FLORENCE, Ala. – After going down a score early in the second half, the ninth-ranked Austin Peay State University's football team rallied back during a wild third quarter and held on for a 27-21 victory against North Alabama, Saturday, at Bank Independent Stadium.
Redshirt junior quarterback Chris Parson threw for two scores and ran for another while spreading the ball around to Marvin Sims (six catches, 94 yards) and Denver Harper (six catches, 98 yards), who both found the end zone on the day. Parson added 61 yards on the ground to pace the Austin Peay (7-2, 3-1 United Athletic Conference) rushing attack.
On defense, David Portu had a career day with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks, including a forced fumble. Markell Redding also broke up a pair of passes and had a tackle for loss, while also making the defensive play that sealed the game for the Govs.
It was truly a tale of two halves for the Govs; after only 71 first-half yards, Austin Peay exploded for 249 total yards during the final 30 minutes of play.
The win is Austin Peay's 44th during the 2020s, setting a program record for victories in one decade by the Govs.
First Quarter
The Govs got on the board first thanks to some heads-up defending. After pinning North Alabama (4-4, 1-2 UAC) deep on a solid punt from Logan Leftrick, linebacker Eli Jones stepped in front of a Destin Wade pass on the Lions' 10-yard line and gave the Govs the ball in premium position.
Parson only needed one play to convert that turnover into points. On the next snap, he dropped back and rifled a pass to Sims, who secured it for his season's third touchdown to put the Govs up 7-0.
While the Govs wouldn't find the end zone again in the first quarter, the defense was stingy against the Lions, surrendering just 41 first-quarter yards, headlined by a Kelton Crisp and Jefferson Bretanys Desca sack on third down to snuff out a North Alabama drive.
Second Quarter
The Lions got on the board early in the second quarter. An eight-play, 68-yard drive ended with a 20-yard Destin Wade-to-Xavier Johnson hook-up for the equalizer.
Later, the Lions would embark on a 21-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a missed 42-yard field goal attempt by Ian Vachon; the Govs would run just 24 plays for the entire first half.
Third Quarter
The Governors fell behind early in the third. Getting the ball coming out of the break, North Alabama opened the half with a nine-play, 75-yard march that ended with an 11-yard Roderick Taylor scamper.
The Govs answered with a march of their own—12 plays, 50 yards and a 43-yard Hamilton DiBoyan field goal when the drive stalled to stay within striking distance. After a Lions' three-and-out, two Parson-to-Sims connections put the Govs inside the North Alabama 25-yard line. On a designed run, Parson escaped trouble, followed his blockers and drug Lion defenders down the sideline and into the end zone to put the Governors back in front.
The Lions answered with a three-play drive of their own, with Wade finding Johnson for his second score of the night, this one from 74 yards out.
The Govs roared back quickly. A 24-yard Courtland Simmons scamper brought the Govs into North Alabama territory, and then Parson lofted a bomb down the right side that found the sure hands of Harper. The 41-yard strike gave the Govs a 24-21 lead heading into the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter
For all the third-quarter fireworks, the fourth was a war of attrition. The teams traded punts early before Austin Peay mounted a 13-play drive that led to a 30-yard DiBoyan field goal. If the Lions were going to mount a rally, they would have to find the end zone.
The Govs would not allow that to happen. On the play before the two-minute timeout, Wade found Johnson again, but Redding forced the ball loose and Canaan Williams pounced on it; the Govs were able to keep the ball on the ground to secure the victory.
What Made the Difference
The Govs mustered just two yards rushing in the first half. But the Govs found a way to get it done on the ground in the second, posting 103 of their 105 total rushing yards after halftime—and that includes a loss of 18 on the penultimate play of the game when Parson wisely scrambled backward to extend the play and continue running time off the clock.
Up Next for the Govs
It's time for the bye week. The Govs get an opportunity to rest, heal and prepare for the stretch run of UAC play before returning to action Nov. 7 at Fortera Stadium against longtime rival Eastern Kentucky. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. for Stacheville's Salute to Service.
