GOVS-WOLVES POSTGAME NOTES

Notes following No. 21 Austin Peay's 44-30 win over previously-undefeated, No. 16 West Georgia in United Athletic Conference action at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee.

FROM THE TOP

• For the first time in program history, Austin Peay won a game against an FBS program (34-14 vs. Middle Tennessee) and a ranked FCS program (44-30 vs. West Georgia) in the same season.
• Austin Peay won its first game against a ranked opponent in the Jeff Faris Era.
• The Governors picked up their first-ranked win since beating No. 20 Central Arkansas, 14-12 (11/18/23), at Fortera Stadium to clinch the 2023 UAC Championship.
• The win marked the Govs' highest-ranked win since beating No. 16 Eastern Kentucky, 31-20 (9/24/22), in Clarksville.
• Austin Peay snapped a four-game losing streak overall and a three-game losing streak at home against nationally-ranked opponents.

CAPTAINS/COIN TOSS

• Captains Davion Blackwell, Jackson Head, Chandler Kirton, and Chris Parson took the coin toss for the Governors. Javious Bond and Myles Wiley also served as captains for Austin Peay.
• Austin Peay won the coin toss and deferred its option until the second half. West Georgia elected to receive the opening kickoff.
• Austin Peay is 3-3 at the opening coin toss this season and 10-8 during the Jeff Faris Era.
• The Governors are 3-0 this season and 4-6 under Faris when they win the opening coin toss.
• Weather in Clarksville at kickoff: 82 degrees, partly cloudy, winds south at 12 mph.

SERIES UPDATE            

• Austin Peay improved to 2-0 all-time and 1-0 in Clarksville against West Georgia.

RANKED GOVS

• The Governors improved to 21-16 all-time and 13-3 at home when nationally ranked.
• Austin Peay improved to 3-1 when ranked under head coach Jeff Faris.

GOVS VS. RANKED TEAMS

• Austin Peay improved to 15-73 all-time and 10-33 at home against nationally-ranked opponents.
• Head coach Jeff Faris picked up his first win against a nationally-ranked FCS opponent in his sixth game against a ranked FCS team.

DEFEND THE FORT

• Austin Peay improved to 31-14 at Fortera Stadium since 2017.
• The Governors also improved to 3-0 at Fortera Stadium this season and 4-6 under Faris.

THOSE ARE THE BREAKS

• Austin Peay improved to 1-0 this season and 1-2 under Faris when tied at halftime.
• The Governors improved to 1-0 this season and 1-0 under Faris when tied at the end of the third quarter.
• The Governors outscored West Georgia 28-14 in the second half and 14-0 in the fourth quarter.

OFFENSIVE SPARKS

• Austin Peay's 468 yards of total offense is the most West Georgia has surrendered this season, topping the 357 yards the Wolves allowed against Eastern Kentucky.
• The Governors' 346 passing yards are the most West Georgia has allowed this season, topping the 247 yards they allowed in the season opener at Samford.
• The Govs' three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns are both tied for the most West Georgia has allowed in a single game this season.
• Austin Peay's 346 passing yards are its best single-game total this season and the most since it threw for 406 yards at North Alabama (11/2/24).
• Quarterback Chris Parson went 16-for-26 for a career-high 346 yards and three touchdowns – he also matched his career high in touchdown passes.  
• Parson also ran 12 times for 18 yards and matched his career-high with two rushing touchdowns.
• Parson has run for a touchdown in four-straight games; he is the first Governor to accomplish that feat since Jevon Jackson ran for a touchdown in five-straight games during the 2023 season.
• Parson's six rushing touchdowns this season are tied for the sixth-best single-season total by a quarterback in Austin Peay history.  
• Jaden Robinson had six receptions for 60 yards and two touchdowns; it was his first-career game with multiple touchdown receptions.
• Robinson is the second Gov with multiple touchdown receptions in a game this season, joining Shemar Kirk, who caught two touchdowns against Utah Tech last week.
• Courtland Simmons led the Govs with one reception for 84 yards; it was his second reception of 60-plus yards this season.
• Shemar Kirk also caught three passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, marking the first time this season he has caught a touchdown in back-to-back weeks.
• Javious Bond led the Govs with six carries for 51 yards; Simmons also added eight carries for 22 yards.

