Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University football team is headed to Texas.
For the first time ever, Austin Peay State University will square off with Stephen F. Austin in its first-ever United Athletic Conference showdown on Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas. The game begins at 6:00pm.
Coming off a 63-3 rout of East Tennessee (ETSU) in its home opener, the APSU Govs are looking to pick up their first road win of the season in addition to their first-ever UAC win. Saturday’s game will be the first time Austin Peay State University’s football team has played in the Lone Star State or played against a team from Texas.
Mike DiLiello led the Governors in the 60-point win against ETSU, passing for a program-record 441 yards and five touchdowns while adding another touchdown on the ground. DiLiello currently ranks third in the FCS in passing yards (915) and passing touchdowns (8) and leads the UAC in both categories.
All five of DiLiello’s touchdowns against ETSU went to a different receiver with Trey Goodman, Tre Shackelford, Khatib Lyles, Brenen Hawkins, and Jordan Goco all catching touchdowns.
On defense, Sam Howard ranks 18th in the FCS and leads the UAC with 10.3 tackles per game this season. Howard opened the season with double-digit tackles in back-to-back games before adding eight tackles against ETSU. Jevon McIver Jr. recorded his first interception and the Govs’ first interception of the season against ETSU while Garrett Hawkins’ scoop-and-score touchdown made it three-straight games with a fumble recovery for the APSU Govs.
Also, in the win against ETSU, Kam Thomas totaled a program-record 123 punt return yards and returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown. Thomas ranks fourth in the FCS and leads the UAC with 21.2 punt return yards per game while being one of 12 FCS players to return a punt for a touchdown this season.
Saturday’s game will be streamed on the ESPN+ with Rob Meyers and Hunter Taylor on the call.
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Good Directions
Dating back to 2017, Austin Peay State University’s 42 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 (41, t-17th) and Eastern Kentucky (35, 35th) being the only other programs to crack the top 45. The Govs’ 42 victories in the past six seasons are three more wins than the 39 victories they had in 14 seasons from 2002-16.
Settin’ Record & Winnin’ Awards
After a pair of record-setting performances, quarterback Mike DiLiello and wide receiver Kam Thomas were named the United Athletic Conference’s Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively. ÂDiLiello and Thomas – who were both honorable mentions for this week’s Stats Perform National Player of the Week awards – are the first Govs to earn weekly honors from the UAC.
DiLiello set the Austin Peay State University single-game passing yards record with 441 yards on 37 completions. He also fired five touchdown passes. Thomas made his impact in the punt return game, running a punt back 89 yards for a touchdown en route to setting the Austin Peay single-game record with 123 punt return yards.
The Gang Gets Recognized
Defensive back Kory Chapman, tight end Jordan Goco, redshirt offensive lineman Chandler Kirton, and 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 APSU Govs while Goco made nine starts and recorded 11 receptions for 127 yards in his first season at Austin Peay last year.
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 State University 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. Austin Peay State University also added five junior college transfers, one Division II transfer, and one NAIA transfer for the 2023 season.
Walden; Or, Life At Austin Peay State University
After just 31 games at Austin Peay State University, Scotty Walden ranks seventh in program history with 18 career wins. Walden’s win against ETSU last week broke a tie with Roy Gregory for seventh in program history and puts him one win behind Bill Schmitz and Fred D. Brown for fifth place – Gregory, Schmitz, and Brown all needed six seasons to reach their respective win total.
With two 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 the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Saturday is the first meeting between Austin Peay and Stephen F. Austin. It is the first game in Texas or against a team from Texas for the Governors.
The 2022 Western Athletic Conference Champions, Stephen F. Austin, went 6-5 overall and 3-1 in WAC play to claim the league title but missed the FCS Playoffs in the ASUN-WAC Challenge last season. The Lumberjacks were tabbed to finish fourth in the UAC Preseason Coaches Poll and were picked seventh in Stats Perform preseason prediction.
After losing two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year Xavier Gipson and two-time Second-Team All-WAC quarterback Trae Self, SFA has turned to sophomore running back Jerrell Wimbley for 288 yards and three touchdowns on 50 carries in the first two games of the season. The Lumberjacks rank 13th in the FCS in scoring offense (36.3) and 26th in the country in rushing offense (179.3 ypg).
Through three games, SFA is tied for the FCS lead with 10 turnovers gained. The Lumberjacks lead the FCS with six fumble recoveries and rank 17th in the country with four interceptions. SFA also ranks seventh in the FCS in passing defense (135.3 ypg) and 18th in team passing efficiency defense (109.43) – they lead the UAC in both categories. No team has thrown for 200 yards against SFA this season with the 198 passing yards by Troy in the season opener being the most they have allowed.
Brian Maurer played in 12 games during two seasons at Tennessee, completing 37 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns while adding 97 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Maurer transferred to SFA before the 2022 season and played in five games off the bench. This season, the 6-5 signal-caller has gone 48-of-90 for 572 yards and four touchdowns. He has also added 106 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
Next Up For APSU Football
The Austin Peay State University football team travels to Lindenwood for a September 30th, 1:00pm contest at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri. After the Governors’ first-ever battle with the Lions in Week 5, they will take their bye week before hosting Gardner-Webb on October 14th, at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville.
For news and updates throughout the 2023 season, follow Austin Peay State University football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.
