GOVS-BULLDOGS POSTGAME NOTES

Notes following Austin Peay's 28-6 loss to No. 3 Georgia at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

FROM THE TOP

• The game between APSU and UGA entered a weather delay at halftime, the delay lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes following the end of the 20-minute halftime break.
• Georgia's 28 points scored are the fewest Austin Peay has ever allowed against a Southeastern Conference opponent.
• Austin Peay forced its first two turnovers of the season, with Myles Wiley forcing a pair of fumbles that were both recovered by the Govs.
• Wiley is the first Governor to force two fumbles in a game since John Wesley Whiteside against Jacksonville State, March 28, 2021.
• After beating Middle Tennessee, 34-14, in Week 1 and falling to No. 3 Georgia, 28-6, in Week 2, the Govs have only been outscored 42-40 in their two games against FBS opponents to open the season.

CAPTAINS/COIN TOSS

• Captains Jackson Head, Chandler Kirton, Chris Parson, and Myles Wiley took the coin toss for the Governors. Javious Bond and Davion Blackwell also served as captains for Austin Peay.
• Georgia won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.
• Austin Peay is 1-1 at the coin toss this season and 8-6 under head coach Jeff Faris.
• The Governors are 0-1 this season and 3-3 under Faris when they lose the opening coin toss.
• Weather in Athens at kickoff: 79 degrees, fair skies, winds north at 5 mph.

SERIES UPDATE            

• Austin Peay fell to 0-2 all-time against Georgia, with both losses at Sanford Stadium in Athens.

GOVS VS. THE FBS

• Austin Peay falls to 2-32 all-time against FBS opponents.
• The Govs are now 0-9 all-time against ranked FBS foes.
• APSU falls to 0-9 all-time against Southeastern Conference opponents.
• The Govs' 22-point margin of defeat is the second-closest game they have played against a ranked FBS opponent, trailing only a 17-point loss to No. 9 Tennessee in 2023.

THOSE ARE THE BREAKS

• Austin Peay falls to 0-1 this season and 0-5 under head coach Jeff Faris when trailing at halftime.
• The Governors are 0-1 this season and 0-7 under Faris when trailing at the end of the third quarter.

OFFENSIVE SPARKS

• Chris Parson completed 16-of-23 passes for 151 yards.
• Shemar Kirk led the Govs with four receptions for 29 yards, while Kamari Maxwell had a team-best 41 yards on three receptions.
• Tight end Jase Skoglund recorded career-highs with three receptions and 16 yards.
• Jaden Robinson's 34-yard reception – his only catch of the game – was the longest offensive play for the Governors.
• Corey Richardson led the Govs with seven carries for 33 yards, while Courtland Simmons and Kaden Williams both added four yards on the ground.
• Parson's 70.0 completion percentage is the third-best by an FCS quarterback against Georgia and the highest since Murray State completed 74.3% of its passes as a team against the Bulldogs in 2019. 

DEFENSIVE STANDS      

• Austin Peay's defense held Georgia without a passing touchdown, marking the first time the Bulldogs have not thrown for a touchdown since they played No. 2 Texas in the 2024 SEC Championship Game.
• Ellis Ellis Jr. led the Govs in tackles for a second-straight week, recording a career-best 11 tackles with eight solo stops and a fumble recovery.
• Trevor Hardy also had a career-best six tackles and a tackle for loss.
• Jaycob Neely recorded career-highs with six tackles and a team-leading 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Wiley and Will Middleton each added five tackles, with all five of Wiley's being solo stops.
• Charles Crews III, Davion Hood, Deandre Creay, and Kendyle Ball each had a tackle for loss, while Chris Brown added half a tackle for loss.
• Hood also recovered a fumble for the Governors.
• Ball and Jalon Williams each tallied a pass breakup.
• Austin Peay held Georgia to 28 points -- the fewest points the Bulldogs have scored against an FCS opponent since scoring 26 against Nicholls in 2016.
• Austin Peay is the second FCS team since 2008 to recover two fumbles against UGA and the first since Nicholls in 2016.

