Clarksville, TN – After winning its second straight conference championship, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team nearly swept the United Athletic Conference’s weekly awards with Tyler Long, Maddux Trujillo, and Xavier Smith being named the league’s Defensive, Special Teams, and Freshman Players of the Week.
Austin Peay State University is the first team in the league to win three of the four weekly awards in a single week. The Governors also extended their lead with a conference-best 11 weekly awards this season, which is four more than the seven weekly honors earned by Tarleton State.
With Trujillo earning Special Teams Player of the Week, the APSU Govs have won that award in back-to-back weeks and a league-leading four times this season. Austin Peay State University is the only team in the UAC to have had multiple players win Special Teams Player of the Week with Kam Thomas (twice), Riley Stephens, and Trujillo all receiving that honor this season.
Smith also picked up the APSU Govs second straight Freshman of the Week honor. Austin Peay State University is now the only team in the UAC to have three different freshmen – Garrett Hawkins, Kenny Odom, and Smith – earn the league’s Freshman of the Week award.
Long led the Governors with nine tackles and a pair of pass breakups against Utah Tech. The Cincinnati, Ohio native also helped seal the Governors eighth straight victory when he intercepted a pass on Utah Tech’s penultimate drive of the game. Long’s interception was the second of his collegiate career but his first as a Gov.
Long also led an Austin Peay defense that held Utah Tech to just 67 rushing yards, marking the third-straight game that the APSU Govs have held their opponent to less than 100 yards on the ground.
It was a perfect day for Trujillo, who went 3-for-3 on field goals and 3-for-3 on PATs. Trujillo’s first field goal of the day – a 23-yarder – was the 36th made field goal of his career and broke the Austin Peay State University career record of 35, which Stephen Stansell had previously held. Trujillo later added field goals from 42 and 34 yards, leading the Governors with 12 points in the contest.
With three more made field goals, Trujillo’s 13 made kicks this season are one shy of the APSU single-season record of 14, which is held by himself (2021) and Tom McMillan (1987).
Also a part of the Austin Peay State University defense that held Utah Tech to just 67 rushing yards, Smith racked up five tackles from his safety position. Smith also recorded one of the Governors’ seven pass breakups in the winning effort.
No. 12 Austin Peay State University football closes the regular season with a Saturday 1:00pm contest against N0. 20 Central Arkansas. The Governors can clinch the outright UAC title and an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs with a win, but the Bears can share the conference title and earn the automatic bid for themselves with a win as well.
Five-dollar tickets to Saturday’s game are available with the promo code “CHAMP” at this link. For all other tickets, they can be purchased on TicketMaster or by calling the Austin Peay Ticket Office at 931.221.PEAY (7329).
For news and updates on everything APSU football, follow along on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com.
