SATURDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 62, @Murray State 38
Eastern Illinois 41, @Tennessee Tech 10
#16 Eastern Kentucky 56, @Tennessee State 42
@#5 Jacksonville State 56, Austin Peay 0
UT MARTIN 62, MURRAY STATE 38
MURRAY, Ky. - Senior running back Abou Toure had the best game of his career to pace a dominant University of Tennessee at Martin rushing attack in a 62-38 shootout at Murray State this afternoon.
Behind a flawless Skyhawk offensive line, Toure established new career-highs in carries (29), rushing yards (234) and touchdowns (three) for UT Martin, averaging 8.1 yards per rush. His 234 yard effort marked the third-best rushing performance in program history, eclipsing his previous career-high by over 100 yards (previously 128 yards against Tennessee Tech earlier this season). He became the first UT Martin player to reach the 200-yard mark since Brandyn Young accomplished the feat with 213 yards against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 9, 2008.
All in all, the Skyhawk rushing attack gained 402 yards on 60 carries, amassing the most rushing yards in a game since UT Martin gained 531 yards on the ground against Murray State on Nov. 10, 2007.
Jarod Neal accounted for three touchdowns today, completing 13 of his 20 pass attempts for 193 yards while adding a rushing touchdown that opened the game’s scoring. William Tanner scored a touchdown while hauling in a team-high 57 receiving yards on four receptions. Najee Ray also added a touchdown reception for the Skyhawks, who extended their winning streak to four games while improving to 5-5 overall with a 4-3 Ohio Valley Conference record.
The Skyhawk defense produced a pair of touchdowns today, as Nick Dance and Walter Evans each returned interceptions for scores. Devontay Barnett had a team-high 12 tackles for UT Martin, who compiled eight tackles for loss as a team while limiting the Racers to just 59 rushing yards on 22 attempts.
KD Humphries’ 425 yards and five touchdown passes led the Racers (3-6, 1-4 OVC). Janawski Davis (seven catches, 133 yards, touchdown) and Nevar Griffin (seven catches, 115 yards, two touchdowns) also led Murray State offensively while DeQuentin Spraggins tallied a game-high 16 tackles for the Racers.
“In today’s game, we knew we had to score,” UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. “The two scores by our defense were huge. Offensively, it was a great job by our offensive line and our running backs getting downhill. I thought we took control of the game up front. I’m proud of Abou – he is chasing 1,000 yards on the year. He has the size and work ethic to succeed – good things are happening for him.”
The Skyhawks wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After pushing Murray State back eight yards on a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, Neal needed only two plays and 18 seconds to engineer a scoring drive. Neal found Tanner for a 32-yard reception and on the next play, Neal scored from five yards out on a quarterback keeper. After a Jackson Redditt PAT, the Skyhawks led 7-0 just 1:38 into the contest.
UT Martin’s defense came up with another big play on Murray State’s ensuing drive. Dance sniffed out a Racer pass play and jumped up for an interception, returning the ball 32 yards for a pick-six that made the score 14-0 with 12:22 to go in the first quarter.
After Murray state converted a field goal on its next drive, the Skyhawks answered back with a lengthy scoring drive. Of the nine plays on the drive, eight were on the ground as Toure found the endzone from four yards out to make the score 21-3 with 5:34 left to play in the first quarter.
The Racers then scored their first touchdown of the day on their next drive but UT Martin responded with another touchdown. On the first play of the second quarter, Neal hit Ray with a screen pass for 12 yards for a touchdown to cap off a nine-play, 72-yard drive that lasted 3:17.
UT Martin kept Murray State off the scoreboard on its next possession, as the Racers missed a 35-yard field goal attempt – allowing the Skyhawks to take over on their own 20-yard line.
A trio of big plays allowed UT Martin to tally yet another touchdown on its ensuing drive. Toure (22 yard rush), Taylor Higgason (20 yard reception) and Trent Garland (22 yard rush) each tallied significant gains before Tanner hauled in a 10-yard pass from Neal on third-and-goal to extend the Skyhawk advantage to 35-10 with 4:53 remaining in the second quarter.
Murray State was able to score on its next possession to make the score 35-17 at the halftime break. UT Martin outgained the Racers by a 191-23 margin in rushing in the first 30 minutes. Toure nearly reached the century mark in the first half (95 rushing yards on 12 carries).
The Skyhawks pushed their lead out to 21 points after a Redditt 33-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half. Toure had big gains of 17 and 20 yards on the drive to help UT Martin get in prime field position for the score.
After the Racers scored a touchdown on their next possession, the Skyhawks came right back with another touchdown to push their lead out to 45-24. Toure was once again a workhorse on the drive, rushing for a 40 yard gain on the second play of the drive before punching it in from one yard out on fourth-and-goal.
The Racers then accounted for a five-play, 47 yard scoring drive to make the score 45-31 at the end of three quarters.
Neal converted on 23 yard passes to both Corey Rogers and Ben Axline on the next drive before Toure found the endzone once again – this time from four yards out. The Skyhawks led 59-31 after the 13-play, 88 yard drive that took 5:32 off the clock.
It took a little over a minute for UT Martin to get back on the scoreboard, as Evans accounted for the second defensive score of the day. He stepped in front of a Humphries pass and returned the interception for 16 yards to push the Skyhawk lead out to 59-31 with 9:10 left to play.
Murray State had one more scoring possession before UT Martin ended its day with a career long 52 yard field goal off the right foot of Redditt with 5:30 to go in the game.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 41, TENNESSEE TECH 10
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Eastern Illinois football won its third straight Ohio Valley Conference game Saturday afternoon with a 41-10 win at Tennessee Tech.
