The All State

By MARLON SCOTT – mscott@my.apsu.edu
With three touchdown catches, Devin Starks leads the Govs to a 23-17 home opening OVC conference win.

Update: Final Govs 23 Colonels 17
Govs stop Colonels on-side kick attempt and kneel twice for the win.

Update: 1:52 Fourth quarter Govs 23 Colonels 17
Colonels Tyrone Gould pulls down his second touchdown of the game to bring the Colonels within one score of the Govs.

Update: ‎3:52 Fourth quarter Govs 23 Colonels 10
Govs safety Antwaun Majors intercepts the ball. Govs takeover on their own 4-yard line.

Update: 8:58 Fourth quarter, Govs 23 Colonels 10
After defense forces another EKU punt, Govs’ offense forced to start near their own end zone. However, White quickly rushes for another Govs first down.

Update: 14:27 Fourth quarter, Govs 23 Colonels 10
Govs start first offensive drive of the quarter on their own 31 yard line.

Update: End of the third quarter, Govs maintaining 23-10 lead.

Update 2:31 third quarter Govs 23 Colonels 10
Govs defense holding. After forcing two punts, Ryan throws an interception to give Colonels another shot to score. But Govs defense forces a fumble on third down and two and recovers the ball.

Update: 8:30 Third quarter Govs 23 Colonels 10
Govs firing on offense and defense. After the score, the defense forces EKU to go three and out. Govs start first and 10 on the 50-yard line.

Update: 9:49 Third quarter Govs 23 Colonels 10
Ryan completes his third touchdown pass to Devin Stark. Extra point is good.

Update: Third quarter Govs 16 Colonels 10
Govs offense still driving in Colonels territory. First and 10 on their 18-yard line. Already in field goal range.

Update: Third quarter Govs 16 Colonels 10
Govs open the second half with the ball. A Colonel’s penalty gives them first and 10 on the 42-yard line.

Halftime: Govs 16 Colonels 10
1st quarter 7:11 APSU Stark catches 16-yard pass from Ryan
7:05 APSU Smith safety
2nd quarter 13:13 EKU Pray kicks 36-yard field goal
6:59 EKU Goard catches 52-yard pass from Pryor
1:46 APSU Stark catches 5-yard pass from Ryan

Total offense: Govs 199 yards Colonels 215 yards

Govs QB Jake Ryan has completed eight passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns
Devin Stark has four catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns
Ryan White has 13 carries for 62 yards

Update: 0:56 Second quarter
Colonels attempt 28-yard field goal and miss. Govs maintain 16-10 lead.

Update: 1:46 second quarter
Stark catches 6-yard touchdown pass on third down and goal. Extra point is good. Govs retake lead, 16-10.

Update: 1:54 Second quarter
Another catch by Devin Stark gives Govs first and goal on Colonels’ 5-yard line.

Update: 3:50 Second quarter.
Govs offense convert on fourth down and three. Driving in Colonels territory.

Update: 6:59 Second quarter
Colonel’s Tyrone Goard catches a 52-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. The extra point gives the Colonels the lead 10-9.

Update: 10:15 Second Quarter
Govs Defense stop Colonels on third down and five. Short punt and penalty gives Govs’ offense first and 10 on Colonels 44-yard line.

Update: 13:13 Second quarter
EKU kicks a field goal. Govs lead 9-3.

Update: End of the First Quarter Govs lead 9-0
Colonels driving after Govs four and out. Second down and 5 at the Govs 36-yard line.

Update: 2:35 First quarter
Govs defense comes up with and interception, take over first and 10 on their own 14-yard line.

Update: 4:41 First quarter
Colonels fail to convert third down and three, but Govs penalty gives them a first down.

Update: 7:05 First quarter
Devin Stark catches a 16-yard touchdown pass to give Govs their first lead of the season. Afterwards, EKU pinned down near their own end zone. Govs get a safety, lead EKU 9-0 and regain posssession of the ball.

Update: 9:20 First quarter
Neither team scored in their first offensive drive. A second defensive stance by the Govs has led to them starting their second drive in Colonels territory. A penalty moves them to First and 10 on Colonels 34-yard line.

