RICHMOND, Ky. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – No. 25 Austin Peay football travels to Richmond Saturday, Nov. 2 to take on Eastern Kentucky in a crucial conference showdown. Each team has a lot at stake, as a loss for either side might ruin their chances of competing for an OVC Championship and/or earning an at-large playoff berth.
EKU has dominated the series historically, winning 45 of the 51 all-time meetings. However, the Governors did pick up their first road win since 1977 the last time the two teams played in Richmond.
The Colonels pulled out a come-from-behind victory last year over the Govs, as Parker McKinney connected with Dan Paul on a game-winning 20-yard touchdown pass with 4:29 left to play in regulation.
McKinney finished the contest 7-of-8 for 89 yards after coming off the bench. Daryl McCleskey Jr. added 81 yards on the ground for EKU who rushed for 215 yards as a team.
Kentel Williams had 83 rushing yards for the Governors while quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall added 73 rushing yards and a touchdown to go along with 71 passing yards.
After being handed its first OVC loss of the season, Austin Peay bounced back with 614 yards of total offense including a school record for points in a road conference game with 58 in a win over Tennessee Tech.
Senior quarterback JaVaughn Craig wasn’t bothered by the poor weather conditions, as he recorded seven total touchdowns and tied the school record for passing touchdowns in a game with five.
Craig finished 16-of-23 through the air with 294 yards and rushed seven times for 84 yards.
Governor receiver DeAngelo Wilson brought in seven passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. The junior now ranks fourth nationally in total receiving yards with 861.
APSU’s defense continues to dominate opposing offenses, ranking first in the OVC and 15 nationally in total defense. The Govs held Tech to 4-for-14 on third downs and the Golden Eagles were 0-for-9 on third and long. Jack McDonald had a team-high 11 tackles, improving his total of stops to 64 on the season.
After picking up a 33-6 road victory over Eastern Illinois this past weekend, Eastern Kentucky has now won four of its last five games.
EKU senior kicker Samuel Hayworth converted four consecutive field goals from 35, 28, 25 and 23 yards away against the Panthers. As a result, Hayworth earned OVC Specialist of the Week honors and is now 7-of-10 on field goal attempts this season.
The Colonels rushed for 265 yards in the game and currently rank first in the OVC and 18th nationally in rushing offense with 212.5 yards per game. Daryl McCleskey Jr. paved the way for the rushing attack with 79 yards while Alonzo Booth added 73 yards and his 11th rushing touchdown of the season.
No. 25 Austin Peay (5-3, 3-1 OVC) takes on Eastern Kentucky (5-3, 3-1 OVC) at noon Saturday, Nov. 2 in Richmond.