APSU Governors Football loses 41-15 to Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Saturday

Austin Peay Sports Information

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University football team hung tough with Tennessee Tech for 30 minutes, but the visitors pulled away in the second half of a 41-15 season-ending loss, Saturday, at Governors Stadium.

Despite strong showings from a pair of freshmen – Otis Gerron finished with 114 yards on 24 carries for his third career 100-yard game and Wesley Thomas broke the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career with a six-catch, 141-yard performance – Austin Peay was done in by allowing more than 500 yards offense to the Golden Eagles and leaving the red zone twice with no points.

The Govs fell into an early 10-0 hole after allowing Tennessee Tech to march quickly down the field on the opening drive, culminating in a 5-yard double-reverse pass play from Brock McCoin to quarterback Darian Stone, who slipped behind the Govs secondary to cap a nine-play, 68-yard drive.

After a quick three-and-out, the Golden Eagles marched 74 yards in six plays to add a 20-yard field goal from John Arnold to make it a two-score game.

Fortune favored the Govs after Ladarius Vanlier muffed a punt that was recovered by David Wall on the Tennessee Tech 16. Freshman Dakota Vincil kicked a 28-yard field goal four plays later to put the Govs on the board.

A Tennessee Tech fumble on the next Golden Eagle possession was recovered by senior Johnathan Shuler, and the Govs went up top on the next play, with junior Trey Taylor finding freshman Wesley Thomas behind the defense for 80 yards and the equalizing score. It was the Govs longest pass play since 2011 and knotted the game at 10.

The Golden Eagles pulled back in front after Isaiah McKinney rumbled in on a nine-yard touchdown run to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive. Vincil ended the first-half scoring with a 20-yard field goal to close the gap to 17-13.

Cody Matthews scored twice in the third quarter to widen the deficit. Jared Davis hit him for 15 yards at the 6:47 mark and from Stone for 16 yards on the next possession. He finished with 10 catches for 171 yards and two scores.

Arnold hit another 24-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it a three-score game. After the Govs were stonewalled on fourth-and-goal after a 10-play, 65-yard drive, senior Nii Lartey took down Willie Davis in the end zone for a safety – the first safety earned by the Govs defense since 2012.

In his final game, Lartey was a monster for the Govs. The Loganville, GA, native finished with 12 tackles (seven solo) and three tackles for loss – all career highs – in his Senior Day swan song.

“We were getting pressure, but not fast enough,” he said. “This program is in great hands with Coach Cannon and the staff. It feels good to know I was part of the rebuilding stage.”

Vanlier capped the scoring with an 84-yard run mid-way through the fourth quarter. Notably, senior punter Ben Campbell made a piece of OVC history, equaling the OVC single-season record with his 94th punt of 2014.

Putting a bow on 2014, Cannon was optimistic for the future.

“This program is in good shape right now,” he said. “Our freshman class is full of OVC-level players. We’ve got a disciplined team that gives great effort in everything they do. Now we’ve got to get to the next step, where performance and production becomes the next goal.”

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