Austin Peay State University Football blows out Murray State on the road, 47-6

Murray KY – Behind one of the program’s most dominant rushing performances in recent history, Austin Peay State University’s football team circled the wagons for a 47-6 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Murray State, Saturday, at Roy Stewart Stadium.

Ahmaad Tanner rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns with Brian Snead adding another 132 yards and two touchdowns. Toss in quarterback Sheldon Layman’s 67-yard effort and Austin Peay (3-4, 1-1 OVC) raced for 371 yards on 54 carries – their best rushing performance since 2018 at Morehead State.

Tanner’s three-touchdown day included the game’s first score on a 37-yard burst midway through the first quarter. He added touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the third quarter, the first of four consecutive APSU drives to end in a touchdown that broke the game open.

Snead was just as busy with a 44-yard rushing score to follow Tanner’s first touchdown. He would also add the game’s final touchdown to seal the 41-point victory – the Govs largest margin of victory in the series since a 49-0 shutout in 1966.

While the Governors running game was circling The Track, the defense kept the Racers offense in the gates. Austin Peay  State University forced six turnovers – two interceptions, two fumbles, and two on downs – and five three-and-outs on 13 drives. That effort held Murray State to 289 offensive yards – the fourth time the Govs defense held an opponent to fewer than 300 offensive yards this season.

Nearly drowned out in the Govs massive rushing performance was Baniko Harley’s four-reception, 48-yard performance. His 35-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the 20th of his career and made him the fifth APSU receiver all-time to surpass 2,000 career-receiving yards.

Murray State (3-4, 0-2 OVC) was held to a lone second-quarter touchdown. DJ Williams, who passed for 140 yards and rushed for 75 more, connected with Jake Saathoff for a two-yard scoring pass with 37 seconds left in the first half. The Racers ventured into Austin Peay State University territory only four times in the game.

Scoring Summary

APSU 6, MSU 0 – Bottled up on his first five rushes of the day, Ahmaad Tanner broke through the line on his sixth carry and rumbled 37 yards for a touchdown on the Governors second drive of the day.  It closed a push that needed only three plays to cover 46 yards.

APSU 12, MSU 0 – Brian Snead found the end zone on the APSU Govs third drive of the day, breaking through the middle of Racers line for a 44-yard touchdown run, putting the Govs above 100 rushing yards with 4:24 left in the first quarter. It capped a three-play, 60-yard drive that start with a pair of rushes by Layman.

APSU 19, MSU 0 – Baniko Harley got behind the Racers defense and caught his 20th career touchdown pass – a 35-yarder that also pushed him past 2,000 career receiving yards. It was another quick-hitter drive with the Govs needing only four plays to cover 58 yards.

APSU 19, MSU 6 – Murray State got on the scoreboard just before halftime. DJ Williams eluded the Govs defense for a 33-yard rush to get the ball to the APSU three-yard line. Two plays later, Williams connected with Jake Saathoff on a jump pass for the touchdown. The Govs then tackled the Racers kicker on an attempted two-point conversion to keep the lead at 13.

APSU 26, MSU 6 – A “long” drive of six plays and 74 yards saw Layman rush for 27 yards and complete passes of 14 and 8 yards. But it was Tanner’s 17-yard rush through the heart of the Racers defense that provided the touchdown to extend the Govs lead back to 20 points.

APSU 33, MSU 6 – Behind the Govs “Double Stuffed” offensive line group – eight lineman on the field – Ahmaad Tanner powered his way into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown. It capped Austin Peay State University’s longest drive of the day – 11 plays and 67 yards – and included conversions on 3rd-and-9, 4th-and-2, and finally 3rd-and-2. Snead’s 25-yard rush was the drive’s big gain, but a horse-collar tackle also turned a five-yard run into a 20-yard gain.

APSU 40, MSU 6 – On its third drive of the second half, Austin Peay pieced together a 12-play, 77-yard drive that spanned the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters. Snead got the drive started on the right foot with a 34-yard run that took the ball to midfield. On the other side of the quarter break, the Govs chewed up yardage one run at a time. Drae McCray caught a shuttle pass from Sheldon Layman and took it to the corner of the end zone for a touchdown to cap the drive.  

APSU 47, MSU 6 – Austin Peay State University wouldn’t have to wait long to put the final touches on the scoring. Conner Murphy forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return and Devin Smith picked the ball up and returned it to the three-yard line. Snead powered the ball into the end zone on the next play.

Next Up For APSU Football

The Austin Peay State University football team’s next contest is Saturday, October 30th at OVC-leading UT Martin (6-1, 2-0 OVC). The game starts at 2:00pm. The Governors will look to snap a seven-game losing streak in Martin as they also look to move atop the OVC standings.

Box Score

Austin Peay 47, Murray State 6

Austin Peay Passing

Austin Peay Rushing

Austin Peay Receiving

Murray State Passing

Murray State Rushing

Murray State Receiving

Game Comparison