» By MARLON SCOTT – mscott5@my.apsu.edu

The Govs football team hit the road to Memphis for their second game of the season. However, this time they were not alone. In addition to cheerleaders, the Governors own Marching band and the Pom squad, a bus of more than 50 Govs fans donned their red and white attire and rode to Memphis to cheer for the football team.

The bus was provided by Student Affairs.

One of the fans who took the three and a half- hour ride on the bus was freshman chemistry major Matthew Steele.

“I get to spend a day in Memphis and do nothing but watch a game of football” Steele said.

Steele and the rest of the Govs faithful hopped of the bus in Memphis in time for a tailgate party outside of the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

The band, fans, cheerleaders and pom squad made up a small, but excited speck of red in a sea of blue Tiger loyalists.

Steele was a red and black painted symbol of Peay pride, one of many who spent Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Tiger’s den cheering for his team. TAS

» By MARLON SCOTT – mscott5@my.apsu.edu

The Memphis Tigers roared.

The players roared on the field. The cheerleaders and dance squads of both teams roared on the sidelines. The legion of fans in blue and the smaller cadre of fans in red roared in the stands along the sides of their sharply dressed bands. Even Govs’ head coach Rick Christophel roared.

Everyone in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 17, roared except the Govs’ offense. Turnovers and missed opportunities left the Govs at the mercy of the Tigers. The result was the Govs 10th straight loss, 27-6.

The Govs improved from the questionable performance against the Bearcats in the season opener. They outrushed the Tigers 123-113 yards and produced 368 total yards of offense. In addition, the defense forced three Memphis fumbles, although the Tigers only lost possession of one.

“I thought the effort was great, it was an absolute great effort,” Christophel said. “Defensively, I thought we tackled better, we got after the ball carriers better. Offensively, I thought we executed better in the passing game. There are a lot of things, though, we can improve, but we are getting closer and closer.”

Senior tailback Ryan White led the offense with 87-rushing and 37 receiving yards. He scored the Govs’ only touchdown on a 13-yard catch and run in the last five minutes of the third quarter.

Junior quarterback Jake Ryan completed a career best 23 passes for 245 yards. His favorite target was junior wide receiver Devin Stark. Stark pulled down nine catches for 107 yards, also a personal best. However, Ryan spread the wealth too, by completing passes to seven different players.

The problem was two of Ryan’s passes went to the other team and only one went into the end zone. The Govs failed to complete long-offensive drives.

Uncharacteristically, junior kicker Stephen Stansell finished the game 0-2, missing both 33-yard and 43-yard field goals.

The first miss came at the end of the Govs’ first offensive drive that went 10 plays for 46 yards. The second came at the end of the first quarter after the Govs recovered a Tiger fumble and drove 59 yards on 11 plays.

Conversely, the Tigers scored 10 points in the second quarter and never looked back.

Tiger quarterback Taylor Reed completed 20 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns.

The last touchdown was a short pass from his own 6-yard line to Billy Foster. Foster broke a tackle and sprinted 93 yards for the score with only two minutes left in the game.

The Govs only score came at the end of 12-play, 80-yard drive with just under five minutes left in the third quarter.

After White’s 13-yard touchdown reception, the Govs’ frustrations continued on a botched snap that prevented Stansell from even attempting an extra point.

This was the seventh time the Govs played Memphis, the first time they played in the Liberty Bowl. The last time they played was in 1957.

After this loss, the Govs return home to play their first conference game against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 24, in Governor’s Stadium.

The following week the team will stay at Governor’s Stadium to play their first game in the Sgt. York Series against Tennessee e State. TAS

Update: End Game
Tigers kneel to end the game sealing a victory over the Govs. Final score Memphis 27, Austin Peay 6.

Update: 2:10 4th quarter
Tigers score on 93-yard pass. Memphis score brings game score to 27-6.

Update: 3:56 4th quarter
Govs on Tigers 1-yard line. False start penalty pushes Govs back to the 6-yard line. Fourth down, six yards to go. Jake Ryan’s pass falls incomplete. Ball goes over on downs. Memphis holds 20-6 lead.

Update: 8:38 4th quarter
Govs push up the field stalls as they go 3 and out. Tigers fair catch at their own 7-yard line as they take over possession with just over eight minutes of play left in the game. Govs continue to trail 20-6.

Update: End 3rd quarter
Govs #12 Wesley Kitts fumbles on the play. Tigers #41 Mitch Huelsing recovers the fumble and takes possession of the ball for Memphis. 3rd quarter ends. Score 20-6 Memphis.

