Austin Peay Governors football
The Austin Peay Governors football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Austin Peay State University (Peay or APSU), located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and played the most recent 2021 season as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1930. They were previously a member of the Pioneer Football League from 2001 through 2005. Peay plays its home games at the 10,000 seat Fortera Stadium, and will move to the ASUN Conference in July 2022, after being an OVC football member from 1963-1996 and again from 2007-2021.
| Austin Peay Governors football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1930 | ||
| Head coach | Scotty Walden 2nd season, 10–7 (.588) | ||
| Stadium | Fortera Stadium (capacity: 10,000) | ||
| Field surface | AstroTurf | ||
| Location | Clarksville, Tennessee | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | ASUN Conference | ||
| All-time record | 300–551–16 (.355) | ||
| Conference titles | 3 | ||
| Colors | Red and white[1] | ||
| Website | letsgopeay.com | ||
History
Classifications
- 1957–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1930–1946: Independent
- 1947–1962: Volunteer State Athletic Conference
- 1963–1996: Ohio Valley Conference
- 1997–2000: NCAA Division I–AA Independent
- 2001–2005: Pioneer Football League
- 2006: NCAA Division I FCS Independent
- 2007–2021: Ohio Valley Conference
- Beginning 2022: ASUN Conference
Though not competing in OVC football from 1997–2006, Peay remained a full OVC member during this period.
Sgt. York Trophy
The trophy goes to the team in Tennessee that has the best record against the other three teams. Austin Peay has won the trophy three times, in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Battle of the Border
The battle of the border is a trophy awarded to the team with the most points based on wins between all the sporting events between Austin Peay and Murray State. Murray State leads the series 36-16.
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Jeff Gooch
- Michael Swift
- Kirk Pointer
- Kyran Moore
- Bonnie Sloan, first deaf player in NFL history
- Percy Howard (whose only NFL TD catch came in Super Bowl X, as a member of the Dallas Cowboys)
- Lewis Lastik, featured actor in Remember the Titans, offensive lineman. (Also member of the APSU track and field teams, shot put, and javelin.)
Retired numbers
Austin Peay has retired two jersey numbers in program history.[2]
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | John Ogles | RB | 1963–66 |
| 84 | Harold Roberts | WR | 1967–70 |
| 46 | Bob Bible | LB | 1974-78 |
| 44 | Jay Bailey | RB | 2000-02 |
Conference championships
Austin Peay has won three conference championships, two outright, and one shared while having the head-to-head win over Southeast Missouri State[3]
| Year | Coach | Conference | Record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | David B. Aaron | Volunteer State Athletic Conference | 8–2 | 2–0 |
| 1977 | Boots Donnelly | Ohio Valley Conference | 8–3 | 6–1 |
| 2019 | Mark Hudspeth | Ohio Valley Conference | 11–4 | 7–1 |
Postseason
FCS playoffs
The Governors have made one appearance in the FCS Playoffs, their first being in 2019; their record is 2–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Furman Sacramento State Montana State | W 42–6 W 42–28 L 10–24 |
References
- "APSU Athletics Digital & Local Style Guide". January 5, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- "2015 Austin Peay football media guide" (PDF).
- "Football Records Book" (PDF).
