It wasn’t so much about the way No. 17 Austin Peay football started against Gardner-Webb in the 2026 season opener on Aug. 27 as it was the way the Governors finished with a convincing 35-17 win. It could provide momentum for the Governors (1-0) heading into their Sept. 5 game at Vanderbilt.
“Obviously, we didn’t start the way we wanted to,” Austin Peay quarterback Chris Parson said. “We kind of started pretty slow, and we have to be better, and that starts with me. But we were able to find our groove, have some really good plays and get some drives going. We’ll watch this film, we’ll be able to learn from it, and we’ll be ready to go next week.”
Parson, a Mississippi State transfer who played at Ravenwood High, posted his fifth career 300-yard passing game at Austin Peay, completing 14-of-21 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a touchdown.
After Gardner-Webb (0-1) took a 10-7 lead on a 43-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, Parson engineered a 79-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run by former East Robertson star Isaiah Groves.
Parson then tossed a 49-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Denver Harper, ran for a 4-yard touchdown and engineered a 48-yard scoring drive to put the Governors up 35-10 in the third quarter.
“The way we finished was critical; I think our guys gained some confidence by the way they played,” Austin Peay coach Jeff Faris said. “It kind of confirmed what they know, that when our process is good, we play pretty well. I’m really, really excited to see our team at Vanderbilt next week. We’ve got a lot of work to do before we get there, and I’m excited.”
The victory was Austin Peay’s seventh straight at Fortera Stadium. The Governors were 6-0 at home in 2025 for the first time since 1949.
Their seven-game home win streak is the longest since the 1964 and 1965 seasons.
Official attendance was 7,043.
“The crowd is everything, and this community continues to support us in every single way,” Faris said. “I’ve been at great places. I’ve never been a place like this where the community is all into our student-athletes both on and off the field.”
The Austin Peay defense struggled early, allowing Gardner-Webb to put together two long drives on its first two possessions.
That changed midway through the second quarter. Austin Peay forced Gardner-Webb to turn the ball over on downs on back-to-back possessions.
The first stop came at the Austin Peay 31. The Governors forced Pennington to throw the ball away on fourth down with 4:34 remaining in the first half.
The Governors stopped Gardner-Webb on its next possession on fourth down at the Austin Peay 21.
It did not get any better for Gardner-Webb at the start of the second half. On the Runnin’ Bulldogs first possession, Ta’Ron Haile intercepted Pennington at the Austin Peay 41.
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