Clarksville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – North Dakota State will try to protect
the longest winning streak in FCS history (30 games) on Saturday against the
last program to beat it, Indiana State.
Austin Peay simply wants one victory at this point.
The Ohio Valley Conference squad has the longest losing streak in all of
Division I at 18 games. Coach Kirby Cannon has yet to win a game in his first
two seasons, although he gets another chance Saturday night when rival Murray
State pays a visit to Governors Stadium.
A sinkhole opened in Austin Peay’s stadium early last spring, perhaps an
unfortunate omen for a team coming off a winless season. The results haven’t
been any better this season, but the Governors (0-6) surpassed the combined
point total of their first five games in last weekend’s 49-21 loss at Mercer –
the program’s 28th straight defeat on the road.
“I think there’s more players beginning to play. I think we’re hampered by
youth right now,” Cannon said. “We come out in games and kind of ease into
them. We’re going to have to grow up and get ready to play from the first play,
have their shields up and be ready to go.”
Younger players highlighted the Governors’ effort against Mercer. Freshman
walk-on running back Otis Gerron rushed for 196 yards, including an 89-yard
touchdown; freshman quarterback Mickey Macius threw for a pair of touchdowns;
and sophomore linebacker Antonio Turner posted a team-high eight tackles.
Austin Peay’s most recent win came in its final game of the 2012 season – a
38-31 OVC win over Tennessee Tech.
