The Govs wrapped up the 2009 season with what some would believe to be a disappointment, finishing with a 4-7 overall record and 3-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. APSU graduates 25 seniors, which includes the first senior class to play for the Govs during the reinstatement of scholarship football four years ago.

As advertised, the Govs’ weapons were and will continue to be the monsters in the backfield. Explosive sophomore Ryan White rushed for 1081 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Terrence Holt, his speedy and dangerous counterpart, finished the season with 793 rushing yards, averaging about 5.4 yards per carry. He led the conference with 13 total touchdowns. The passing game showed promise at times, but inexperience at the wide receiver position showed its face at crucial situations when the Govs needed the big play. Though the future of the passing game isn’t totally bleak, when redshirt Jake Ryan stepped in, he guided the Govs to a 2-3 record over the final five games of the season.

Defensively, the Govs were loaded with experience starting eight seniors including First Team All-OVC award winner Daniel Becker and Second Team award winners Dee Peeler and Kevis Buckley to lead the charge. The Govs’ run defense ranked in the top half of the conference. The “herd” stopped some of the conference’s best running teams, as well as getting key takeaways at pertinent times to get the Govs offense going. Graduation is going to plague the soon to be young Govs squad, but there is potential in the secondary with two key underclassmen in sophomore Amius Smith and freshman Jeremy Ross. Ross started for the Govs because of injury and is going to be a key part of the Govs success in the future.

Holt broke the APSU all-purpose yard record with 2, 373 total yards, averaging 215.7 all-purpose yards per game. Being a dynamic force on the offensive front makes Holt someone to look forward to see perform in the next season. One spot the Govs drastically improved on is the kicking game with freshman kicker Stephen Stansell. Any recent APSU fan can remember not being very confident in the APSU kicking game. Well, Stansell’s kicking was noticed in the early part of the season when he nailed a 41 yard field goal as the time expired to get the three points in the game against Southeast Missouri. As Stansell ages, the Govs kicking game should only improve.

The graduating seniors left their mark after coming back from a four game skid with a come-from-behind win to defeat SEMO. The win against SEMO was the turning point of the Govs season. The very next week the hard-nosed Govs defeated Eastern Kentucky, to end the nation’s third longest losing streak of 22 straight games and sent shockwaves through the conference. APSU struck again when they knocked off Tennessee State at their homecoming. The season saw the Govs finish higher than what the preseason ranking suggested. With graduation hitting the Govs, they need to replace eight starters on the defensive side of the ball, as well as recruit a dynamic receiver with speed. Next season looks to be exciting with the return of both first-team OVC backs White and Holt hopefully complete with age and experience to continue to move the ball.  Hopefully coach Rick Christophel will let Jake Ryan grow at quarterback to gain some consistency in the Govs passing game.