APSU Football Set for Saturday Battle Against Winless Utah Tech in UAC Clash

Austin Peay (2-4 | 1-2 UAC) at Utah Tech (0-7 | 0-3 UAC) Saturday, October 19th, 2024 | 1:00pm CT St. George, UT | Greater Zion Stadium

Clarksville, TN – Looking to pick up back-to-back United Athletic Conference wins on the road, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team journeys to Utah Tech for a Saturday 3:00pm CT showdown at Greater Zion Stadium in St. George, Utah.

Coming off its bye week, Austin Peay (2-4, 1-2 UAC) makes its longest trip of the 2024 season when it travels to Utah Tech (0-7, 0-3 UAC) for the first time in program history. The Governors beat the Trailblazers, 30-17, in their only previous meeting at Fortera Stadium during the 2023 season.

Austin Peay State University picked up a 20-16 win over West Georgia before the bye week and has won two of its last three contests. Utah Tech fell to No. 11 Tarleton State, 42-0, last time out and has yet to pick up a win in 2024 under first-year head coach Lance Anderson; the Trailblazers are on a 12-game losing streak dating back to the 2023 season.

The Governors are 1-2 on the road this season and are 4-1 all-time on the road in UAC action. Utah Tech is 0-3 at Greater Zion Stadium this season and 1-3 all-time at home in UAC contests.

Austin Peay State University has averaged 270.0 rushing yards per game while limiting opponents to just 94.7 rushing yards in its last three games. The APSU Govs have rushed for 200-plus yards in three-straight games and are set to take on a Utah Tech defense that allows 311.0 rushing yards per game this season.

La'Vell Wright leads the Governors with 51 carries for 391 yards and three touchdowns, while O'Shaan Allison is second on the team with 50 carries for 199 yards. In addition, quarterback Austin Smith has rushed for two touchdowns, and freshmen running backs Corey Richardson , Courtland Simmons , and Kaden Williams have also rushed for one score each this season.

Defensively, Dion Hunter leads the Governors with 50 total tackles and ranks second in the UAC with 8.3 tackles per game. Sammy Anderson Jr. also ranks second in the FCS with four interceptions and was the first Gov to ever record an interception in four-straight games from September 7th-28th.

Austin Peay State University returns a pair of starters from the 2023 UAC Championship team, with both Chandler Kirton and Hosea Knifeley Jr. being picked as Preseason All-UAC selections. Kirton has started 29 straight games on the Govs' offensive line, while Knifeley has 17 career starts on the defensive line. The APSU Govs also have 45 players who have made their Austin Peay State University debuts, including nine who made their collegiate debuts in the first half of the season. Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Rod Zundel and Max Christensen III on the call.

REPEAYT Champs

For the first time in program history, Austin Peay State University won back-to-back conference championships with the 2023 United Athletic Conference and the 2022 ASUN Conference titles.

When you add in the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference championship, the APSU Govs have won three titles – in three conferences – since 2019.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Dating back to 2017, Austin Peay State University's 52 victories are tied for the 10th most in the FCS and are tied for eighth-most among current FCS programs. The Govs' 52 wins are tied with Central Arkansas for the most among UAC members since 2017, with Eastern Kentucky (43) having the third-most wins.

The Governors' 52 victories in the past eight seasons are the most in any eight-year stretch in program history and are more than the 51 victories they had in 19 seasons from 1998-2016. The APSU Govs also have five winning seasons since 2017 after posting just eight winning seasons in their first 39 years in the FCS (1978-2016).

Meet The APSU Govs

With just 35 returning letterwinners and 11 players that redshirted a season ago, Austin Peay State University has 60 newcomers on its 2024 roster. The 60 newcomers are made up of 26 true freshmen and 34 transfers, including nine players who have been at the Power 5 level.

00pm UAC contest against Tarleton State. The Week 9 contest between the Governors and Texans will be streamed on ESPN+.

Single-game and group tickets for Austin Peay State University's four remaining home games are available online at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets , through TicketMaster, or by calling the Austin Peay Athletics ticket office at 931.221.PEAY (7329).