Chicago, IL – Fresh off leading the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team to its second conference championship during his tenure, head coach Scotty Walden is a finalist for the 2023 Eddie Robinson Award, presented by FedEx Ground and Stats Perform to the FCS National Coach of the Year.
Walden led the Governors through an undefeated run in the United Athletic Conference to claim the league’s inaugural championship. With that trophy in hand, Austin Peay State University also clinched a berth into the NCAA Division I Football Championship, with the APSU Govs opening tournament play against Chattanooga on Saturday at 2:00pm in Fortera Stadium.
This season’s Austin Peay State University squad set a program record by averaging 38.8 points per game during the regular season, breaking the mark set by the 2019 APSU team. The Govs rank ninth nationally in scoring offense and are third among FCS squads in team passing efficiency (165.43) while ranking 10th in total offense (438.3 yards per game).
The Austin Peay State University defense has risen to the occasion at key moments throughout the season, as proven in Saturday’s win against Central Arkansas. They denied the Bears a potential game-tying two-point conversion, then forced a three-and-out and a turnover on downs on UCA’s final two possessions to secure the win. APSU ranks fourth nationally in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert only 29.1 percent of the time.
Austin Peay State University’s special teams unit is also among the nation’s most complete. Kick returner Kam Thomas is No. 14 in combined kick return yardage (563 yards) and No. 1 in punt return average (22.2 per punt return). Kicker Maddux Trujillo is No. 7 in field goal percentage (.867) and No. 22 in field goals made (1.18 per game). Punter Riley Stephens is No. 15 in punting average (43.3 yards per kick).
After an inauspicious start to the season with a loss at Southern Illinois, Walden refocused the Governors in time to challenge nationally-ranked Tennessee for all 60 minutes at Neyland Stadium. That outing proved a springboard for the remainder of the season, with APSU winning its final nine regular-season games to set a program record for longest win streak.
Austin Peay State University opened UAC play with a narrow victory at Stephen F. Austin and eventually won the league title while outscoring league opponents by 31 points, 182-151, with key overtime victories at Southern Utah and at Eastern Kentucky. After clinching a share of the title with a Week 11 win against Utah Tech, Austin Peay State University won the trophy outright with a 14-12 victory against nationally-ranked Central Arkansas on Saturday.
In four seasons at Austin Peay State University, Walden has won 26 games and is fourth among the program’s head coaches in victories. The APSU Govs also are undefeated against FCS opponents in November during Walden’s tenure, improving to 8-0 with Saturday’s win. APSU’s only loss during the month came to a nationally-ranked Alabama side last season.
