The 2019 FCS Playoffs are here and we've got game-by-game wrap ups.
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Austin Peay 42Furman 6 |
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Next up: Austin Peay (10-3) at Sacramento St. (9-3) Time/Date: Sat., Dec. 7 – 9 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN3 |
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THE STANDOUTS
FCS PLAYOFF BRACKET CONTEST: Who Won The First Round?
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:AUSTIN PEAY RB-Kentel Williams (4 rec, 103 yds, 1 TD/11 rush att, 57 yds, 1 TD/ AUSTIN PEAY QB-Javaughn Craig 18-of-23 passing, 264 yds, 3 TDS, 0 INTs
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:AUSTIN PEAY DB—Kordel Jackson (6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR)/AUSTIN PEAY LB—Jack McDonald (9 tackles, 8 solo stops, 1 TFL
FCS COACHING CHANGES: The List – And Why
THE TURNING POINT
The opening series of the second half punctuated how a stormy night in Clarksville would determine how the fate of both Austin Peay and Furman’s seasons would ultimately play out. The Governor’s season will continue next week, while Furman’s ends at 8-5 overall and 6-2 in the SoCon, which was good enough for a second place finish in the league standings. Leading 7-3 at the half, Austin Peay received the opening kickoff of the second half and scored 21 points in the opening 4:23 of the second half to stretch its lead to 28-3, highlighted by a 73-yard run and catch from Kentel Williams and a strip/fumble recovery on Hamp Sisson by Kordel Jackson on the first play of Furman’s ensuing possession ultimately turned the tide of the game for good.[divider]
THE SUMMARY
Austin Peay made the most of its first appearance in the FCS playoffs hosting a foe, in Furman, that was making its 18th appearance in the postseason, as the Governors dominated the Paladins, despite a 92-minute weather delay to post a 42-6 win over Furman. First-year head coach Mark Hudspeth continued to lay bricks upon the foundation that Will Healy laid a couple of years ago, as in the past two weeks the Governors won a first conference title since 1977, claimed a first postseason appearance and win in a one-week span. Austin Peay, which held the SoCon’s highest scoring team to its lowest point total of the season and without a touchdown, out-gained the Paladins to less than 230 yards of offense, holding a 434-227 advantage in total offense. The Governors held a Paladin ground attack to 130 fewer yards than its 275 Furman averaged coming into the contest. The 36-point defeat is Furman’s largest in its playoff history, as the Paladins fall to 19-17 overall in postseason action. Watching the culture being built at Austin Peay is truly inspiring if you consider just how much of a doormat program the Governors were not all that long ago.
A DIARY: Sam Herder's Trip To Montana State
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THE QUOTE
“Opportunity is great. Not a lot of people get like the one I have been given and this team as a whole and I thank God every day for that and I don’t that for granted and I could be in a lot of different places right now but..God put me here for a reason.” – Austin Peay Sr QB Javaughn Craig on opportunity he has been given this season and staying the course.
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PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK
Austin Peay will head out west to meet No. 4 seed Sacramento State, which will also be making its first-ever FCS playoff appearance, making for an intriguing FCS playoff matchup.
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Listen to the latest episodes of B-Mac and Herd's FCS Podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Stitcher and Spreaker.
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