By JIM STEELE
pressbox1.com

Austin Peay State University scored 20 points in the first quarter, forced Bethel into a passing game and collected a 43-19 season-opening victory at Clarksville Saturday night.

The 43 points scored was the most in an opening game in 10 years for the Governors and the 24-point margin of victory was the largest in four years. In thr process, AP moved to 5-1 all time vs. Bethel and it was Austin Peay coach Rick Christophel's first victory as the Governors' skipper.

Austin Peay tailback Chris Fletcher ran for 131 yards and the Governor's special teams scored two touchdowns in the 20-point first quarter.

Bethel's Terrance Bell had 94 yards rushing on nine carries and Adrain Smith toted the ball 17 times for 41 yards. The Wildcats were challenged to pass the ball for much of the night. Quarterback Ronnie Jankovich completed 18 of 28 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

"We tried to make them (Bethel) do some things that they usual don’t do and that’s pass the ball a lot," said Christphel. "To hold their All-American running back to 41 yards shows how much our defense tackled well tonight."

Bethel did move the football and racked up 417 yards, most of it through the air and converted on all three of its red zone chances.

Bethel scored with 4:35 left in the first, marching 76 yards in 10 plays. Smith scored from the 2 and Shane Normandin converted the PAT. Jankovich found Buck Reed for a 3-yard TD completions with 4:27 to play in the first half. AP led 26-13.

Austin Peay less than a minute later to lift AP to a 33-13 halftime lead. With 1:06 to play in the game, Jankovich called his own number for a 1-yard plunge.

Austin Peay takes on Indiana State's Sycamores next week while the Wildcats travel to Muskegee, Okla. to face the Bacone Warriors.

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 35, TENNESSEE-MARTIN 13 at Hattiesburg, Miss.: The Skyhawks held Southern Miss scorless for 19:05 of the first half and held a 6-0 lead, thanks to a pair of field goals by Tom Hansen.

But Southern Miss, touted to win Conference USA this year, came back strong with 35 unanswered points to defeat the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions.

Hansen hit a 24-yard field goal with 12:40 to play in the first, then hit a 25-yard shot with 14:13 to play in the second. UTM held a 6-0 lead. But the Golden Eagles came back with a vengeance. Skyhawk Marcus Dawson's score from the 3 with 5:40 to play in the game stopped the bleeding.

UTM quarterback Dexter Anoka completed 12-23 passes for 129 yards. Damian Fletcher had 19 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown.

The Skyhawks, 0-1, will host Missouri State 6 p.m. CDT Thursday night at Hardy Graham Stadium. Southern Miss, 1-0, will head to Neyland Stadium and Knoxville, Tenn. to play the Tennessee Vols, 0-1. Kickoff for that game is 6 p.m. CDT.