Florence, Ala. — Austin Smith delivered a stellar performance, passing for 406 yards and four touchdowns while achieving a remarkable completion rate of 88.5%. His strong effort helped propel Austin Peay to a 31-17 victory over North Alabama on Saturday, marking a game where the Governors never found themselves behind.
The scoring started for Austin Peay (4-5, 3-3 United Athletic) with a 37-yard field goal from Carson Smith. Soon after, Austin Smith launched a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes, followed by another scoring throw of 31 yards to the same receiver. To wrap up the first half, Smith connected on a 14-yard pass to Romon Copeland Jr., which established a commanding 24-3 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, North Alabama made adjustments and cut the gap to just one touchdown. Quarterback TJ Smith scored on a 14-yard run just a minute and a half into the quarter. Later, with 5:40 remaining in the third, he threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Ben Harris, narrowing the score to 24-17.
However, Austin Peay regained control of the scoreboard when Smith completed another touchdown pass to Barnes for 49 yards with 7:21 left in the game, cementing the final score at 31-17. The efficient Austin Smith completed 31 of 35 passes, while Barnes recorded 12 receptions for an impressive 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith’s completion percentage is a new single-game record for the program, surpassing the previous mark of 87.5% set by Jesse Kellogg in 2003. Barnes’ reception tally ties him for second-most in a single game in program history, alongside Drae McCray, Pat Curran, and Michael Farrell. Additionally, his 241 receiving yards stands as the second-highest in the program’s history, only behind Harold Roberts’ 250 yards achieved in 1969.
On the other side, TJ Smith of North Alabama tallied 278 passing yards and added 62 rushing yards to his performance for the Lions (3-6, 3-2). Austin Peay has now claimed victory in the last three encounters with North Alabama, following a closely contested 38-35 game in 2022 and a 49-39 win the previous season.
Despite the recent successes for the Governors, North Alabama maintains a lead in the all-time series, holding a record of 14-7 against Austin Peay.