Clarksville, TN – Mike DiLiello passed for a program-record 441 yards and accounted for six touchdowns, leading the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team to a 63-3 nonconference victory against in-state opponent East Tennessee Saturday in the home opener at Fortera Stadium.
Austin Peay (1-2) opened the game by scoring on each of its first five drives. The APSU Govs’ first drive set the tone for the night as they opened the game with a 48-yard CJ Evans run and two plays later found the end zone when DiLiello hit Trey Goodman for a 30-yard touchdown.
After the APSU Govs defense held ETSU (1-2) to a three-and-out, DiLiello led the Govs on an 11-play, 78-yard drive that he capped with a one-yard rush for a touchdown. After another three-and-out, the offense covered 94 yards in five plays, with DiLiello finding Tre Shackelford for his second touchdown toss, putting APSU ahead 21-0.
The defense followed up with a third straight three-and-out, and again, the APSU Govs offense responded with a third touchdown drive that needed five plays to go 76 yards for a fourth touchdown in the frame. Austin Peay State University scored 28 points in a quarter for the first time since defeating Furman in the opening round of the 2019 FCS Playoffs at Fortera Stadium.
ETSU made its deepest foray into APSU territory early in the second quarter, reaching the Austin Peay eight-yard line. However, the Govs defense forced back-to-back incompletions to force a field goal attempt. Earl Johnson capped the Buccaneers’ drive with a 25-yard field goal at the 12:34 mark, which proved to be ETSU’s only points.
Austin Peay State University’s special teams and defense joined the scoring fray in the second half. After ETSU was forced to punt on its first drive of the half, Kam Thomas returned that punt 89 yards for a touchdown, pushing the APSU lead to 42-3. DiLiello tacked on two more scoring drives as the lead reached 56-3 before linebacker Garrett Hawkins recovered a fumble and carried the ball five yards into the end zone to cap the night’s scoring.
DiLiello, who also moved past the 5,000-career passing yard mark in the first quarter, completed 37-of-46 passes for 441 yards and five touchdowns. He completed passes to 11 different receivers and touchdowns to five receivers. DiLiello also ran for 21 yards and a touchdown on four carries, and he also had the Govs’ lone punt of the night – a 34-yard boot.
Jaden Barnes led the receiver corps with 121 yards on seven receptions. CJ Evans ran for 102 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. Kam Thomas finished with 201 all-purpose yards, including 123 yards on punt returns.
Sam Howard led the APSU defense with eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pair of quarterback hurries. Jevon McIver Jr. picked off his first pass as a Governor and also had six tackles.
East Tennessee finished the day with 269 offensive yards. The Bucs, who saw two quarterbacks injured during the game, leaned on their rushing attack, which amassed 192 yards on 46 carries. Torey Lambert led that effort with 51 yards on 12 carries.
Next Up For APSU Football
The Austin Peay State University football team turns its attention to its United Athletic Conference opener when it meets Stephen F. Austin for a September 23rd 6:00pm game at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Scoring Recap
GOVS 7, ETSU 0 – An offense frustrated in its first two games of the season set the tone with its opening drive. CJ Evans broke through an opening created by Jordan Goco for a 48-yard run, the longest run by a Govs running back this season. Two plays later, Trey Goodman outran the Buccaneers secondary, and DiLiello found him wide open down the left side of the field for a 30-yard touchdown.
GOVS 14, ETSU 0 – The Governors took a methodical approach to their second drive of the day, marching 78 yards in 11 plays over four-plus minutes. DiLiello found Tre Shackelford on an 18-yard pass early in the drive, moving the ball into ETSU territory. Five plays later, DiLiello threw a pass to Shackelford in the flat, and the Govs’ wide receiver caused a defender to miss before scampering for a 26-yard completion to the one-yard line. DiLiello followed Evans through the line for a one-yard touchdown to extend the lead.
GOVS 21, ETSU 0 – Austin Peay receivers continued to find plenty of wide-open spaces against the Buccaneers. On the third play of the third drive, Jaden Barnes raced past his ETSU defender, and DiLiello connected with him for an 84-yard completion that included 45 yards after the catch. Shackleford ran across his defender’s face two plays later and caught a DiLiello pass for a six-yard touchdown.
GOVS 28, ETSU 0 – The Govs defense threw a three-and-out on the succeeding ETSU drive, and Austin Peay rolled down the field in five plays for the touchdown. MJ Singleton was the big target on the drive, racing past the defense for a 54-yard completion from DiLiello. Two plays later, DiLiello found Lyles on a fade into the far corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
GOVS 28, ETSU 3 – East Tennessee pieced together its first sustained drive around the quarter break. The Buccaneers went 67 yards in nine plays but had to settle for a 25-yard field goal after the Govs defense forced back-to-back incomplete passes inside the 10-yard line.
GOVS 35, ETSU 3 – Austin Peay State University pieced together a monstrous 17-play drive for its fifth touchdown. The Govs converted a 4th-and-1 early on the drive courtesy of a Jevon Jackson two-yard run. Facing 3rd-and-10 six plays later, DiLiello found Jackson on a screen pass that went for 20 yards to keep the drive alive. But facing a 4th-and-5 on the ETSU five-yard line, DiLiello found Brenen Hawkins in the corner of the end zone for a spectacular 11-yard touchdown.
GOVS 42, ETSU 3 – ETSU received the opening kickoff and gained a first down in two plays, but the Govs defense did not allow another first down, and the Bucs punted from their 41-yard line. Kam Thomas received the 48-yard punt on the APSU 11-yard line and scrambled from sideline to sideline before finding an opening along the APSU sideline. He dashed 89 yards with protection guiding him into the end zone for a touchdown.
GOVS 49, ETSU 3 – An Austin Peay State University interception by Jevon McIver Jr. halted an ETSU drive inside the APSU red zone. The APSU Govs offense needed just two plays to get into ETSU territory as DiLIello connected with Thomas for a 49-yard pass. Austin Peay had to overcome a holding penalty late in the drive that set up a 1st-and-20, and DiLiello did so with two passes and put the APSU Govs inside the Bucs’ red zone. Goco became the Govs’ fifth different receiver to catch a touchdown pass from DiLiello, his five-yard reception extending the Govs lead.
GOVS 56, ETSU 3 – Austin Peay State University’s offense got the ball again just before the end of the third quarter. The APSU Govs converted a 3rd-and-2 on the first play of the fourth quarter, then began their march down the field. They wouldn’t face another third down on the drive until reaching the ETSU 16-yard line, which DiLiello converted with a five-yard pass to Jaden Barnes, which also put the ball in the red zone. Jevon Jackson capped the 12-play drive with a nine-yard rushing touchdown.
GOVS 63, ETSU 3 – The APSU Govs capped the game’s scoring 93 seconds later. Following the Jackson touchdown, the ensuing kickoff saw the Austin Peay State University special teams pin the Bucs on their two-yard line. After a pair of runs, ETSU’s quarterback lost the ball on a run, and Garrett Hawkins picked up the loose ball, sprinting five yards to the end zone.