SPECIAL TEAMS SYNOPSIS

• Carson Smith went 2-for-2 on field goals for the second-straight week, connecting from 44 and 43 yards against the Bulldogs.
• Smith also kicked off three times for a 65.0-yard average with two touchbacks.
• Gavin Myers punted six times for 261 yards with a 43.5-yard average, a long punt of 57 yards, and one punt downed inside the 20-yard line.

GOVS-BULLDOGS POSTGAME QUOTES

Austin Peay head coach Jeff Faris

Opening Statement… "We've got a special group in our locker room. We have a special community in Clarksville, Tennessee. Our guys know how to fight, and there are a lot of things that we need to fix. We had a chance to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter in Athens, Georgia. But that starts with me, and I know this group will come to work when we get back tonight in Clarksville and we'll fix whatever those issues are, but I think we have a chance to have a special group. I love working with those players and coaches every single day. They make me better. And I think we're just getting started."

On the Govs' defense… "Coach [Greg] Jones put us in great positions, and our guys know exactly what to do, and they play tremendously hard. But mixing up those looks, not making it easy, not just being in stagnant positions where those… I mean, the size mismatch, you could just stand on the field and see it. I mean, it was crazy. I think it's their left tackle is just head and shoulders above ours. But I thought we had a good plan going in, and I thought the guys executed the plan, practiced hard. You know, Georgia, Coach [Mike] Bobo does a phenomenal job offensively and gave us some things that maybe we hadn't practiced as much, but I couldn't be more impressed with our defense. I couldn't be more impressed with our offense, and the way that they fought as well, and in the kicking game."

On the goal line stand to end the first half… "That's everything we want to be at Austin Peay, the fight, the grit, the resolve, to be able to stop that offense, which is, when it's all said and done, going to be a top-10 offense, potentially SEC champion, potentially national champion. To stop them in that situation, when we know what's coming, right? There's five seconds left, they're going to run the ball. And we're probably giving up, I don't know, let's make it 40 pounds per defensive lineman to their offensive lineman. But our guys don't care, and every day since we've come together, they've fought, and they've been put in difficult situations. They always respond. And I'm so proud of them. The way that they fought. I hope there are some similar examples offensively. Our quarterbacks a tremendous leader, and he's been great all week, and he fought out there today. I couldn't be more impressed with the guys that are in our locker room, and they deserve a ton of credit, and our assistant coaching staff, the same way."

Austin Peay quarterback Chris Parson

On playing at No. 3 Georgia… "Overall, it was a great atmosphere, you know, SEC game, prime time against a very good team, a well-coached team, one of the teams that, you know, the nation expects to be in the College Football Playoffs come the end of this season. It was a great environment, and we were thankful for the opportunity, and I felt like it was great for us to be able to come out here."

On the Govs' preparation… "Coach Faris and the rest of the staff did a great job of getting us prepared this week. I felt like we had a great game plan, and it really just came down to executing. You know, we played very hard, but there were opportunities out there that we left on the field. You think about the fourth and goal, we have to get points right there, and it's a lot of plays that happen throughout the game. Overall, it just comes down to executing the plays. And they made more plays than us, and they came out with the win. And when you play a good team like Georgia, you can't have that many mistakes. You have to play an A-plus game, and we just have to be better. And we'll learn from this, and we'll grow from it, for sure."

Austin Peay defensive back Myles Wiley

On the Govs' defense… "We're so proud of how we played out there. We gave our all, and we have this mantra 'We Will', and I think Will [Hardrick] would be proud of what we put out there."

On the goal line stand to end the first half… "We expected to be in that situation, and we expected to stop them every single time, because that's how confident we are, and it all really goes back to the training. We've practiced multiple times that specific scenario, and when it comes up, there's no second-guessing what we're doing. We know exactly what to do, when to do it, so it's just a big accomplishment to, you know, actually execute it."