Inside Mike DiLiello's record-setting, 441-yard performance for Austin Peay football

On Mike DiLiello's first pass Saturday, a 30-yard touchdown to Trey Goodman, the Austin Peay football quarterback went over 5,000 yards for his college career. DiLiello wasn't aware of it until an hour after the game.

Before DiLiello trotted out for his final drive of the game, the Governors' 63-3 win over East Tennessee State having been sewn up long before, someone on the sideline asked him if he was ready to "break the record." DiLiello assumed they meant scoring the most points in APSU history. He had no idea he was just five yards away from Brian Baker's program record for most passing yards in a game.

A five-yard completion to Kenny Odom got him there. Govs coach Scotty Walden called timeout so DiLiello could sub out, walk to the sideline and stand alone with a freshly immortalized stat line: 37 completions on 46 attempts, six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) and 441 passing yards, which powered Austin Peay (1-2) over East Tennessee State (1-2).

Finally, it sank in.

"Going through the game, I really had no idea," DiLiello said. "... When they announced it, it was a surreal moment. It's one I'll never forget."

One of Austin Peay's team-building exercises on the eve of the 2023 season was called "Burn The Ships." Each player wrote down his personal goals, like being named All-American or setting a school record, on a slip of paper. Then the Govs gathered around a large fire and tossed those slips of papers in.

The intent, according to DiLiello, was to replace an individual mentality with a group one; to focus not on piling up gaudy statistics but team accomplishments like winning a conference title or making the FCS playoffs.

Maybe it was just DiLiello basking in the post-record glow. Maybe it's the fact that he's seen much more than the average college football player. But even after he'd already burnt his ship, he couldn't lie about how sweet his record night really was.

DiLiello began his career at Florida Tech in 2018. He sat out his first season and started his second. In May 2020, the Division II school dropped its football program due to the economic effects of COVID-19. DiLiello found a new home at Middle Tennessee State, where he played for two seasons. After graduating from MTSU, he transferred once more, making the 80-mile trip up Interstate 24. He draws his perspective on his record night straight from his six-year odyssey.

"I've had some guys that have played with me along the way who I've stayed in touch with who aren't playing football anymore," DiLiello said. "They tell me over and over again to cherish these moments. So I'm definitely not taking any of them for granted."

DiLiello's importance to APSU hasn't changed this season, Walden said. It's his platform that's different. DiLiello started all 11 games last season, leading the Govs to a 7-4 record while throwing for 2,447 yards and 21 touchdowns, both good for fourth in program history. But he was still a newcomer. He wasn't even listed No. 1 on the depth chart for the Govs' season opener. He knew he had to earn his respect.

At first, DiLiello was quiet — not because he is naturally, but because he felt he had to be. He didn't try to be the vocal "alpha," in Walden's words. He tried to let his work ethic do the talking. It hardly registered as a surprise for Walden when he walked into the weight room one Wednesday, not half an hour after practice had finished, and saw DiLiello with 100-pound weights in both of his arms.

AUSTIN PEAY 63, ETSU 3: Govs wallops Bucs in home opener, DiLiello sets single-game passing record

"To see him have a night like this is just so gratifying," Walden said. "... He's the toughest and best leader I've ever coached."

Last Saturday's hard-fought loss to Tennessee might have looked good to anyone living outside Clarksville. But on the inside, the Govs were desperate. They couldn't afford an 0-3 start. DiLiello, their well-traveled talisman, took it upon himself to ensure it wouldn't happen.

"The things he does for this team," Walden said, "you cannot measure in the stat column."

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: How Mike DiLiello set Austin Peay football's single-game passing record