Austin Peay Governors at North Alabama Lions
· NCAA - Football
Smith, Barnes enter Austin Peay record book in 31-17 win over North Alabama
Following Carson Smith's 37-yard field for the Governors (4-5, 3-3 United Athletic), Smith threw a 57-yard touchdown to Jaden Barnes, followed that with a 31-yard touchdown to Barnes and closed the first half with a 14-yard scoring pass to Romon Copeland Jr. for a 24-3 lead.
The Lions used the third quarter to get within a touchdown when quarterback TJ Smith ran it in from the 14 a minute-and-a-half in. With 5:40 left in the third, Smith threw a 19-yard touchdown to Ben Harris to reduce the deficit to 24-17.
Austin Peay ended the scoring with a 49-yard touchdown to Barnes with 7:21 left. Smith completed 31 of 35 passes and Barnes hauled in 12 catches for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Austin Smith's completion percentage is a single-game program record with a minimum of 10 passes thrown. In 2003, Jesse Kellogg set the previous record throwing for 87.5% against Kentucky Wesleyan.
Barnes' reception total ties him for the second-most in a single game in program history with Drae McCray (2022 against Alabama), Pat Curran (2003, Kentucky Wesleyan) and Michael Farrell (1999, Virginia-Wise). His 241 yards ranks second all-time in program history behind 250 yards by Harold Roberts in 1969 against Murray State.
TJ Smith threw for 278 yards and ran for 62 yards for the Lions (3-6, 3-2).
Austin Peay has won the last three meetings between the two, including a 38-35 win in 2022 at Braly Stadium and a 49-39 win last season in Clarksville.
Despite the Governors' win streak, North Alabama leads the all-time series with a 14-7 record.
How To Watch
How can I watch Austin Peay Governors vs. North Alabama Lions?
- TV Channel: Governors at Lions 2021 College Football, week 10, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
FG | 1st Period 10:50 | Carson Smith 37 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 1st Period 3:56 | Jaden Barnes 57 Yd pass from Austin Smith (Carson Smith Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 13:24 | Jaden Barnes 31 Yd pass from Austin Smith (Carson Smith Kick) |
 |
FG | 2nd Period 8:17 | Scott Payne 42 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 1:16 | Romon Copeland Jr. 14 Yd pass from Austin Smith (Carson Smith Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 13:25 | TJ Smith 14 Yd Run (Scott Payne Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 5:40 | Ben Harris 19 Yd pass from TJ Smith (Scott Payne Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 7:21 | Jaden Barnes 49 Yd pass from Austin Smith (Carson Smith Kick) |
Statistics
 APSU |
 UNA |
|
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1st Downs | 20 |
| 7-11 | 3rd down efficiency | 5-13 |
| 0-0 | 4th down efficiency | 0-1 |
| 525 | Total Yards | 394 |
| 406 | Passing | 278 |
| 31/35 | Comp/Att | 25/39 |
| 11.6 | Yards per pass | 7.1 |
| 119 | Rushing | 116 |
| 32 | Rushing Attempts | 25 |
| 3.7 | Yards per rush | 4.6 |
| 6-60 | Penalties | 5-40 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 1 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
| 33:48 | Possession | 26:12 |
Game Information
Location: Florence, AL
Attendance: 7,268 · Capacity:
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