EIU improved to 4-5 overall, 4-1 in the OVC. The Panthers will host Murray State next Saturday at 12 p.m. at O’Brien Field. TTU fell to 3-6 on the year, 2-4 in the OVC.
Eastern Illinois was effective driving down the field on the opening drive with Jalen Whitlow hitting Joe Powell on a fourth and goal from the 2-yard line to open the game. Whitlow was 14-of-17 in the opening half for 164 yards. He finished the game 19-of-24 for 297 yards with four touchdown passes. Whitlow had one interception ending his streak of consecutive passes without an interception at 163 passes. That breaks the previous school record of 157 set last year by Jimmy Garoppolo. The EIU school record is 218 by two quarterbacks in 2007.
Tennessee Tech cut the lead to 7-3 with 1:44 to go in the first quarter taking advantage of an EIU turnover. Tech settled for a 25-yard field goal by John Arnold. EIU’s defense limited TTU to 121 first half yards and 239 yards for the game.
EIU tacked on two second quarter touchdowns and a Nick Bruno 22-yard field goal. Whitlow scored on a 1-yard run at 13:48 of the 2nd quarter. Whitlow later hit Adam Drake on a 3-yard pass. EIU had 316 first half yards finishing the game with 598 yards.
The Panthers added to their lead in the second half as Whitlow hit Drake two more times for touchdowns. One was from 90-yards and the other from 8-yards out. Drake had six catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns.
TTU scored on a 37-yard run by Ladarius Vanlier in the third quarter. The possession was set up by an EIU fumble. The Panthers turned it over four times on the day while getting two turnovers.
Kamu Grugier-Hill led the Panthers with 19 tackles adding a forced fumble and interception in the end zone which ended a Golden Eagles drive. Fedney Delphonse added nine tackles.
Nick Bruno had a pair of short field goals while adding a 63-yard rush on a fake punt in the fourth quarter.
#16 EASTERN KENTUCKY 56, TENNESSEE STATE 42
NASHVILLE - The Eastern Kentucky University football team racked up 296 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns in the second half on the way to a 56-42 win over Tennessee State Saturday afternoon at LP Field.
With the victory, the No. 16 Colonels (8-1, 5-1 OVC) earned their first win at TSU (4-6, 1-5) since 2005.
Senior quarterback Jared McClain and junior running back Dy’Shawn Mobley each picked up 139 yards on the ground. McClain’s total was a personal high while Mobley has now reached 100 yards in four consecutive contests. McClain also completed 10-of-18 passes for 70 yards and a score.
McClain gave the Colonels the lead for good when he burst through the line for a 36-yard score on a fourth down play early in the third quarter to make the score, 27-21. Three minutes later, sophomore wide receiver Devin Borders picked up a fumble and raced in from 33 yards to extend the lead to 35-21.
Eastern twice extended its cushion to 21 points in the fourth quarter following touchdowns by junior wide receiver Jeff Glover and Mobley.
The Tennessee State defense came into the game leading the league in scoring defense at 17.6 points per game. The Tigers had not given up more than 28 points all year.
Eastern Kentucky scored the first 17 points behind two Mobley touchdowns. However, the Tigers’ Darion Hall returned a kick-off 100 yards for a score to jump-start the TSU offense. Tennessee State scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-17 lead into halftime.
#5 JACKSONVILLE STATE 56, AUSTIN PEAY 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State scored early and often against Austin Peay to run its record to 7-1 for the first time in a decade.
The No. 5 Gamecocks scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and rolled up 651 total yards in a 56-0 Homecoming rout of the Governors on Saturday. The win was Jacksonville State's seventh in a row and helped it maintain sole possession of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference at 5-0.
Jacksonville State travels to Eastern Kentucky (8-1, 5-1) next Saturday for a showdown between the top two teams in the OVC standings.
Austin Peay fell to 1-8 and 1-4.
Miles Jones ran for a career-high three touchdowns and four other Gamecocks added a rushing touchdown against the Governors. Seven of Jacksonville State's eight scoring drives covered at least 62 yards.
The seven rushing touchdowns were one shy of the school record. JSU pounded out 416 yards on the ground, led by DaMarcus James with a game-high 99 yards on 17 carries.
The 56-0 win was the first shutout record by the Gamecocks' defense since 2010.
Jacksonville State ran nearly twice as many plays as the Govs (49 to 25) in the first half and outgained them 340-25.
Austin Peay's lone first-half highlight came on the opening kickoff when Carlton Montez recovered a Gamecocks fumble on the JSU 30.
But the Govs turned the ball over on downs and Jacksonville State struck quickly for its first score, driving 65 yards in seven plays. Troymaine Pope ran 9 yards for a touchdown and the first of Connor Rouleau's eight extra points gave the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead with 11:37 left in the first quarter.
The Gamecocks struck fast again for their next touchdown.
On second-and-10 from the 15, Eli Jenkins connected with Markis Merrill to the 1, but APSU's Adam Noble knocked the ball loose as Merrill dove for the end zone. Tight end Bo Brummel pounced on the loose football to give the Gamecocks a 14-0 lead at the 7:16 mark.
Jones scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 4-yard run with 5:33 left in the first to cap off a five-play, 31-yard drive set up by a Govs fumble. Jenkins scrambled in from the 1 on JSU's next possession to give his team a 28-0 lead with 1:15 to go in the first quarter.
Backup quarterback Christian LeMay scored on a 7-yard run - his first rushing TD as a Gamecock - with 3:36 left in the second quarter as Jacksonville State extended its lead to 35-0.
Jones had touchdown runs of 21 and 22 yards during the third quarter as the Gamecocks pushed their lead to 49-0.
James polished off the scoring with a 2-yard TD with 12:01 left in the game. It was his 44th career rushing touchdown, moving him to within four of David Gulledge's school record.