Final Statistics
RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky overcame an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime against 25th ranked Austin Peay, but the Governors escaped with a 28-21 win on Saturday at
Roy Kidd Stadium.
After APSU (6-3, 4-1 OVC) went in front 21-10 early in the fourth quarter, the Colonels answered with a scoring drive of their own keyed by a 52-yard run by
Daryl McCleskey Jr. to the Austin Peay 12. Three plays later he polished off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. On the two-point conversion attempt,
Parker McKinney handed the ball off to McCleskey who ran to the left, reversed it to
Keyion Dixon who moved to the right and threw to a wide-open McKinney in the end zone to make it a three-point game, 21-18, with 11 minutes to go.
On the ensuing Austin Peay possession, a bad snap on a punt attempt gave Eastern the ball at the Governors 38 yard line with 8:40 left in the game. Four minutes later,
Samuel Hayworth put a game-tying 28-yard field goal through the uprights.
APSU drove to the EKU 32 yard line, but a 4th-down-and-3 pass by JaVaughn Craig was incomplete from with 2:28 left in the game. Eastern (5-4, 3-2 OVC) reached mid-field but had to punt with 18 seconds remaining in regulation.
On the first play of overtime, Craig completed a 25-yard catch and run pass to Kentel Williams for what proved to be the game-winning score. On Eastern Kentucky's overtime possession, McKinney's 4th-and-17 pass missed its intended target.
McCleskey finished with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Corey Glass had 10 tackles. Craig completed 21-of-35 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns for the Governors. He also led his team with 46 rushing yards. DeAngelo Wilson caught seven of those passes for 105 yards, including a touchdown reception.
The Colonels took advantage of a turnover and a short field to get on the board first. On the second play of the game,
Taquan Evans had a strip sack and
Quinten Floyd recovered the ball at the APSU 17 yard line. On EKU's second offensive play, McCleskey went up the middle from 12 yards out, using a spin move near the goal line to get into the end zone. Hayworth's extra-point made it 7-0 with 13:39 left in the opening quarter.
The Governors tied the score on Craig's 49-yard touchdown pass to Wilson with 11:58 on the clock in the first quarter. Hayworth knocked in a field goal from 33 yards away at the 6:17 mark of the first to put the home team up three.
Neither team scored in the second quarter. APSU missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 18 seconds left before halftime.
The Governors turned a 38-yard interception return into the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. On a 3rd-and-4 play from the APSU 32, Pat Walker picked off the pass attempt at the 34 and returned it to the EKU 34 yard line. Five plays later, Ahmaad Tanner scored from one yard out. The extra-point put Austin Peay in front 14-10 with 4:17 remaining in the third.
Craig's one-yard touchdown toss to Prince Momodu with 13:09 on the clock in the fourth stretched the Governor lead to 11, 21-10.
Austin Peay came into the game first in the conference, and sixth in the nation, in rushing defense with 84 yards allowed per game. EKU rushed for 70 yards in the first quarter and totaled 192 ground yard for the game. The Colonels out-gained the visitors 303 to 301.
Eastern Kentucky goes on the road to play at No. 18 Southeast Missouri State next Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
