SATURDAY'S SCORES
*UT Martin 42, @#18 Eastern Kentucky 35
*#1 Jacksonville State 24, @Eastern Illinois 3
*Murray State 46, @Tennessee State 43 (OT)
*Southeast Missouri 44, @Austin Peay 15
UT MARTIN 42, #18 EASTERN KENTUCKY 35
RICHMOND, Ky. - Keeping with the season theme of bend but don’t break, the University of Tennessee at Martin football rallied with 25 points in the fourth quarter to stun No. 18 ranked Eastern Kentucky on the road.
The Skyhawks (6-3, 5-1 OVC) outscored the Colonels 25-7 in the fourth quarter, leading the team to the program’s second consecutive victory at Roy Kidd Stadium after going winless in 11 prior contests dating back to 1973. The team’s 25 fourth quarter points marked the program’s biggest fourth quarter scoring production in OVC play since the Skyhawks scored 26 points in the final stanza against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 23, 2004.
With the win the 2015 senior class became the program’s all-time leader in victories with a 27-17 overall record and 21-11 mark in OVC play. The 27 wins break the previous tie between the classes of 2009, 2013 and 2014 who each won 26 contests throughout their four-year careers.
UT Martin deceptively won nearly every statistical categories despite trailing for much of the game and picking up the team’s lone lead on the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks led the game with 26 first downs and 107 rushing yards while narrowly outmatching the Colonels with 467 yards of total offense off a season-best 93 plays. In a game which looked sloppy at times, the two squads combined for seven turnovers – including six interceptions.
Despite tossing four interceptions in the first half, senior quarterback Jarod Neal settled down to complete 24 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns. Neal also registered seven carries for 39 yards, including a key 19-yard scramble to setup the team’s eventual game-tying scoring drive early in the fourth quarter.
Seven players registered catches in the contest, led by sophomore Caylon Weathers with seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. The senior duo of William Tanner and Rod Wright each caught six passes on the day with Tanner tallying 119 yards and Wright accumulated 99 yards and one touchdown to round out top performers.
Playing a big part in the team’s scoring was the play of fifth-year senior kicker Jackson Redditt. Redditt converted five point after attempts while knocking field goals from 23 and 27 yards to score 11 points on the day. With his performance, Redditt surpassed Ki Tok Chu’s (1986-89) previous record UT Martin career kick-scoring record of 221, pushing his scoring career to 223 points.
No. 18 Eastern Kentucky (5-4, 4-2 OVC) accumulated 442 yards of total offense while Bennie Coney completed 22-of-39 passes for 354 yards and five touchdowns along with tossing a pair of interceptions. Coney also tallied seven carries for 22 net yards on the ground. One of Coney’s main targets was Jeff Glover who caught five balls for 104 yards and one touchdown. Bryan Green, Ben Madon, Joel Brown and Kentayvus Hopkins also tallied receiving touchdowns.
The game got off to a rough start for the Skyhawks after receiving the opening kickoff. Starting their drive on the UTM 37, Neal would be intercepted on the first play from scrimmage, giving Eastern Kentucky prime field position. For as negative as the Skyhawks first play would be, the script would be flipped for the Colonels. EKU would capitalize on their opening play as Coney found Jeff Glover for a 37-yard touchdown down the right sideline to take an early 7-0 advantage just 12 seconds into the contest.
Things wouldn’t get much better for UT Martin on its following possession. The Skyhawks would move the ball down the field, stringing together a promising 11-play drive which found the team inside the redzone for the first time. The drive would then come to a sudden halt as Neal’s pass would be picked off again in the endzone as the Colonel defender curled around William Tanner for the game’s second turnover.
Following the turnover, the Skyhawks would look to get the ball back. With Eastern Kentucky beginning its drive on its own 20 yard line, senior lineman Deantae Glover would grab a scrambling Coney while stripping the quarterback of the ball. With the ball loose on the turf, James Gilleylen would dive on the ball to pick up his first career fumble recovery and give the Skyhawks prime field position.
UT Martin would take over possession on the EKU 28 before seeing the offense stutter, setting up fourth and 17 on the EKU 35. Following a called timeout, the Skyhawks would go for the conversion and find their effort successful as Neal threw a strike to Wright for a 22-yard completion over the middle to pick up a first down. Following a quick rush with a fresh set of downs, Neal would find Weathers in the back right corner of the endzone for the duo’s first touchdown completion of the day, this one from 11 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
The rest of the first quarter would see the team’s exchange a pair of punts each before Eastern Kentucky looked to take control of the contest once again in the early minutes of the second quarter. Sitting right outside of the redzone, Coney would find Hopkins through the air for a 23-yard touchdown just eight seconds into the second quarter to take a 14-7 advantage.
