Austin Peay State University’s football team fell 28-6 to No. 3 Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
The Govs (1-1) made their presence felt early when Myles Wiley forced a fumble that Ellis Ellis Jr. recovered for the team’s first takeaway of the season. The defense also came up big late in the first half with a goal-line stand, stopping the Bulldogs on five straight plays from inside the one-yard line.
Offensively, Chris Parson completed 16 of 23 passes for 151 yards, recording a 70 percent completion rate — one of the most accurate performances by an FCS quarterback against Georgia in recent years. Carson Smith connected on field goals from 44 and 43 yards for the Govs’ only points.
After a weather delay stretched into the third quarter, Georgia extended its lead before Wiley forced his second fumble of the night, setting up another Smith field goal from 43 yards. APSU later drove inside the Georgia five-yard line but came up just short on fourth down. The Bulldogs then marched 99 yards on their longest drive of the game to secure the win.
Ellis Jr. anchored the defense with a game-high 11 tackles, while Wiley forced both of APSU’s turnovers. Jaycob Neely added 1.5 tackles for loss, and Trevor Hardy chipped in four tackles.
For Georgia, quarterback Gunnar Stockton threw for 227 yards on 26-of-34 passing, while Andrew Paul Frazier led the rushing attack with 69 yards and a touchdown.
Austin Peay will return to Clarksville for its 2025 home opener against Morehead State on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. inside Fortera Stadium.
