Austin Peay (0-1) at #9 Tennessee (1-0)
Saturday, September 9th, 2023 | 4:00pm CT
Knoxville, TN | Neyland Stadium | ESPN+
Clarksville, TN – For just the second time ever, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team squares off with No. 9 Tennessee Vols in a Saturday 4:00pm CT tilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Last week, Austin Peay (0-1) kicked off a two-game, season-opening road trip when it dropped a Week 1 contest at Southern Illinois. Now the Governors will play their 32nd game in program history against an FBS team when they take on Tennessee (1-0). The APSU Govs lone win against the FBS came in 1987 when they upset Kansas State, 26-22, at what is now Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.
The Governors also are looking for their first win against the Southeastern Conference in their eighth game against the league. Austin Peay State University’s last four games against the league have come against Top 25 ranked teams with the last two both being against Top 10 foes. The APSU Govs have never beat a ranked FBS opponent.
In the season opener, quarterback Mike DiLiello threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns on 20 completions against the Salukis. Wide receivers Kam Thomas and Kenny Odom were on the receiving end of DiLiello’s touchdown tosses with both catching their first collegiate touchdowns. Running back CJ Evans Jr. added the Govs final score, punching one in on the found from six yards out.
Linebacker Tyler Long led the Austin Peay State University defense with 17 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery in the season opener. Linebackers Sam Howard and Hosea Knifeley Jr. each added a career-high in tackles with 10 and nine stops, respectively, against the Salukis. Michael Ruttlen added another eight tackles in the season opener while Xavier Smith had six tackles and a forced fumble in his collegiate debut.
Tennessee enters Saturday’s game on a nine-game winning streak at Shields-Watkins Field after going 7-0 at home last season. The Volunteers are on a three-game winning streak overall after dispatching Virginia, 49-13, in their season opener at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The Governors are looking to snap a two-game losing streak and get back in the win column for the first time since they beat Kennesaw State, 31-14, on November 12th, 2022.
Saturday’s game will be streamed on the SEC Network+ and ESPN+ with Justin Kutcher and Dave Steckel on the call.
Inside The Film Room
Check out the APSU Governors’ official Youtube channel each week for new episodes of Inside The Film Room, game highlights, and much more!
Notably
Good Directions
Dating back to 2017, Austin Peay State University’s 41 victories are the 16th most in the FCS and are the most in a six-year stretch in program history. The APSU Govs lead all United Athletic Conference teams in wins since 2017 with Central Arkansas (40, t-17th) and Eastern Kentucky (35, t-34th) being the only other programs to crack the top 45.
The Govs’ 41 victories in the past six seasons are two more wins than the 39 victories they had in 14 seasons from 2002-16.
The Gang Gets Recognized
Senior defensive back Kory Chapman, graduate tight end Jordan Goco, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Chandler Kirton, and graduate transfer linebacker Tyler Long were all named to the first Preseason All-United Athletic Conference team.
Chapman averaged 8.2 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss per game in the final seven games of the 2022 season while Long racked up 106 tackles last season at Norfolk State and ranked 19th in the FCS with 9.6 tackles per game.
Kirton was a 2022 HERO Sports Freshman All-America and All-ASUN Conference selection after starting all 11 games at right guard for the Govs while Goco made nine starts and recorded 11 receptions for 127 yards in his first season at Austin Peay State University last year.
Govs 2K
During the 2022 season, Austin Peay State University recorded both 2,000-plus rushing and passing yards in the same season for the first time in program history. The Govs passed for 2,580 yards last season — the fourth-best single-season total in program history — and return 2,511 yards, or 97.33 percent, of those passing yards, led by Mike DiLiello’s 2,447 yards.
The Governors rushed for 2,082 yards last season and returned 1,665 yards, or 79.97 percent, of those rushing yards with their top-three rushing options coming back as well — CJ Evans Jr. (641 yards), Jevon Jackson (572 yards), and DiLiello (446).
Lion Chasers
43 returning letterwinners and 17 players that redshirted a season ago have combined with 45 newcomers to make up the 2023 Austin Peay football roster. The returning letterwinners include nine returning starters on offense and a trio of returning starters on the defensive side.
The 45 newcomers are made up of 25 true freshmen and 20 transfers, eight of the transfers come from FCS programs, three are from Group of Five programs, and two are from Power Five programs. The Govs also added five junior college transfers, one Division II transfer, and one NAIA transfer for the 2023 season.
Scotty Walden; or, Life At Austin Peay State University
With three more wins, Walden would match Rick Christophel — who also coached six seasons – for the fourth-most wins in program history while becoming just the fifth head coach to win 20 games at Austin Peay State University.
About Tennessee Vols Football
The second-ever meeting between Austin Peay State University and Tennessee, UT leads the all-time series, 1-0, after winning the first matchup in the 2013 season opener.
The 2013 game was the first game for both head coaches with Kirby Cannon making his debut for Austin Peay and Butch Jones coaching his first game for the Vols.
Tabbed to finish second in the SEC’s Eastern Division and fourth overall for the SEC Championship, Tennessee is coming off an 11-2 season and an Orange Bowl win over Clemson in 2022. UT went 7-0 at Neyland Stadium last season and their home opener against APSU is their first game in Knoxville since they beat Missouri, 66-24, on November 12th, 2022.
Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small are UT’s top-returning rushers with 875 and 734 yards, respectively, in 2022, but it was Dylan Sampson who ran for three scores and caught a fourth in the season opener vs. Virginia. Bru McCoy is the top returner in terms of receiving yards with 667 last year while Ramel Keyton is the top returner with 5 touchdown catches last season – both marks ranked second behind on the team behind Fred Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt.
Tennessee ranked 90th in the NCAA in total defense (405.3 ypg) and 126th in passing defense (289.5 ypg) last season. The Volunteers have no Preseason All-SEC selections on the defensive side this season but held Virginia to just 106 passing yards and 95 rushing yards in their season opener. UT had an SEC-best 11.0 TFLs and 4.0 sacks in Week 1, led by Tyler Baron’s 2.5 TFLs and James Pearce Jr.’s 2.0 sacks. Aaron Beasley is Tennessee’s top returner on defense after leading the team with 76 tackles and 13.0 tackles for loss in 2022.
Following a season-ending injury to Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton III took over as UT’s starter in Week 13 against Vanderbilt and has gone 51-for-79 for 599 yards and six touchdowns – with zero interceptions – and a pair of rushing touchdowns in three games since. Now on the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, and Walter Camp Award Watch Lists, Milton III is in his sixth season, and third at Tennessee, after spending the first three years of his career at Michigan.
Next Up For APSU Football
After Saturday’s game against the Volunteers, the Austin Peay State University football team returns home for its season opener against East Tennessee State on September 16th, at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee. The game is set for 6:00pm CT.
Season and single-game tickets for the Governors 2023 campaign are on sale at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets or by calling the Austin Peay Ticket Office at 931-221-PEAY (7329).
For news and updates throughout the 2023 season, follow APSU football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.