The Skyhawks would look to respond on the ensuing drive after setting up on their own 22. Flushed out of the pocket on second down, Neal found Weathers down the middle of the field for a 48-yard gain to flip the field. Neal would turn to the air again, finding Wright for a 17-yard gain to set up first and goal from the EKU eight yard line. After a pair of rushes by Jaimiee Bowe moved within the five, Neal zipped a pass to his talented partner Weathers for the pair’s second touchdown of the day and seventh of the season to tie the game at 14-14.
The offense for both teams would struggle over the next three possession before the Skyhawks looked to string together a strong drive to end the first half. With the Skyhawks taking over on their own 14 yard line, Neal would be flushed from the pocket once again but would find Tanner down the visitors’ sideline for a 61-yard completion to put the team in the redzone. A pass interference call would move the ball to the two yard line with a fresh set of downs. The Skyhawks would appear to take a 21-14 lead when Neal found Weathers for the duo’s third touchdown but the pass would be ruled incomplete for failure to complete the catch. Things would go from bad to worse on the following play as Neal would look for a similar play but be picked off for the fourth time in the first half off a diving play in the endzone.
Following yet another big stop, Eastern Kentucky would drive down the field to take an advantage into the half. With time winding down, the Colonels turned to the air to move the ball. Coney would take control of the drive with both his feet and his arm finding Madon for a 27-yard completion. The pair would connect again one play later with a 15-yard completion for a touchdown, taking a 21-14 lead into the locker room at the half.
The second half would mirror the first half, this time with the Skyhawks taking advantage of the situation. On the Colonels first play of the second half, cornerback Jordan Landry would notch his second interception of the season and third of his career.
Set up with good field position after starting their drive on the EKU 25, Garland would get the Skyhawks inside the 10 yard line before Redditt settled in for a 27-yard field goal to make it a 21-17 margin.
Eastern Kentucky would respond following the field goal with back-to-back pass completions from Coney to Green for 20 combined yards. Coney would continue to move the ball through the air finding Glover for a 25-yard completion before ultimately finding Brown for a 30-yard touchdown completion to make it a 28-17 contest.
Following the score, the Skyhawks would outscore the Colonels 28-7 over the final 20 minutes of the contest. With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Skyhawks would push the ball down the field, chewing up the remaining time in the period along with 74 yards in the final minutes. With the offense stuck inside the 10, the Skyhawks were held to just a field goal as Redditt booted a 23-yard attempt to make it a 28-20 contest.
A defensive three-and-out would give UT Martin the ball back at midfield. With new life, Neal would hit Tanner for a 28-yard completion before connecting with the receiver again to move into the redzone. Faced with third and 13 on the same drive, Neal would cut loose for a 19-yard rush to give the Skyhawks new life to the EKU six yard line. From there the Skyhawks turned to Trent Garland who led the team with 23 carries while punching a touchdown from one yard out to tie the game at 28-28.
Eastern Kentucky would quickly respond by scoring its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter to retake the lead just two minutes later. Coney would connect with Glover once again, this time for 34 yards to move the Colonels in Skyhawk territory. From there the quarterback would use his arm to find Borders for a seven yard completion before hitting Green for a 35-yard touchdown to regain a 35-28 advantage.
With just seven minutes remaining, the Skyhawks ensuing drive would result in a punt, giving Eastern Kentucky the ball back with just six minutes to play. After a pair of unsuccessful rush attempt, Glover would notch his second big play of the day, catching a tipped pass and returning the interception 41 yards for the game-tying touchdown. The defensive score was just the team’s second of the season and first interception return since Nov. 1, 2014 at Murray State.
With the game back knotted at 35 points for the game’s fourth tie, the Skyhawk defense went back to work, forcing a punt with just over a minute coming off the clock.
As the Skyhawks took over the tied game with 3:31 minutes remaining on their own 42, the game’s destiny was in the visitors hands. Najee Ray would start the drive with a four-yard carry before Neal scrambled for a seven yard gain himself. Garland would pick up five yards before Neal found Weathers for a 13-yard gain on second down to move to the EKU 29. Looking to milk the clock, the Skyhawks would call another pair of runs, gaining just five yards to set up third and five from the 24. With Eastern Kentucky calling a timeout, the Skyhawks would come out of the huddle looking to take commanding control of the game, not just play for a field goal. The result would be a touchdown as Neal hit a fading Wright for a 24-yard completion into the corner of the endzone to take the team’s first and only lead of the game with 1:05 remaining in the contest.
Eastern Kentucky would have one final chance with just over a minute left on the clock to try and make something happen. Turning to backup quarterback Kyle Romano, The Colonels would complete a pair of passes to pick up a first down and move to the EKU 46. After pressure on the quarterback resulted in a one-yard rush for the quarterback, EKU would get as close at their 47 before turning the ball over on downs and giving the Skyhawks a 42-35 victory.
#1 JACKSONVILLE STATE 24, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Nothing came easy for almost three quarters against a fired-up Eastern Illinois squad Saturday afternoon.
