CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Looking to close the 2024 football season with a win on Senior Day over an in-state rival, Austin Peay State University's football team squares off with Chattanooga in a 1 p.m., Saturday showdown at Fortera Stadium.

In the second of three-straight home games to close the regular season, Austin Peay fell to United Athletic Conference rival Eastern Kentucky, 30-27, in overtime. With a 4-7 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the UAC, the Governors sit in seventh place in the conference standings with one game left to play. Chattanooga is 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Southern Conference and is in third place in the league entering the final week of the regular season.

Austin Peay is 1-7 all-time against Chattanooga, with its lone victory being a 30-20 win in the 2021 season opener at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. The Mocs have won all three previous meetings with the Govs in Clarksville.

The Governors are 1-5 at Fortera Stadium this season and 29-13 at home since the start of the 2017 season. The Mocs are 3-3 on the road this season and18-17 on the road under sixth-year head coach Rusty Wright.

Last time out, wide receiver Jaden Barnes became the fifth player in Austin Peay history to post a 1,000-yard receiving season on a 60-yard touchdown catch against Eastern Kentucky. Barnes has totaled 26 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns in the last three games and has 52 catches for 1,026 yards and eight touchdowns this season – he ranks third in the FCS in receiving yards. Barnes is the first Gov with 100 receiving yards in three-straight games since DeAngelo Wilson during the 2019 season and is the first Governor to ever post 125-plus receiving yards in three-straight games in program history.

Quarterback Austin Smith also became the ninth 2,000-yard passer in program history when he completed 23 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns against Eastern Kentucky. Smith ranks 29th in the FCS in passing yards and has the seventh-most yards in a single-season in Austin Peay history. Smith's 15 touchdown passes also rank 42nd in the FCS and are the ninth-best season in program history; he also is just eight completions away from posting the sixth 200-completion season in APSU history.

The Governors defense ranks 16th in the FCS and second in the UAC with 12 interceptions this season. The Govs have an interception in 8-of-11 games and have multiple picks in three games this season. With three fumble recoveries also this season, the Govs rank 40th in the FCS and second in the UAC with 16 turnovers gained.

Dion Hunter leads the Austin Peay and ranks 28th in the FCS with 90 total tackles this season. Jaden Lyles also ranks second on the team and 41st in the FCS with 87 tackles. Hunter and Lyles average 8.2 and 7.9 tackles per game, respectively, which ranks third and fourth in the UAC this season. 

On special teams, Carson Smith is 12-of-19 on field goals this season and is 2-of-4 on kicks from 50-plus yards. Smith's 12 made field goals are tied for the fourth-best single-season total in program history and are just two field goals away from matching the Austin Peay single-season record of 14, which is held by Maddux Trujillo (2021) and Tom McMillan (1987).

Saturday's game, presented by Continental Expedited Services, is Austin Peay's sustainability game, which is dedicated to creating zero waste at Fortera Stadium and raising money for Habitat for Humanity to build homes for those in need throughout the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community. Each recycled can at Fortera Stadium on Saturday, and throughout the 2024 football season, has been given to Habitat for Humanity to help build homes in the local community.

Single-game and group tickets are available online at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets, through Ticketmaster, or by calling the Austin Peay Athletics ticket office at 931-221-PEAY (7329). Special ticket offers and information on everything happening in and around Fortera Stadium can be found in this week's Fan Experience preview.

Fans also can purchase tickets to the Blazin' VIPeay Zone, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, available at all home games this season. Buffalo Wild Wings will provide all-you-can-eat food and drinks – including beer in the Blazin' VIPeay Zone, which will be located in the south end zone of Fortera Stadium under the scoreboard and will open one hour prior to kickoff, when the gates open, before closing at the end of halftime.

Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Alex Gould and Ethan Schmidt on the call. Fans also can tune into the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) or via the TuneIn app to hear Brian Rives and Van Stokes call all the action. ESPN Clarksville will kick off its coverage by re-airing the Austin Peay Football Coaches Show at 11 a.m., followed by pregame coverage, which begins an hour before kickoff.

NOTABLY

SENIOR DAY AT THE FORT

Prior to kickoff of Saturday's game against Chattanooga, Austin Peay will celebrate Senior Day with 28 members of the football program and their families being recognized at Fortera Stadium. The following Governors will participate in  Senior Day: Marcus Alexander, Jack Baker, Za'Heir Barnes-Vaughn, Malik Bowen-Sims, Marquez Casey, Romon Copeland Jr., Matthew Corley, Dorian Davis, Davinci Floyd, Keith Gallmon Jr., Tae Gayden, Jackson Griner, Tommy Holden, Dion Hunter, Jake Johnson, Jesse Johnson III, Chandler Kirton, Hosea Knifeley Jr., Christian Lewis, Khatib Lyles, Marcus McGhee Jr., Christopher Scott Jr., Austin Skoglund, Bo Spearman, Dominik Stadlman, Michael Treadwell, Kaleb Tuliau, and equipment manager Rahnmann "Rock" Slocum.

