Football | October 15, 2026
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The 11th-ranked Austin Peay State University football team hits the road for the first time in nearly a month when the Govs visit Carrollton, Georgia for a 1 p.m. (CT), Saturday kickoff against West Georgia at University Stadium.
Saturday's game will be carried on ESPN+, with Patrick Eidson and Alvin Dekve 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 Kyle King call all the action. ESPN Clarksville's coverage begins with a live pregame show at 12 p.m. (CT).
The Govs pushed second-ranked Tarleton State to the final play in last week's 40-32 loss at Fortera Stadium, when a last-second Hail Mary fell incomplete in the end zone. The Govs had rallied back from a 20-point deficit during a second-half flurry which saw Austin Peay embark on three-straight 75-yard scoring drives to get back in it, with Chris Parson rushing for 66 of his 102 yards on the ground and throwing for 169 of his 231 yards through the air during the second half.
Austin Peay's defense was tested in a way it had seldom been against Tarleton's high-octane offense, and the Govs did some things no one else had done against the Texan attack. Tywan Royal's second-quarter interception to snuff out a drive Tarleton State had pushed into the red zone was the first by Texans' quarterback Kaden Anderson this season, and held the league-leading rushing attack to nearly 100 yards below its season average. Against West Georgia, Austin Peay will face a rushing attack that has yet to average four yards per carry in any game this season.
NOTABLY
Decade of the Govs
Now officially in the latter half of the 2020s, Austin Peay is one win away from matching its 43 wins in the 1980s as the winningest decade in program history. The Governors are 42-32 in the 2020s and their .568 winning percentage is the best in a decade in program history, edging out the .551 (32-26-1) winning percentage in the 1940s. The Govs are 25-12 at home during the 2020s, and their .676 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.
#WeWILL
Each week, one Austin Peay player is chosen to wear the No. 0 jersey in honor of Will Hardrick, who tragically passed away in May 2025. Each Monday of the season, head coach Jeff Faris selects the player who best exemplifies Hardrick's character and work ethic to wear the No. 0 jersey that week. For the West Georgia game, linebacker Canaan Williams (normally adorned with the No. 29) will wear No. 0 for the Govs.
The Slim Reaper
Denver Harper is second among FCS freshmen in all-purpose yards with 685. In addition to his 410 receiving and 54 rushing yards on the year, Harper has 333 combined return yards which ranks 12th in the FCS and is third nationally among freshmen. Harper has two punt return scores on the year – tied for the most in a single season in program history – including an 82-yard return against New Haven. Harper's current 23.3 yards per return mark would be the fifth-best average in FCS history (minimum 1.2 returns per game).
Harper became the first Gov with two special teams touchdowns in a single game after returning the first missed field goal for a 100-yard touchdown. Harper's 10 total scores on the year are tied for the most by a freshman in Division I and are the second most of any freshman across any level of NCAA football.
With at least five games left in the season, Harper already ranks fourth all-time in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns by an Austin Peay freshman. At his current pace, he would conclude the regular season with 27 catches for 703 yards and 10 touchdowns.
QB1 Milestone Tracker
The UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and a Preseason All-American, Chris Parson. In just 19 games under center for APSU, Parson is Austin Peay's career leader in passing yards per game (1st, 243.7), completion percentage (1st, 63.7) and rushing touchdowns for a quarterback (1st, 20). He also ranks Top 10 all-time in: rushing yards for a quarterback (3rd, 1,014), touchdown passes (5th, 35) passing yards (5th, 4,630), and overall rushing touchdowns (7th, 20). The redshirt junior signal caller leads the UAC and ranks second in the FCS in passing efficiency (180.8) and yards per completion (16.77), while his 10.85 passing yards per attempt lead the FCS. Parson also paces the UAC and ranks 21st nationally with a 64.7 completion percentage, which is the second-most efficient season in program history and trails only Mike DiLiello's 66.9% mark from the 2023 season.
PREVIEWING THE WOLVES
Last Meeting
Quarterback Chris Parson tallied 364 yards total offense and Austin Peay scored 21 unanswered points to knock off nationally-ranked West Georgia, 44-30 at Fortera Stadium, Oct. 4, 2025. Jaden Robinson hauled in six passes for 60 yards and a pair of scores as one Parson's favored targets, while Courtland Simmons took in a career-best 84-yard reception. Parson threw three touchdown passes and scrambled for two more, including the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter.
Linebacker Will Middleton would earn UAC Defensive Player of the Week after making seven tackles, including two for loss, and returning an interception 26 yards for Austin Peay's final score of the game.
Preseason Outlook
After a 2025 campaign which included ascending to No. 16 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches Polls, West Georgia was picked to finish sixth in the UAC in the 2026 preseason poll in Steve Englehart's first season.
Offensive Options
When the Wolves find the red zone, they score, leading the UAC in red zone offense at 92.9 percent (13-of-14). Despite their adeptness inside the 20, West Georgia has struggled on the ground this season, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry; on the season, the Wolves' longest carry was a 16-yarder Chrisian Monfort against Fort Valley State.
Defensive Definition
All that we said up there about West Georgia's offense in the red zone? Well it applies to the Wolves defense too, which has allowed opponents to score on 18-of-20 red zone visits. The Wolves surrender nearly 190 yards per game on the ground and have had difficulty with mobile quarterbacks such as Kennesaw State's Rickie Collins (seven carries for 51 yards and two scores on Sept. 3).
UP NEXT FOR THE GOVS
For the first time this season, Austin Peay goes on the road for back-to-back games when the Govs travel to Florence, Alabama for a contest against North Alabama at Bank Independent Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 931-221-PEAY. For news, updates, and future ticket information, follow Govs football on X (@GovsFB), Instagram (@GovsFootball), and Facebook, or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.
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