CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay football team was back at home this weekend in Clarksville after making the short trip to Vanderbilt last Saturday. This weekend, the Govs welcomed the Morehead State Eagles to town, who they handled with ease.
In recent history, when the Govs and Eagles have played, the matchups have been extremely lopsided in the Govs’ favor. That trend continued on Saturday, as the Govs cruised to a 63-7 victory at Fortera Stadium. The win improved the Govs to 2-1 on the season, with wins over Gardner-Webb and Morehead, and their only loss coming at the hands of Vanderbilt.
This was an important game for the Govs as conference play is right around the corner. Now, let’s dive into the recap and see what we learned from this dominant win.
An offensive performance to remember for the Govs
The Govs put on an offensive clinic on Saturday. The team racked up 693 total yards of offense, with 376 on the ground and 317 through the air. Star quarterback Chris Parson had another stellar showing, completing 12 of 15 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. This was the sixth-highest scoring total for the Govs in program history and the most points the team has scored since 2023 against ETSU.
The most impressive part about Parson’s stats is the fact that he didn’t even play in the second half. The Govs had a commanding 49-7 lead at the half, so several starters got to sit out the third and fourth quarters.
| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter
We got to see backup quarterbacks Matthew Wilson and Kelvin Perkins III in this one as well. Wilson completed five of his eight passes for 57 yards and added 106 rushing yards. Perkins III rushed for 43 yards and scored his first college touchdown.
Another familiar name, Denver Harper, also made an impact once again. Harper caught three passes for 124 yards and two scores and also returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown. Running back Kaden Williams got in on the action too, rushing for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
Standout players
Harper has arguably been the most impressive player of the season so far. He now has at least one touchdown in all three games so far, and he’s becoming a favorite deep-ball target for Parson. Harper now has seven catches on the year for 256 yards and four touchdowns on offense, with one punt return touchdown.
All three quarterbacks impressed in Saturday’s game. Parson was nearly perfect in the first half, while Wilson and Perkins both impressed with their dual-threat ability in the second half. The running backs deserve a shout-out as well, as Williams became the first Govs’ running back to rush for 100 yards in a game since 2024.
The entire defensive unit deserves some love too. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the game but did nothing after that. The Eagles ended with just 69 rushing yards and 137 passing yards on the day. The Govs’ defense also picked up 10 tackles for loss and two sacks during the contest.