Austin Peay recorded three sacks against an Eastern Kentucky offensive line that had allowed just 16 total sacks entering Saturday's game.
• The Govs' three sacks were the second-most allowed by the Colonels this season.
• Bo Spearman led the Governors with a career-best 10 tackles; he also recorded a sack and leads APSU with 4.5 sacks this season.
• Jaden Lyles recorded eight tackles and Dion Hunter added seven tackles and half a tackle for loss.
• Davion Hood totaled five tackles and led the Govs with a career-best 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack.
• Jakari Patterson picked up two tackles for loss in a three-tackle performance, he leads the Govs with 9.0 TFLs this season.
• Marquez Casey and Mike Evans each picked up one tackle for loss.
• KT Owens also recorded a sack on his lone tackle of the contest.
• Owens also forced a fumble, which was recovered by Garrett Hawkins.
• Jesse Johnson III intercepted his third pass of the season and returned it 30 yards.
• Hawkins and Chase Allen each recorded a pass breakup.

SPECIAL TEAMS SYNOPSIS

• Carson Smith was 2-for-2 on field goals with a 31-yarder in the first quarter and a 23-yarder in overtime.
• Smith also kicked off five times for a 57.8-yard average and recovered a fumble on a kickoff that was forced by Courtland Simmons.
• Domink Stadlman punted seven times for a 47.9-yard average with one kick downed inside the 20-yard line.
• Stadlman connected on a season-long 65-yard punt that was downed at the EKU 11-yard line; it was his second 60-yard punt of the season and both have been downed inside the 20-yard line.
• Romon Copeland Jr. returned two kicks for 48 yards with a long return of 27 yards.

GOVS-COLONELS POSTGAME QUOTES

Austin Peay head coach Jeff Faris

Opening statement… "I am proud of our guys' effort. We have to learn how to finish and that falls on me first and foremost. I think we played with great effort and, at times, played some of our best ball in all three phases. We have to find a way to win the fourth quarter and to start better in the third quarter."

On recent second halves…  "We have to find a way to be a better third-quarter team. I thought we had a good plan going into the third quarter, but we shot ourselves in the foot with penalties and you can't do that. Whenever both penalties and negative plays happen, it doesn't matter what half it is in, you are not going to be a very good offense or play to your capability. For some reason, those things tend to happen in the third quarter for us, so we have to study ourselves to find what we can do to make sure we play the same in the second half as we did in the first."

On first-half defense… "They [the APSU defense] were unbelievable in the first half in the way they were able to play and limit their offense. Our guys really ran to the football, understood the gameplan, and executed it very, very well."

Austin Peay quarterback Austin Smith

On second-half struggles… "It comes down to execution. We could all do a better job executing and putting our guys in the best position. I could do a better job of getting the ball to my playmakers and taking what the defense gives me. We have to limit our negative plays which was a big thing in the second half."

On improving next week…. "We just have to put our guys in the right position. Knowing what they [Eastern Kentucky] does, they were built to stop the run. I tip my hat to Eastern Kentucky, they twisted and did a lot of things up front that messed with our offensive line and messed with some of the zones we ran. We just have to go back to the drawing board and find out what is our bread and butter and what is good against those types of things. We all have to put our heads together to come up with a good game plan. The offensive line has to feel comfortable with the game plan as well."

Austin Peay defensive lineman Davion Hood

On his performance… "It was opportunity meeting execution. I just went out there and did what I had to do. My coach always tells me that the plays will be there, just do your job. That is just what I tried to do and focus on today."

On playing nearly 40 minutes… "You really have to focus on your technique. When you get tired, you just have to go back to the tool shed. When you focus on your technique, it is going to help you a lot in your play and do what you have to do on the field."