Alabama Football: Reasons Austin Peay is a ‘must-see’ game

Many Alabama football fans have had their fill of games against FCS teams. As a result, the Nov. 19 contest between the Crimson Tide and the Austin Peay Governors will have the smallest home crowd of the 2022 season.

Making it worse in terms of ticket demand is the game will have an 11:00 AM kickoff. The Governors will likely end their 2022 season in Tuscaloosa. No objective follower is projecting Austin Peay to make the 2022 FCS Playoff field.

There is no foreseeable chance the game will be anything but a blowout. If Austin Peay returned every player from last season, the game would still be one-sided. Instead, Austin Peay Head Coach Scotty Walden has a team needing new starters in almost every position group, including quarterback. The Governors don’t have much size either, at least not in terms of an SEC-size roster.

Walden will counter with a pass, pass, pass, punt attack. Occasionally the Governors will make first downs. They might even score. Last season, Austin Peay scored 17 on Ole Miss in Oxford. The season before, the Governors scored 22 points on the road against Cincinnati. In that same 2020 season, Pitt led Austin Peay 42-0 at halftime. By mutual consent, the teams agreed to 10-minute quarters in the second half, with Pitt winning 55-0.

Austin Peay lost those three games by a combined score of 164-37. If they stay with six touchdowns of the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, it will be because Nick Saban hates to run up scores.

None of the above means the game will not be a good opportunity to be in Bryant-Denny. In fact, any Tide fan who has never been in a stadium for an Alabama game, should not miss out on Nov. 19.

Reasons to attend Alabama Football vs. Austin Peay

• Tickets will be available in abundant supply and many will be at bargain prices.
• Unlike almost every other game, traffic and parking opportunities will be manageable.
• There will even be hotel rooms available, at somewhat less than the normally exorbitant rates, though two-night minimums will likely prevail.
• Late fall in Tuscaloosa is great football weather as long as there is no rain.
• The best benefit of in-person attendance is the ability to focus on lesser-known players. The outcome of plays matters less in such games. Not being constrained by a narrow field of vision on television means a chance to closely watch backups in action and understand their potential contribution as future starters. Fans with a roster with plenty of space for note-taking might be an added treat.
• For most in attendance, there will be plenty of time to get home and watch more Saturday football.

The score will not much matter. Just to register an early prediction, mark down Alabama Football for 60-plus points against maybe 10 for the Governors.