DEFENSIVE STANDS      

• Austin Peay's defense held a West Georgia offense that entered the game averaging 214 rushing yards per game to just 157 yards on the ground – their second-lowest single-game output this season.
• The Govs' defense also held a West Georgia offense that entered the game averaging 372.8 yards of total offense per game to 362 yards of total offense.
• Montreze Smith Jr. led the Govs' defense with eight tackles – including seven solo stops – in addition to his first-career sack and forced fumble.
• Will Middleton totaled seven tackles, a team-leading 2.0 tackles for loss, and a 26-yard pick; it was the second interception of his collegiate career and his first-career pick-six.
• Middleton's pick-six is the first by a Governor since Kory Chapman against Gardner-Webb (10/14/23).
• Trevor Hardy, Miles Wiley, and Chase Allen each added five tackles for the Governors; Hardy also had a pass breakup.
• Ellis Ellis Jr. had five tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup.
• Raylyn Manley totaled four tackles and a pass breakup.
• Jalon Williams recorded two tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, and a pass breakup – it was his first TFL and pass breakup as a Gov.
• Marcus Howard and Antori Hamilton each had half a tackle for loss.

SPECIAL TEAMS SYNOPSIS

• A week after blocking a field goal, Ellis Ellis Jr. blocked a PAT; he is the first Gov to block a PAT since Jaden McKinney against Alabama A&M (9/21/24).
• Rishi Rattan returned Ellis' blocked PAT 90 yards for a defensive two-point conversion; Rattan is the first Governor to score a defensive two-point conversion since Demarion Allen returned a blocked PAT for two points against Tennessee State (11/5/16).
• DJ Carter recorded his first-career forced fumble on a West Georgia punt return; Davion Blackwell recovered the fumble to set up a game-tying touchdown drive for the Govs in the third quarter.
• Carson Smith went 6-for-6 on PATs and improved to 28-for-28 on PATs this season.
• Smith also kicked off seven times for a 65.0-yard average with five touchbacks.
• Gavin Myers punted five times for a 35.2-yard average with one punt downed inside the 20-yard line and a long punt of 44 yards.
• Javious Bond returned two punts for 48 yards with a long return of 29 yards; he led the Govs with 143 all-purpose yards.

GOVS-WOLVES POSTGAME QUOTES

Austin Peay head coach Jeff Faris

Opening Statement… " We are just getting started. I cannot be more proud of the kids in our locker room and our coaching staff. This is the first time – at a school with a proud tradition of football – that we have won against an FBS opponent and a ranked FCS opponent in the same season. There have been a lot of players, coaches, and administrators beforehand, but this team is special. We are just getting started, and I cannot thank these players, this community – which has never flinched – and this coaching staff enough."

On the Govs' start to the season… "We've played 11 halves of really good football. There's one half that we didn't play as good. To go into MTSU and extend the lead and win the game in Murfreesboro; today to be tied and then win the game by 14, thanks to a defensive score, big plays in the special teams, and how we played offensively today, you know, like Utah Tech last week, we won the second half again. We've trained every single day. The credit goes to these players and our strength coach, Justin Collette, he's unbelievable, and we drill it every day, and I think that's why it's showing up. I think we had an edge today from a conditioning standpoint, and I thought we played with great effort. And I thought they did too, but I thought our guys played their tails off."

On finishing games… "We played our best, all three phases at times when it mattered most against a quality opponent. That team was number 16 in the country. And they've had a great start to their season. I can't say a negative thing about that, but to make plays against a caliber opponent, to finish a game like that. Another big piece of credit has to go to our community and our environment. That was an unbelievable environment, the best I've ever been a part of. The support here in Clarksville is a big deal. Austin Peay football, Austin Peay athletics, and the job [Austin Peay President] Dr. Licari has done, this was as real an environment as I've been a part of, and it fueled our team to win in the fourth quarter."

Austin Peay quarterback Chris Parson

On overcoming adversity… "There's no such thing as a perfect game. I've never played a perfect game in my life. We haven't played a perfect game yet. And so, whenever adversity strikes and things don't go our way, it's all about how we respond. It's 10 percent of what happens to you, and 90 percent of how you react, and so whenever things didn't go our way throughout the game, we had to find a way to keep fighting."

On his preparation… "I felt very confident going into this game, simply because we had a great week of practice, and like I said, I felt like [APSU Offensive Coordinator] Quinn Billerman did a great job of getting me prepared this week. Just him and I watching film with the other quarterbacks, understanding where I need to go with the football, what looks we're going to get, and that was a really good football team we played. West Georgia had a great defense, so we knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we also knew that it simply came down to us executing our game plan, and I'm glad we were able to get this win."

Austin Peay linebacker Will Middleton

On his pick six… "Every time I catch a pick, it feels like a dream. That was the opportunity that I've been waiting for, and what we have practiced for, and it just came right to me. I just saw the end zone, and I wasn't going to let anybody stop me."

On overcoming West Georgia's fast start on offense… "It actually kept us calm. They were making big plays, but they were trick plays. We knew that was on us. Everything they were getting was on us, our mistakes. So, we weren't worried about their game plan; it was about us, and it's always about us."