REPEAYT CHAMPS

For the first time in program history, Austin Peay won back-to-back conference championships with the 2023 United Athletic Conference and the 2022 ASUN Conference titles. When you add in the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference championship, the Govs have won three titles – in three conferences – since 2019.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'

Dating back to 2017, Austin Peay's 54 victories are tied for the 12th-most in the FCS and are tied for 10th-most among current FCS programs. The Govs' 54 wins are the most among UAC members since 2017, with Central Arkansas (53) and Eastern Kentucky (47) in second and third, respectively. The Governors' 54 victories in the past eight seasons are the most in any eight-year stretch in program history and are more than the 51 victories they had in 19 seasons from 1998-2016. The Govs also have five winning seasons since 2017 after posting just eight winning seasons in their first 39 years in the FCS (1978-2016).

FARIS ERA, YEAR I

A Knoxville, Tennessee native, Jeff Faris was named Austin Peay's 22nd head football coach in December 2023. With one game remaining in his first season at the helm of the Governors football program, Faris can become the eighth head coach in Austin Peay history to win five games in their debut season, joining Mark Hudspeth (11, 2019), James "Boots" Donnelly (8, 1977), Watson Brown (7, 1979), Rick Christophel (7, 2007), Dave Aaron (5, 1946),  Emory Hale (5, 1981), and Roy Gregory (5, 1991). Scotty Walden also won six games during his first full season in 2021 after going 4-2 during the COVID-affected 2020-21 spring season.

ALL THREE PHASES

Against Alabama A&M, Austin Peay scored an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the first quarter – possibly for the first time in program history. The last game the Governors scored in all three phases was against ETSU (9/16/23); however, they weren't scored in a single quarter. Going deeper into Austin Peay's digital recording-keeping era indicates the only other occurrence of scoring touchdowns in all three phases was in a 34-27 win against No. 11 Tennessee Tech (10/1/94).

SCOUTING THE MOCS

• Saturday is the ninth between Austin Peay and Chattanooga; the Mocs lead the all-time series, 7-1.
• Austin Peay is 0-3 against Chattanooga in games played in Clarksville.
• The Govs lone win against the Mocs was a 30-20 victory on Sept. 2, 2021 at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
• After beating Austin Peay, 24-21, in the First Round of the 2023 FCS Playoffs, Chattanooga's season ended when it lost to Furman, 26-7, in the second round. This season, the Mocs were picked to win the Southern Conference, receiving five first-place votes in the league's preseason coaches poll. With one game left, the Mocs are in third place in the SoCon with a 6-5 record and a 5-3 conference record.
• Chattanooga ranks fourth in the SoCon in total offense (351.5) and scoring offense (25.1). The Mocs also rank fifth in the SoCon in rushing offense (131.7), led by running back Reggie Davis, who ranks second in the league in rushing yards (842) and rushing yards per game (76.5). Davis, Justus Durant, and Chase Artopoeus are tied for the team lead and rank sixth in the SoCon with five rushing touchdowns each. Artopoeus ranks third in the SoCon in passing yards (1,800)  and passing yards per game (225.0); he also ranks third in passing efficiency (137.0) and fourth in passing touchdowns (9).
• Chattanooga ranks seventh in the FCS and second in the SoCon with 24 turnovers gained. The Mocs have 17 interceptions, which ranks fourth in the FCS and third in the SoCon; they also have seven fumbles recovered, which ranks 39th in the FCS and second in the SoCon. Ten Mocs have an interception this season, with five recording multiple picks, while seven players have forced a fumble and five have recovered a fumble.
• Despite SoCon Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Marlon Taylor on the same defensive line, Victor Chris leads the Mocs with 11.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks this season. Chris ranks sixth in the SoCon in tackles for loss and is tied for 13th in the league in sacks. Chris also ranks 51st in the FCS and sixth in the SoCon with 1.0 tackles for loss per game this season. In total, Chris has 48 tackles, two pass breakups, six quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble this season.

UP NEXT

With the 2024 football season in the books, follow Govs football on X (@GovsFB) and Instagram (@GovsFootball) or stay tuned here at LetsGoPeay.com for offseason news and updates.