Update: 4:55 3rd quarter
Govs push to the Tigers 8-yard line in their second possession of the second half. False start penalty pushes the Govs back to the 13-yard line. Ryan White runs in for the Govs first score of the game. Score after extra point attempt 20-6. snap botched by holder.

Update: 10:27 3rd quarter
Govs go three and out on first drive of second half.Tigers takeover, drive to Govs 26-yard line, make 44 yard field goal. Tigers lead 20-0.

Update: 13:33 third quarter
Long pass fumbled and recovered for a touchdown by the Tigers. They increase the lead 17-0

Update: Halftime
Govs held to 149 total offensive yards.Quarterback Jake Ryan has completed 7 passes for 76 yards with one interception. Ryan White leads all rushers with 10 rushes for 68 yards.
Tigers scored on 42 yard pass from Taylor Reed to Tannar Rehrer at 8:14 in the second quarter. Henriques added 3 points on a 30-yard field goal right before halftime.

This week the Govs travel to Memphis to face the Tigers in their Week 3 match-up at the University of Memphis. Updates also available at The Allstate page on Facebook.
6:23 left in the first quarter. Govs opening drive stops at the 20. Missed field goal turn over on downs. Memphis driving in Govs territory.
Tigers opening drive ends with punt from Govs 41 yardline. Bounces out of bounds at the Govs 1 yardline. Govs take possession of the ball at their own 1 yardline.
1:20 left in the second quarter. Memphis has possession after an interception. Score is 7-0 Memphis.

» By MARLON SCOTT – mscott@my.apsu.edu

Turnovers, missed tackles and penalties, Oh my.

It was a holy trinity of miscues committed by the Govs that let the Cincinnati Bearcats generate 561 yards of offense as they mauled their way to a 72-10 win, September 3, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

An inability to stop the run, five turnovers and eight penalties for 58 yards made a long day for the Govs. After returning the game kickoff for 60 yards, it took the Bearcats offense one play in less than 20 seconds to score their first touchdown.

Like a well placed punch to the nose, senior running back Isaiah Pead’s 40-yard dash to the end zone for the Bearcat’s first score stunned the Govs and they did not appear to recover the rest of the game.

“Cincinnati is a well coached football team. Coach Jones does a great job. They will be in the top two or three in the Big East because they have got players. They make plays,” said head coach Rick Christophel. “But we can’t play defense like that. That is not acceptable. We are going to get things changed.”

Pead was one of 12 Bearcats who produced 387 rushing yards and six touchdowns against the Govs. He led the team with seven rushes for 88 yards and two touchdowns.

Pead’s second touchdown came on the end of an eight-play drive that began after Gov junior quarterback Jake Ryan ended the Govs’ first offensive drive with an interception.

Ryan had two interceptions in the game. He finished the day completing 16 of 23 passes for 150 yards.

Ryan’s longest completion was a 36-yard strike to junior wide receiver Devin Stark. It set up the Govs’ first score, a 21-yard field goal by junior kicker Stephen Stansell in the third quarter. By then the Govs were behind 51-3.

The only other highlights came from the legs of tailbacks Ryan White and Wesley Kitts. The two combined for 127 hard fought yards and the Govs’ single touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Kitts plowed eight yards into the end zone at the end of an eight-play scoring drive with eight minutes left in the game. The Govs trailed 65-10 at that point.

Kitts finished the game with nine rushes for 65 yards. White got most of the touches, rushing 21 times for 64 yards. He also caught one pass for eight yards.

“I think we did some good things, but we did a lot of bad things. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted. We came out here with our heads up and they came out, they scored quick, and a lot of guys got their heads down,” White said.

“We have got a lot of young guys on the team. Our leaders on the team, our older guys have got to keep them going when bad things are happening. Our goal is to weather the storm when something bad happens and I don’t think we really did that today. Its something we are going to have to work on this week.”

The Govs will get an extra week to prepare for their next opponent. They will play the Memphis Tigers Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis at 6 p.m. TAS

10:31 Cincinnatti’s dj woods catches a 34- yard touchdown, bearcats lead 27-0

Update- bearcats,34 Apsu,0

Update – At the halftime Bearcats,41 Apsu,0