2025 Austin Peay Governors football team

2025 Austin Peay Governors football
Conference	United Athletic Conference
Record	6–4 (4–3 UAC)
Head coach	Jeff Faris (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Quinn Billerman (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Greg Jones (1st season)
Home stadium	Fortera Stadium
Seasons ←  2024 2026 →

2025 United Athletic Conference standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 18 Abilene Christian		5	–	1					6	–	4
No. 6 Tarleton State		5	–	1					9	–	1
Southern Utah		4	–	2					5	–	5
Austin Peay		4	–	3					6	–	4
West Georgia*		4	–	3					7	–	3
Eastern Kentucky		2	–	4					4	–	6
Central Arkansas		2	–	4					3	–	7
North Alabama		1	–	5					2	–	8
Utah Tech		1	–	5					2	–	8
* – Ineligible for the UAC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. As of November 9, 2025 Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2025 Austin Peay Governors football team represents Austin Peay State University as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Governors are coached by second-year head coach Jeff Faris and play at Fortera Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	6:00 p.m.	at Middle Tennessee *		Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	ESPN+	W 34–14	18,505
September 6	2:30 p.m.	at No. 4 (FBS) Georgia *		Sanford Stadium Athens, GA	SECN+/ESPN+	L 6–28	93,033
September 13	6:00 p.m.	Morehead State *	No. 22	Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 56–7	7,152
September 20	7:00 p.m.	at No. 14 Abilene Christian	No. 18	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	L 31–45	10,133
September 27	1:00 p.m.	Utah Tech	No. 18	Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 42–10	6,433
October 4	3:00 p.m.	No. 16 West Georgia	No. 22	Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 44–30	6,582
October 11	5:00 p.m.	at Eastern Kentucky	No. 16	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	L 20–34	5,753
October 25	3:00 p.m.	North Alabama	No. 25	Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 56–28	7,773
November 1	7:30 p.m.	at Southern Utah	No. 22	Eccles Coliseum Cedar City, UT	ESPN+	L 17–33	2,808
November 8	3:00 p.m.	Central Arkansas		Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 41–38	5,345
November 15	1:00 p.m.	Samford *		Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+
November 22	4:00 p.m.	at Tarleton State		Memorial Stadium Stephenville, TX	ESPN+
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^{[1] [2] [3]}

Game summaries

at Middle Tennessee (FBS)

See also: 2025 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

Austin Peay Governors (0-0) at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (FBS) (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Governors	14	7	3	10	34
Blue Raiders (FBS)	0	7	7	0	14

at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN

• Date: August 30
• Game time: 6:00 PM CDT
• Game weather: Wind: NW at 12 miles per hour (19 km/h) • Weather: Sunny • Temp: 83 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,505
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Jake Rose, Jeremy Kellem, and Justin Beasley

Game information

First quarter APSU – Jaden Robinson 22-yard pass from Chris Parson (Carson Smith kick), 9:45. Governors 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:51. APSU – Courtland Simmons 1-yard run (Carson Smith kick), 2:38. Governors 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:06. Second quarter APSU – Jackson Head 4-yard pass from Chris Parson (Carson Smith kick), 6:03. Governors 21–0. Drive: 17 plays, 89 yards, 9:30. MTSU – Nahzae Cox 5-yard pass from Nicholas Vattiato (Jacob Hathaway kick), 0:45. Governors 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 1:34. Third quarter APSU – Carson Smith 40-yard field goal, 11:04. Governors 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:56. MTSU – Nahzae Cox 14-yard pass from Nicholas Vattiato (Jacob Hathaway kick), 2:56. Governors 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:06. Fourth quarter APSU – Carson Smith 36-yard field goal, 12:48. Governors 27–14. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:07. APSU – Austin Smith 2-yard run (Carson Smith kick), 7:42. Governors 34–14. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:52.

Statistics	APSU	MTSU
First downs	19	13
Total yards	344	153
Rushing yards	151	44
Passing yards	193	109
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	14–27–0	16–37–0
Time of possession	38:35	21:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing	Chris Parson	11/20, 142 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Courtland Simmons	10 carries, 35 yards, TD
	Receiving	Shemar Kirk	3 receptions, 69 yards
Middle Tennessee	Passing	Nicholas Vattiato	15/36, 104 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jekail Middlebrook	11 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	Nahzae Cox	6 receptions, 50 yards, 2 TD

The victory marked Austin Peay's first victory over a FBS opponent since their 1987 victory over Kansas State. ^[4]

at No. 4 (FBS) Georgia

See also: 2025 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Austin Peay Governors (1-0) at No. 4 (FBS) Georgia Bulldogs (1-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Governors	0	3	3	0	6
No. 4 (FBS) Bulldogs	7	7	7	7	28

at Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA

• Date: September 6
• Game time: 3:30 PM EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy; thunder nearby • Temperature: 83 °F (28 °C) • Wind: N 5 mph
• Game attendance: 93,033
• Referee: Jason McArthur
• TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Clay Matvick, Chase Daniel, and Madison Fitzpatrick

