CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKVILLE NOW) – Austin Peay football had a rough start last year, losing their first two games to Southern Illinois and University of Tennessee. But the Governors turned things round in a big way, riding high through their next nine games for a winning regular season.
During their win streak, APSU went undefeated for their first year in the United Athletic Conference, which led them to a conference regular season championship. They also saw numerous program records broken, including averaging 38.8 points per game, finishing ninth nationally in scoring offense, ranking third in FCS for team passing efficiency with 165.43, and ranking 10th in total offense at 438.3 yards per game.
The Governors 2023-24 season concluded when they came up short against the University of Chattanooga in the first round of the FCS NCAA Division-I Football Championship. They were defeated 21-24. Following the loss, Austin Peay’s football program began to transition into a new era.
Walden exits
After the season ended, former head coach Scotty Walden decided to leave Clarksville for a position as head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso. The move to UTEP elevated Walden into the world of FBS.
Austin Peay brought in Jeff Faris, a former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Duke who most recently served as the tight ends coach at UCLA under Chip Kelly. Faris, no stranger to the expectations that Austin Peay has placed in him, said he looks to not only build a culture of winning games, but to also carry those wins into everyday life.
New recruiting class
Faris was immediately active in the recruiting process. From December’s early signing period to mid-January, 29 players had signed on with the Governors. They include:
- Grace’son Beach
- BJ Blake
- Gabe Bobbitt
- Malik Bowen-Sims*
- Leon Brigham III
- Dorian Davis*
- Stephenson Ellison II
- Mason Garcia*
- Ethan Goodin
- Malachi Harris
- Tyler Hicks
- Jesse Johnson III*
- CJ Jordan
- Jade Kneeland
- Jeffson Locke
- Jay Morrow
- Chinazo Obobi*
- Alec Pell*
- Marcus Phillips Jr.*
- Kinstin Reaves*
- Corey Richardson
- Joshua Robinson*
- Christopher Scott Jr.*
- Jase Skoglund
- Austin Smith*
- Carson Smith*
- Bo Spearman*
- Spence Tankersley
- Cinque Williams*
* Players who have transferred from another secondary school.
“I think the most important thing is the great spring practices we had,” Faris said. “We had 15 opportunities; we got better from the first practice to the 15th. What we saw is that we got a great culture here. So, before we recruit anybody else, we have to sign guys that are going to add to that culture.”
Offense gaining numbers
Last year, starting quarterback Mike DiLielo played well for the Governors, and he is now pursuing a professional career in the United Football League with the DC Defenders. In search of a new offensive leader, Faris brought in two quarterbacks to compete for the position: Marcus Garcia and Austin Smith.
“Those guys do an unbelievable job of competing every single day. … We feel very, very good about that position,” Faris told Clarksville Now. “We feel really good on offense about all the positions, we just need to add numbers. The offensive line was the biggest one.”
Six of the 29 signees were listed as offensive linemen, including Bringham III, Goodin, Harris, Obobi, Robinson and Tankersley. Faris also noted the addition of play makers on the offense including wide receivers, running backs and a few tight ends.
“We are very excited about where the offense was (at) practice 15, but now with greater numbers, where we’ll be in fall,” Faris said.
Defense ‘big time’ pieces
Defensively, Faris says they have added a few “big time” pieces to the roster, including linemen Morrow, Reaves and Tankersley. They’ve also added a few defensive backs: Davis, Ellison III, Johnson III and Williams.
As the new season approaches, Faris likes to see the battle between position players, working towards bettering the team, saying, “Anything we can do to increase competition; everything we do is earned, not given. We give ourselves the best chance to succeed.”
Finding new kicker
Last year, Austin Peay saw another great season by kicker Maddux Trujilo, who hit 128 of 132 extra point attempts at Austin Peay. However, Trujilo has transferred to Temple University, leaving another key position open. Special teams coordinator Jack Nudo was handed the responsibility of recruiting a new, viable place kicker.
Carson Smith out of East Carolina impressed Faris throughout spring practices, earning him the starting position. “He was unbelievable. … We put him in a lot of pressure situations, I’m very pleased with his progress,” Faris said.
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Looking ahead to next season
Austin Peay will open their season Aug. 31 when the Governors visit Louisville. They will follow that with the first home game of the season; a rematch against Southern Illinois, the team that spoiled Austin Peay’s opening day last year.
The Governors travel to Central Arkansas Sept. 14, to open United Athletic Conference play. A two-game homestand sees Alabama A&M and Southern Utah before being back on the road Oct. 5 for West Georgia.
After a bye week, the Governors are back in Clarksville Oct. 19, to face Eastern Kentucky, then Tarleton State on Oct. 26. The Governors will then head south for a matchup against North Alabama on Nov. 2, back to Clarksville Nov. 9 for Abilene Christian and then to Utah Nov. 16 to face Utah Tech.
Austin Peay will face the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in their final match of the regular season. The non-conference matchup is a rematch from the first round of playoffs last year, which ended the Governors’ season.