BOZEMAN, Mont. - Austin Peay senior quarterback JaVaughn Craig passed for 173 yards and a touchdown, but the McCallie graduate was intercepted twice and sacked four times as the most successful football season in Governors history came to a close with a 24-10 quarterfinal loss Friday at fifth-seeded Montana State in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Govs (11-4) won the Ohio Valley Conference this season - their first OVC championship since 1977 and just their third league title overall - to reach the FCS playoffs for the first time, then rolled past Furman 42-6 in the first round. They extended the program's record for single-season victories and stretched their longest winning streak to seven games with a 42-28 win at fourth-seeded Sacramento State in the second round, but the run ended on a cold night out West.
Isaiah Ifanse rushed for 196 yards and a touchdown and passed for another score to lead Montana State (11-3), which is making its 10th appearance in the FCS playoffs and is moving on to the semifinals for the first time since its 1984 title season. The Bobcats totaled 279 rushing yards on 49 carries, and Tucker Rovig finished 13-of-20 passing for 114 yards with a touchdown.
Craig was 18-of-37 passing for the Govs, who finished with no rushing yards on 19 carries. They lost 32 yards on sacks.
"Sometimes you just tip your hat to your opponent," said Austin Peay's Mark Hudspeth, the OVC coach of the year. "They're an outstanding football team with outstanding fans and an outstanding defense."
Logan Birchfield's 38-yard field goal for Austin Peay in the final minute of the second quarter made it 10-3 at halftime, but the Bobcats pulled away in the third quarter on the scoring passes by Rovig and Ifanse. Craig's touchdown pass was a 76-yarder to DeAngelo Wilson with 13:11 left in the fourth quarter.
Wilson had six catches for 118 yards.
Craig, an All-OVC first-team selection, finished the season 234-of-406 passing (57.64%) for 3,208 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He added 714 yards and nine touchdowns on 145 rushes, an average of 5.3 yards per carry.