Austin Peay Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Five home dates, including the season opener, dot the schedule for Austin Peay State University football in 2015, its second in refurbished Governors Stadium.
This season sees the schedule shrink to 11 games after the Govs played 12 in each of the last two seasons due to the shortened competition calendar.
For the first time since 2010, Austin Peay will play at home in Week 1 when the Govs host Mercer (6-6 in 2014, 1-0 all-time against Austin Peay) in a return trip after the Govs ventured to Macon last season.
“Mercer’s a good football team,” Cannon said. “We’re coming off a loss to them a year ago, but we look forward to playing them at home. The first step is to win at home, and that mental toughness you need to win on the road is developed by having success.”
The next two weekends find the Govs on the road against FBS competition when they travel to face Conference USA foe Southern Miss (3-9 in 2014, first meeting against Austin Peay), September 12th, and Southeastern Conference neighbor Vanderbilt (3-9 in 2014, 1-0 all-time against Austin Peay), September 19th, in back-to-back weeks that also serve to close out the non-conference schedule. This will be the Govs second time facing the Commodores under Cannon, after losing 38-3 in his second game at the helm in 2013.
“The fact that we’ve played FBS team in the past helps,” Cannon said. “They (the players) will be a little less wide-eyed as far as stadiums and crowd noise.”
The conference schedule opens to find the Govs at Eastern Kentucky (September 26th; 9-4 in 2014) – the only team that finished among the conference’s top-four that Austin Peay will have to travel to in 2015. After that season-long three-game road trip, the Govs return home to face Eastern Illinois (October 3rd; 5-7) in their conference home opener before heading back out on the road to Murray State (October 10th; 3-9). Austin Peay defeated the Racers for Cannon’s first Governors head-coaching win in 2014.
Austin Peay will not leave the state of Tennessee after the contest at Murray, playing its final five games somewhere within the Volunteer State. The Govs only back-to-back home dates come against UT Martin (October 17th; 6-6) and 2014 OVC Champion Jacksonville State (October 24th; 10-2), with the latter serving as Austin Peay’s 2015 Homecoming contest.
The Govs close out the regular season with two of their final three contests on the road, first traveling to Tennessee State (6-6 in 2014) on Halloween. Austin Peay’s Senior Day festivities will be held November 7th in the home finale against Southeast Missouri (5-7), and the Govs close the regular season schedule at Tennessee Tech (5-7), November 14th. If it seems as though the Govs regular season closes early, it’s because Austin Peay’s bye fell on the regular season’s last weekend, at a point when most schools are deep within their own conference schedule.
Austin Peay continues spring practice today, culminating in the April 11th Spring Game at Governors Stadium.
For more information on events pertaining to the spring game, contact APSU Athletics Marketing Director Alaric Klinghard at 931.221.7904, and for season tickets or luxury suite accommodations, contact Ticketing Manager Janet Wilson at 931.221.7329.
