APSU holds off Tennessee State 37-34

Clarksville, Tennessee - Austin Peay beat Tennessee State 37-34 in an OVC and Sgt. York Trophy game at Governors Stadium Saturday night. With the win, the Govs are now 2-0 in the OVC for the first time since 1977. But it didn't look like things were going to go APSU's way after TSU returned to opening kick off 100 yards for a touchdown and sprinting out to a 27-6 lead with 4:10 left in the second quarter.

The Govs went on and outscored TSU 31-7 after that and sealed in on Stephen Stansell's 35-yard field goal with 10.1 seconds left in the game.

Jake Ryan's 300-yd passing game was first since Mark Cunningham threw for 308 on Oct. 28, 2006 against ...

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Austin Peay rallies to beat TSU, starts OVC play 2-0 for first time since 1977

It's usually easy to figure out how Austin Peay faired after it allowed the opening kickoff go for a touchdown and after it's fallen behind 27-6 with 4:10 left to go in the first half. That's usually, but so far the Govs aren't acting like teams in years past.

And every time Austin Peay and Tennessee State get together, a game coming down to the final moments is expected and Saturday's OVC and Sgt. York Trophy game was no different. Last year the Govs needed to score late to pull out a victory. Adrian Mines caught a touchdown pass with 40 seconds left to give APSU a 26-23 triumph.

This time, it was Stephen Stansell that provided the celebration, and his 35-yard field goal with 10.1 seconds left lifted the Govs to a 37-34 conference win over the Tigers.

The win was APSU's second straight, third consecutive over TSU, and more importantly made them 2-0 in the OVC for the first time since 1977; the same year of the football program's only conference championship.

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TSU prepares to face Austin Peay with depleted roster

Clarksville, Tennessee - A 63-24 loss at Air Force last week and a 58-27 loss the week before at Murray State left the Tigers (1-3, 0-1) with a long list of injured players as they prepare for Saturday’s OVC game at Austin Peay (1-2, 1-0). Seven starters are listed as questionable or out for this week’s game:

Nose tackle Donte’e Nicholls left last week’s game with an upper body injury. He will be replaced by freshman Samquan Evans. Defensive end Tyler Lusk did not play last week (leg) and is not expected back this week. Freshman Detorrius Shipley will replace him. Defensive tackle Lamar Wallace did not start (leg). Redshirt freshman D.J. McCellion replaced Wallace.

Middle linebacker Rico Council, TSU’s leading tackler with 34, left last week’s game (leg) and did not return. He practiced Tuesday, but is questionable. Freshman Mike West came in for Council. Fullback Johntae Gleaves did not play (leg). He returned to practice wearing a brace on his knee but won’t start this week. Redshirt freshman Stephen Brooks, a converted linebacker, has replaced Gleaves.

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Tennessee State defense faces challenge against Austin Peay

Had Tennessee State's defense struggled in other games as much it did against Austin Peay last season, Rod Reed probably would not be coaching the Tigers today. Reed was the defensive coordinator when the Governors piled up 201 rushing yards and beat the Tigers 24-21. That's more yards on the ground than any other opponent has gained on TSU in the last 23 games.

Reed was elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach after James Webster resigned at the end of the season, but it wasn't based on his performance against Austin Peay. "They rushed for over 200 yards on us, so evidently I didn't figure out how to stop them," said Reed, whose defense led the OVC last year against the rush (119.9 yards). "Hopefully we'll come up with a little better scheme to get them stopped this year."

The challenge for TSU (1-1, 0-0 OVC) tonight at LP Field will be...

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Austin Peay vs. Tennessee State

TSU survives scare with late field goal Tigers eke out win over Govs

Nashville, TN -- It wouldn't be easy for Tennessee State's Eric Benson to top his heroics from last year's game against Austin Peay. But the Tigers' placekicker did just that Saturday night in a rematch at LP Field. On Saturday night, he kicked a 29-yarder with just two seconds left to give TSU a 37-34 win. Last year, he booted a 43-yard field goal with nine seconds left to send the game into overtime. TSU won on a blocked extra-point attempt.

"I thought about last year's game when I stepped out there for that last kick,'' Benson said. "I knew I'd done it before and I could do it again. I just had to concentrate." Benson's kick helped TSU (6-1, 3-0 Ohio Valley Conference) avoid disaster before a crowd of 9,358. TSU came into the game in first place in the conference and Austin Peay (0-7, 0-4) was in last. Benson kicked two other field goals. His second, a 31-yarder on the final play of the first half, gave TSU a 27-12 cushion. It appeared the Tigers would coast through the second half.

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Attendance: 9,358 (13.6%) at LP Field, Nashville, TN (Capacity: 68.800).
Season Record: Tennessee State Tigers 6-1, 3-0 OVC.

TSU Tigers’ OVC Championship Bid Falls Short with 82-64 Loss to Austin Peay

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Jerrell Houston Scores Career High 25 points

The Tennessee State Tigers (15-17) bid for an Ohio Valley Conference championship came up short with an 82-64 loss to Austin Peay (24-10) at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on ESPN2 television.

Junior forward Jerrell Houston scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds in the game. Reiley Ervin, playing in his last game for the Big Blue contributed 13 points and freshman Darius Cox added 12 points with seven rebounds.

