Austin Peay Governors football
{{short description|Football team for Austin Peay State University}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox college football team
| CurrentSeason = 2025 Austin Peay Governors football team
| TeamName = Austin Peay Governors football
|Image = Austin peay wordmark 2014.png
| ImageSize = 200
| HeadCoach = Jeff Faris
| HeadCoachYear = 2nd
| HCWins = 4
| HCLosses = 8
| Stadium = Fortera Stadium
| StadCapacity = 10,000
| StadSurface = AstroTurf
| Location = Clarksville, Tennessee
| NCAAdivision = I FCS
| Conference = United Athletic Conference
| FirstYear = {{Start date and age|1930}}
| WebsiteName = letsgopeay.com
| WebsiteURL = https://letsgopeay.com/sports/football
| ConfTitles = 5
| uniform =
| ATWins = 328
| ATLosses = 567
| ATTies = 16
}}
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 2022 season as members of the ASUN Conference. For the 2023 season and beyond, Peay will play in the United Athletic Conference, created shortly after the 2022 season by the merger of the football leagues of the ASUN and Western Athletic Conference.{{cite press release|url=https://asunsports.org/sports/fball/2022-23/releases/20221220kpoghs |title=@ASUN_Football and WAC Release 2023 Schedule |publisher=ASUN Conference |date=December 20, 2022 |access-date=December 22, 2022}}{{cite press release|url=https://wacsports.com/sports/fball/2022-23/releases/2023fbconfschedule |title=ASUN And WAC Unveil 2023 Football Schedule |publisher=Western Athletic Conference |date=December 20, 2022 |access-date=December 22, 2022}} The school's first football team was fielded in 1930. They were previously a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (1963–1996, 2007–2021) and the Pioneer Football League (2001–2005). Austin Peay Governors football plays its home games at the 10,000 seat Fortera Stadium.
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
- 2022: ASUN Conference
- 2023–present: United Athletic Conference
Though not competing in OVC football from 1997 to 2006, Peay remained a full OVC member during this period.
= Rivalries =
== [[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
{{Also|List of NCAA football retired numbers}}
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
colspan=5 style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}| Austin Peay Governors retired numbers | ||||
style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=50px | No.
! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=150px | Player ! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=50px | Pos. ! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=100px | Tenure ! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=50px | Ref. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
30 | John Ogles | RB | 1963–1966 | {{cite web|title=2015 Austin Peay football media guide|url=https://letsgopeay.com/documents/2015/8/28/2015_APSU_FOOTBALL_GUIDE.pdf|page=67|website=letsgopeay.com|date=August 28, 2015|access-date=June 15, 2024}} |
84 | Harold Roberts | WR | 1967–1970 |
=Honored jerseys=
Numbers honored, but not retired and available for any player:
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
colspan=4 style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}| Austin Peay Governors honored jerseys | |||
style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=50px | No.
! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=150px | Player ! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=50px | Pos. ! style={{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Austin Peay Governors|color=white}}; width=100px | Tenure | |||
---|---|---|---|
3 | Terrence Holt | RB | 2007–2010 |
8 | Chris Fletcher | RB | 2004–2007 |
10 | Carolton Flatt | QB | 1963–1964 |
13 | Kordell Jackson | RB | 2017-2021 |
44 | Jay Bailey | RB | 2000–2002 |
46 | Bob Bible | LB | 1974–1978 |
Conference championships
Austin Peay has won five conference championships, three outright, and two shared with Southeast Missouri State{{Cite web|url=http://letsgopeay.com/documents/2017/9/22//2017_Football_Records_Book.pdf?id=3855|title=Football Records Book}} in the OVC, Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky in the ASUN
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Austin Peay Governors|Year|Coach|Conference|Record|Conference record}} | ||||
align="center"
| 1948 | David B. Aaron | Volunteer State Athletic Conference | 8–2 | 2–0 |
1977 | Boots Donnelly | rowspan="2"|Ohio Valley Conference | 8–3 | 6–1 |
2019 | Mark Hudspeth | 11–4 | 7–1 | |
2022 | rowspan="2"|Scotty Walden | ASUN Conference | 7–4 | 3–2 |
2023 | United Athletic Conference | 9–3 | 6–0 |
Postseason
=FCS playoffs=
The Governors have made two appearances in the FCS Playoffs, their first being in 2019; their record is 2–2.
class="wikitable" | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Austin Peay Governors|Year|Round|Opponent|Result}} | |||
align="center"
| 2019 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Furman Sacramento State Montana State | W 42–6 W 42–28 L 10–24 |
align="center"
| 2023 | First Round | Chattanooga | L 21–24 |
Future non-conference opponents
Future non-conference opponents announced as of August 10, 2024.{{cite web |title=Austin Peay Football Future Schedules |publisher=FBSchedules.com |url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/austin-peay/ |access-date=August 10, 2024}}
class="wikitable" |
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Austin Peay Governors|border=2|2025|2026|2027|2028|2029|2030|2031|2032|2033|2034|2035|2036|2037}} |
at Middle Tennessee
| at Vanderbilt | at Murray State | at Murray State | at Murray State | at Murray State | at Murray State | at Murray State |
at Georgia
| | at Samford | | | | | | | | | |
Morehead State
| at North Dakota State | | | | | | | | | | | |
Samford
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons cat}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Austin Peay State Governors football navbox}}
{{United Athletic Conference navbox}}
Category:American football teams established in 1930
Category:1930 establishments in Tennessee
{{Amfoot-team-stub}}
{{Tennessee-sport-team-stub}}