Game information

First quarter (5:55) UGA – Chauncey Bowens 2 yard run, Peyton Woodring kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:16; Georgia 7–0) Second quarter (13:50) UGA – Nate Frazier 2 yard run, Peyton Woodring kick (Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:56; Georgia 14–0) (9:08) APU – Carson Smith 44 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:42; Georgia 14–3) Third quarter (10:54) UGA – Chauncey Bowens 14 yard run, Peyton Woodring kick (Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:41; Georgia 21–3) (5:51) APU – Carson Smith 43 yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:57; Georgia 21–6) Fourth quarter (5:39) UGA – Nate Frazier 1 yard run, Peyton Woodring kick (Drive: 17 plays, 99 yards, 8:43; Georgia 28–6)

Statistics	APSU	UGA
First downs	10	26
Total yards	196	421
Rushing yards	45	190
Passing yards	151	231
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16-23-1	27-36-0
Time of possession	26:51	33:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing	Chris Parson	16/23, 151 yards, 1 interception
	Rushing	Corey Richardson	7 carries, 33 yards
	Receiving	Kamari Maxwell	3 receptions, 41 yards
Georgia	Passing	Gunner Stockton	26/34, 227 yards
	Rushing	Nate Frazier	14 carries, 69 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Colbie Young	7 receptions, 76 yards

Morehead State

See also: 2025 Morehead State Eagles football team

Morehead State Eagles (1-1) vs. No. 22 Austin Peay Governors (1-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	0	0	7	7
No. 22 Governors	21	21	14	0	56

at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 91 °F (33 °C) • Wind: E at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
• Game attendance: 7,152
• Referee: Bradley Eiras
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Barry Gresham (play-by-play) and Ethan Schmidt (analyst)

Statistics	MORE	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Morehead State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at No. 14 Abilene Christian

See also: 2025 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team

No. 18 Austin Peay Governors (2-1) vs. No. 14 Abilene Christian Wildcats (1-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 18 Governors	0	3	7	21	31
No. 14 Wildcats	7	17	7	14	45

at Wildcat Stadium • Abilene, TX

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 10,133
• Referee: Zach Erdmann
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Andy Penney (play-by-play), Jim Reese (analyst) and Kendra Sheehan (sideline)

Statistics	APSU	ACU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Abilene Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Utah Tech

See also: 2025 Utah Tech Trailblazers football team

Utah Tech Trailblazers (1-3) vs. No. 23 Austin Peay Governors (2-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Trailblazers	0	3	0	7	10
No. 23 Governors	7	21	7	7	42

at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 6,433
• Referee: John Kellermeier
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Barry Gresham (play-by-play) and Ethan Schmidt (analyst)

Statistics	UTU	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah Tech	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 16 West Georgia

See also: 2025 West Georgia Wolves football team

No. 16 West Georgia Wolves (5-0) vs. No. 22 Austin Peay Governors (3-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Wolves	16	0	14	0	30
No. 22 Governors	9	7	14	14	44

at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 6,582
• Referee: Branden McCain
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Barry Gresham (play-by-play) and Ethan Schmidt (analyst)

Statistics	UWG	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Georgia	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Eastern Kentucky

See also: 2025 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

No. 16 Austin Peay Governors (4-2) vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels (2-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Governors	7	13	0	0	20
Colonels	7	10	3	14	34

at Roy Kidd Stadium • Richmond, KY

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: N at 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
• Game attendance: 5,753
• Referee: Matthew Jones
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Greg Stotelmyer (play-by-play), Jim Tirey (analyst) and Kendra Sheehan (sideline)

Statistics	APSU	EKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Eastern Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

North Alabama

See also: 2025 North Alabama Lions football team

North Alabama Lions (2-5) vs. No. 25 Austin Peay Governors (4-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	7	14	7	28
No. 25 Governors	7	21	14	14	56

at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 7,773
• Referee: Chris Brison
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Barry Gresham (play-by-play), Ethan Schmidt (analyst) and Kendra Sheehan (sidelinea0

Statistics	UNA	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Southern Utah

See also: 2025 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team

No. 22 Austin Peay Governors (5-3) vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds (3-5) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Governors	-	-	-	-	0
Thunderbirds	-	-	-	-	0

at Eccles Coliseum • Cedar City, UT

• Date: November 1

Statistics	APSU	SUU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Southern Utah	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Central Arkansas

See also: 2025 Central Arkansas Bears football team

Central Arkansas Bears (3-6) vs. Austin Peay Governors (5-4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	-	-	-	-	0
Governors	-	-	-	-	0

at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN

• Date: November 8

Statistics	CARK	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Samford

See also: 2025 Samford Bulldogs football team

Samford Bulldogs (0-0) vs. Austin Peay Governors (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	-	-	-	-	0
Governors	-	-	-	-	0

at Fortera Stadium • Clarksville, TN

• Date: November 15

Statistics	SAM	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Samford	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Tarleton State

See also: 2025 Tarleton State Texans football team

Austin Peay Governors (0-0) vs. Tarleton State Texans (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Governors	-	-	-	-	0
Texans	-	-	-	-	0

at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX

• Date: November 22

Statistics	APSU	TAR
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Tarleton State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

1. Kelley, Kevin (December 2, 2024). "Austin Peay announces 2025 football schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
2. Shames, Jacob (December 2, 2024). "Austin Peay football schedule 2025 released: Govs to play Georgia, MTSU". The Leaf-Chronicle. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
3. Crigger, Casey (December 2, 2024). "Austin Peay announces 2025 Govs football season, starting with MTSU, Georgia Bulldogs". Clarksville Now. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
4. "FCS Austin Peay defeats Middle Tennessee for its first win over FBS team since 1987". Associated Press. August 30, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.