Todd Babington led Austin Peay with 24 points, including 6-8 from 3-point range. Three other Governors added double figure support, Derek Wright (13), Drake Reed (11) and Fernandez Lockett (10).

The Tigers entered their first OVC championship game in ten years as a sixth seed and were currently on a three-game winning streak. They were not able to sustain the same intensity in the championship game that had propelled them through wins at Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and in the semifinal game against Murray State.

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Price, Tennessee State earn huge win over Austin Peay

Tigers guard will forgo final year

Bruce Price made sure he went out as a winner with Tennessee State's men's basketball team Monday night.

Price decided before the game to forgo his final year of eligibility with the Tigers. He joined the team's four seniors who were honored before the tip-off against Austin Peay at Gentry Center.

Then in the final 46 seconds, Price sank two free throws, stripped the ball from Austin Peay's Ernest Fields under the Governors' basket and pinned a shot by Derek Wright on the backboard to help Tigers hang on for a 73-69 victory before a crowd of 4,857.

"This is where it all started for me and this was a very important game for me,'' Price said. "Even though we weren't hitting our free throws at the end I made sure that I made some good defensive plays with the charges and the block and the strip."

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TSU Lady Tigers beat Austin Peay State University

A furious, late charge fell just short as Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team dropped a 74-72 Ohio Valley Conference decision to Tennessee State, Saturday night, at the Dunn Center. Down 12 points with 2:57 remaining, Austin Peay (5-16, 2-10 OVC) put together an 18-8 run over the final three minutes to nearly escape with the victory. They had one last possession following a jump ball with 2.2 seconds remaining, but sophomore Janay Armstrong’s full-court throw went uncaught and time expired.

Tennessee State (10-12, 7-6 OVC) nearly ran away from Austin Peay just before the final three minutes as they used a 21-4 run over an eight-minute stretch to erase a three-point APSU lead to build a 14-point, 61-47, advantage with 5:44 remaining. Kendra Appling led Tennessee State with 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. Obi Okafor added 18 points and Tiffany Jackson chipped in 16 points.

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LOL: Things that make you go hummmmmm...

I'm sure everyone that has played an instrument in a high school band has aspirations of playing in a better band. This film clip shows a few students and their reaction to seeing and hearing the opponent band performing a half-time dance routine. The unseen performing band, the Tennessee State University Marching Aristocrat of Bands, and the fans on the video clip--members of the Austin Peay State University Marching Band drum section on Sept. 15, 2007, in Clarksville, TN. TSU beat APSU 33-32 in overtime, but I'm sure these fellows didn't care as they were looking forward to the 5th quarter so they could get their grove on with the TSU Band.

Draw your own conclusions...welcome to the Ohio Valley Football Conference, y'all!

Austin Peay State University Marching Governors Band

Peay-TSU rivalry didn't die despite gap

Photo: Austin Peay's Terrence Holt returns a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown against Bethel in the first quarter of the Governors' season opener. Holt, a freshman who was recruited by Austin Peay and TSU, said Saturday's game is 'a big deal.'

By JAMES D. HORNE, Gannett Tennessee

CLARKSVILLE — Terrence Holt may understand the renewed football rivalry between Austin Peay and Tennessee State better than anyone.

The current Austin Peay freshman, and former Maplewood standout, was recruited by both schools.

The Govs won that competition.

But won't be the last matchup between Austin Peay (2-0) and TSU (1-1).

The teams last met in 1996, a 38-14 TSU victory. The rivalry will be renewed Saturday at 6 p.m. in Governors Stadium.

The two schools met every year from 1988 to 1996 with TSU leading the series 6-3.

"We're right up the interstate from each other," said Holt, a wide receiver and kick returner, who took a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball this season. "Being so close, we (team members from Austin Peay and Tennessee State) sometimes run into each other, and especially when I go home, so it's a big deal. A lot of friends are going to be playing against each other. We've both been practicing hard, so whomever has practiced the hardest will come out on top."

And the atmosphere surrounding the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams makes it seem like there hasn't been an 11-year break.

For the Govs, who left the OVC and dropped scholarship football after the 1996 season, it will be their first OVC game in 11 years. Austin Peay's last OVC contest was a 55-24 win over Tennessee Martin on Nov. 23, 1996.

Already a rivalry

"It's a great rivalry to start with because they (TSU) are only 40 miles away and there's a lot of Tennessee State fans in Clarksville, and a lot of people here who have ties to Tennessee State," Govs Coach Rick Christophel said. "Plus, we're going to recruit in Nashville, so that will help build the rivalry over the years. Hopefully, it will be something good, something big and something the fans will really enjoy."

Check that, the Govs and Tigers are rivals, if you ask TSU Coach James Webster.

"We don't think it (this game) has a chance to be a rivalry, it is a rivalry," he said. "It has all the makings of a rivalry, and that makes it a rivalry. They want to beat us and we want to beat them."

TSU has 10 Nashville natives, and Austin Peay has 15 players with Nashville ties.

"This is a big game," said sophomore free safety Tremayne Townsend, a Brentwood Academy graduate who has 10 tackles.

"With our being 2-0 and getting back into the OVC, that makes it a big game, too. A lot of people are coming up just to see what I can do."

The Sgt. York Trophy will go to the winner of the round-robin series between Peay, Tennessee Martin, TSU and Tennessee Tech.