RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — T.J. Mitchell III returned a kickoff 100 yards for touchdown, Vito Tisdale added a 19-yard pick-6, and Eastern Kentucky rallied to beat Austin Peay 34-20 on Saturday.
Eastern Kentucky (3-3, 1-1 United Athletic Conference) didn’t score an offensive touchdown until 4:33 remaining, when Myles Burkett scored on a quarterback keeper to give the Colonels their first lead.
The Colonels had 68 total yards at halftime and zero rushing yards, but were led by special teams. Mitchell took a kickoff the length of the field with 53 seconds left in the first quarter.
They trailed 17-7 inside the final two minutes of the first half, but a 43-yard field goal from Buzz Flabiano and Tisdale’s pick-six knotted things up.
No. 16 in the FCS coaches poll, Austin Peay (4-3, 2-2) retook the lead with an eight-play, 74-yard field goal drive in the span of 60 seconds to end the half.
Flabiano missed a 46-yard field goal, then responded with a career-long 51-yarder later in the third quarter to knot it at 20-20.
The Colonels got a fourth-and-1 stop with 11:11 left in the fourth on a failed keeper from Chris Parson. Their ensuing drive was extended due to a personal foul call on Myles Wiley, and Burkett scored to take the first lead of the game.
Governors receiver Jaden Robinson had eight catches for 145 yards, but dropped a surefire conversion on third-and-11 with 2:59 remaining.
Three plays later, Brady Hensley broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run to double the Colonels’ lead.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
