CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The No.18-ranked Austin Peay State University football team hits the road for a ranked-conference showdown when it takes on No. 14 Abilene Christian in its 2025 United Athletics Conference opener at 7 p.m., Saturday, at Wildcat Stadium in Abilene, Texas.

Austin Peay (2-1) is coming off a 56-7 win over Morehead State in its home opener last weekend. The Governors totaled 700 yards of offense while rushing for 429 yards and seven touchdowns against the Eagles, with six Govs scoring a rushing touchdown in the contest.

Abilene Christian (1-2) fell to TCU, 42-21, last week at Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The Wildcats' lone win of the season was a 28-20 victory over No. 25 Stephen F. Austin at Wildcat Stadium in Week 2.

The Governors are 1-2 all-time against teams from Texas, but are 1-0 all-time in games played in Texas. The Govs also are 6-1 all-time on the road in UAC contests and have won their last three road conference games. Under Faris, the Governors are 4-3 all-time on the road and 3-1 on the road in conference games. The Wildcats are 13-5 at home under fourth-year head coach Keith Patterson and are 7-2 under Patterson in home conference games.

Austin Peay is 4-38 all-time on the road against nationally-ranked opponents, with their last win over a ranked team on the road being a 13-10 victory over No. 7 Jacksonville State, March 30, 2021. The Governors' last win over a ranked team was a 14-12 victory against No. 20 Central Arkansas, Nov. 18, 2023.

Quarterback Chris Parson is 38-of-57 this season for 492 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing 26 times for 129 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown run against Morehead State. Javious Bond is the Govs' leading rusher with 10 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown, which was an 84-yard run against Morehead State. Courtland Simmons leads the running backs with 22 carries for 78 yards and a team-best three touchdown runs.

Wide receiver Shemar Kirk leads Austin Peay with eight receptions for 109 yards, while Simmons has six catches for a team-leading 120 yards. Tight ends Jackson Head and Julien Randolph III, and wide receiver Jaden Robinson each have caught a team-leading one touchdown this season.

Defensive back Ellis Ellis Jr. leads the Governors and ranks 12th in the UAC with 21 total tackles this season; he also ranks fourth in the league with 13 solo tackles. Linebacker Will Middleton and defensive back Raylyn Manley have 12 and 11 tackles, respectively, this season, while defensive back Myles Wiley has 10 tackles and is tied for second in the FCS with two forced fumbles. Defensive back Stephen Ellison II also recorded the Govs' first interception of the season against Morehead State in Week 3.

On special teams, kicker Carson Smith is four-for-four on field goals and 12-for-12 on PATs, with three-of-four field goals coming from 40-plus yards this season. Smith ranks 25th in the FCS and fourth in the UAC with 8.0 points per game this season, he also ranks 19th in the FCS with 1.33 field goals per game and leads the country with a 1.000 field-goal percentage.

Bond also leads the Governors with two punt returns for 62 yards, including a 55-yard return against Middle Tennessee that is the longest in the UAC this season and the eighth-longest in APSU history. Corey Richarson is the only Gov to return a kick this season, with one return for 15 yards against Morehead State.

Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Andy Penney and Jim Reese on the call, with Kendra Sheehan reporting from the sideline. 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, with pregame coverage beginning an hour before kickoff.

NOTABLY

DECADE OF THE GOVS

Despite being just halfway through the 2020s, Austin Peay is 11 wins away from matching its 43 wins in the 1980s as the winningest decade in program history. The Governors are 32-26 in the 2020s and their .552 winning percentage is the best in a decade in program history, topping a .551 (32-26-1) winning percentage in the 1940s. The Govs also are 16-11 at home during the 2020s, and their .593 winning percentage is the second best in a decade in APSU history, trailing only the .714 (20-8) winning percentage at home in the 1940s. Additionally, the Govs have a 16-14 record on the road during the 2020s, making this the only decade in program history where Austin Peay has a winning record on the road.

KANSAS STATE HAS COMPANY

For the second time in program history and the first time since beating Kansas State, 26-22, in the 1987 season opener, Austin Peay beat an opponent from the Football Bowl Subdivision when it defeated Middle Tennessee, 34-14, in Week 1. The Governors, who were named the NCAA FCS Team of the Week, ended a 30-game losing streak to FBS opponents in a contest where they led 21-0 in the second quarter and maintained no less than a 10-point lead throughout the wire-to-wire win against the Blue Raiders. The Govs' 34 points against Middle Tennessee were the most they have ever scored against an FBS opponent, topping the 33 points they scored against Middle Tennessee (2010) and Central Florida (2017).

MEET THE GOVS

With just 28 returning letterwinners and 10 players that redshirted a season ago, Austin Peay has 72 newcomers on its 2025 roster. The 72 newcomers are made up of 23 true freshmen and 49 transfers, with 22 players from FBS programs, 16 from FCS, seven from Division II, one from NAIA, and three from junior college. During the 2024 season, the Govs returned 35 letterwinners and 11 redshirts with 63 newcomers consisting of 29 freshmen and 34 transfers.

WE WILL

On May 6, 2025, Will Hardrick, a senior on the Austin Peay football team, tragically passed away. In addition to a helmet sticker with Hardrick's initials and jersey number, a different Governor will be chosen to wear No. 0 each week in honor of Hardrick. Each Monday of the season, head coach Jeff Faris will select the player who best exemplifies Hardrick's character and work ethic to wear the No. 0 in his honor that week. In Week 4 against Morehead State, redshirt sophomore quarterback Chris Parson will wear No. 0 – he is the first offensive player to wear the number in honor of Hardrick.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• Saturday is the second meeting between Austin Peay and Abilene Christian; the Wildcats won the first-ever meeting last season.
• After going 9-5 overall and 7-1 in conference play to win the 2024 UAC Championship and qualify for the FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history, Abilene Christian was picked to finish second in the league with one first-place vote in the 2025 UAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Despite ranking seventh in the UAC in total offense (361.3), Abilene Christian ranks second in the league in passing offense (218.3). ACU also ranks seventh in the UAC in rushing offense (143.0) and eighth in scoring offense (18.7). Quarterback Stone Earle ranks second in the league in completions (58) and passing yards (655), but has thrown just two touchdowns this season. Jed Castles, a 6-7 tight end, was ACU's only Preseason All-UAC selection on offense after catching 15 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns last season; he has six receptions for 76 yards in 2025.
• Abilene Christian ranks eighth in the UAC in total defense (429.7) and passing defense (282.7), while ranking fifth in the league in scoring defense (32.3) and rushing defense (147.0). Defensive back Dorian Plumley was a 2025 Preseason All-UAC selection; he ranks third on the team with 22 tackles and is tied for the team lead with 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Rashon Myles Jr. also ranks second on ACU and fifth in the UAC with 9.3 tackles per game this season.
• A 2024 First Team All-UAC selection and Buck Buchanan Award finalist, linebacker Will Shaffer was the unanimous 2025 UAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Shaffer leads ACU and is tied for third in the UAC with 29 total tackles and 9.7 tackles per game in 2025. Shaffer led the UAC with 123 total tackles and ranked second with 8.8 tackles per game in 2024; he also tied for 10th in the league with 9.5 tackles for loss and was tied for ninth with two interceptions.

UP NEXT

Austin Peay returns home for its first UAC game at Fortera Stadium this season when it takes on Utah Tech at 1 p.m., Sept. 27 in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Week 5 contest between the Governors and Trailblazers will be streamed on ESPN+.

For news and updates throughout the 2025 season, follow Govs football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.