AUSTIN PEAY at CINCINNATI
Thursday, Aug. 31 • 7 p.m. • ESPN3
Nippert Stadium (40,000/Speed Series M6-M)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Television
ESPN3
Jim Barbar and John Gregory
Radio
WLW-AM 700 (Cincinnati flagship)
THE GAME
Cincinnati and Austin Peay will meet for the sixth time as the Bearcats look to remain unbeaten in the series, which dates to 1985 … Cincinnati was a 72-10 winner in 2011, which was the most recent meeting, as QB Zach Collaros threw for four touchdowns and RB Isaiah Pead ran for two TDs.
AUSTIN PEAY
0-0, 0-0 Ohio Valley
Head Coach
Will Healy (Richmond ’08)
0-11, second season
Notes
Austin Peay enters the 2017 season with high hopes as the Governors look to rid themselves of a 27-game losing streak (the longest active streak in Division I) and reverse a stretch that has produced only one win in the last 46 games … Still, the Governors and second-year head coach Will Healy were able to attract a 2017 recruiting class that rated among the best in FCS, highlighted by QB Jeremiah Oatsvall, a three-star recruit who could end up as the Opening Day starter … QB JaVaughn Craig is the top returning signal-caller … Craig threw for 515 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions in five gams after having his redshirt removed last season … Austin Peay will need to shore up a defense that allowed 506.6 yards and 47.0 points per game last season.
CINCINNATI
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Luke Fickell (Ohio State ’97)
0-0, first season at Cincinnati
6-7, second season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Cincinnati enters its first season under new head coach Luke Fickell, the former Ohio State defensive coordinator and head coach … The Bearcats went 4-8 overall and 1-7 in The American last year and looks to snap a five-game slide that closed the 2016 season … Cincinnati has 11 returning starters from last season … QB Hayden Moore made seven starts last season and threw for 1,744 yards and 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions … RB Mike Boone rushed for 388 yards and two touchdowns last year in a injury-shortened season, but is hoping to return to his form of 2015, when he ran for 749 yards and a team-high nine TDs … DT Cortez Broughton, a second-team all-conference pick in 2016, is the top returner on defense … CB Alex Thomas had a team-high four interceptions last year.