Jacksonville State, ranked No. 1 in both FCS polls for the first time, got its offense in gear after halftime to defeat the Panthers 24-3 at O'Brien Field, site of the Gamecocks' last Ohio Valley Conference loss in 2013.
JSU's 15th straight conference win establishes a school record.
Eli Jenkins connected with Dalton Screws on a 43-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, and the defense made the lead stand as Jacksonville State (8-1, 6-0) moved one more step closer to an OVC title.
Screws' spectacular touchdown catch in the back of the end zone - the longest reception of his career - broke open what had been a defensive slugfest. Jacksonville State saw its school-record streak of games with a least 400 total yards end at 19 with 385 yards against the Panthers.
Jacksonville State, which entered the game ranked second nationally in total defense at 259.9 yards per game, limited Eastern Illinois (5-4, 5-1) to 239.
The Gamecocks reeled off 21 points in 4 minutes, 12 seconds, the knockout blow coming when linebacker Dawson Wells intercepted a pass by Eastern Illinois quarterback Jalen Whitlow and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown with 11 minutes remaining. Wells' second pick-six in two games extended JSU's lead to 24-3.
Following a scoreless first quarter, Nick Bruno kicked a 23-yard field goal to put Eastern Illinois ahead 3-0 at the 14:12 mark in the second quarter to complete a 16-play, 91-yard drive.
Connor Rouleau answered with a 23-yard field goal with 15 seconds left before halftime to pull Jacksonville State even at 3-3. The three points marked the fewest Jacksonville State has scored in any first half since being blanked by Big Ten power Michigan State in the 2014 season opener.
Troymaine Pope ran for a game-high 114 yards on 21 carries. His 10-yard sweep around right end early the fourth quarter capped a 59-yard scoring drive and Rouleau's extra point pushed the lead to 17-3.
Pope's 114 yards ties him for the fourth-most career 100-yard performances with eight.
Wells, one of three Gamecocks credited with eight tackles, stepped in front of Whitlow's first down pass seconds later and rumbled 35 yards for a touchdown, just a week after returning an interception 48 yards for a score against Eastern Kentucky.
MURRAY STATE 46, TENNESSEE STATE 43 (OT)
NASHVILLE (AP) - Roman Clay had all 25 yards rushing in overtime, including the winning 2-yard score, to give Murray State a 46-43 overtime victory over Tennessee State on Saturday night.
Clay scored on a 20-yard run with 5 minutes left to tie the game. After a 37-yard field goal on Tennessee State's OT possession, Clay ran 19 yards to the Tigers 6. Three Clay runs later, the Racers had their victory after trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter.
KD Humphries was 34 of 51 for 366 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for Murray State (3-6, 2-4 Ohio Valley). Clay rushed for 134 yards. Jesse Blackburn caught 10 passes for 162 yards.
Patrick Smith came up a yard short of tying a 17-year-old Tennessee State (4-5, 1-5) record with 248 yards receiving on nine receptions, including scores of 70 and 81 yards, the latter giving the Tigers a 40-30 lead. O'Shay Ackerman-Carter was 23 of 33 for 329 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 44, AUSTIN PEAY 15
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Paul McRoberts broke the school's all-time career record in receiving touchdowns and Tremane McCullough rushed for 150 yards to lead Southeast Missouri (4-5, 3-2) to a 44-15 win over Austin Peay (0-10, 0-7) Saturday afternoon at Governors Stadium.
Southeast, which shutout out APSU in the second half, scored 23 unanswered points en route to snapping a six-game road losing streak.
McRoberts' record-breaking touchdown reception came on a 2-yard pass from Dante Vandeven and gave the Redhawks a 31-15 lead with 7:34 left to play in the third quarter. It marked the 27th of his career, as he surpassed Willie Ponder (26, 2001-02) for the new mark.
After that, Chad Meredith and Will Young scored their first career touchdowns to to polish off the Redhawks second-straight win.
Roper Garrett sacked Trey Taylor for a loss of eight yards on a third-and-6. Taylor fumbled on the play and Meredith scooped up the ball and ran a yard to the end zone. Meredith's score was the fourth touchdown for the Redhawk defense this year.
Following a fourth-down stop, Southeast took over on downs in excellent field position at the APSU 35-yard line. Five plays later, Young hit paydirt on a 5-yard run to push the Redhawks lead to 44-15 with 2:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. Young ran for 23 yards on three carries to key Southeast's final drive.
Southeast trailed, 12-7, with 11:42 left in the second quarter before using a 25-yard touchdown pass from Vandeven to Tyler McLemore to regain a two-point edge. McLemore's first career touchdown reception capped an 8-play, 75-yard march.
APSU went three-and out on its ensuing possession and the Redhawks went to work at their own 43.
Vandeven ran for 12 yards and threw a 14-yard completion to Lewis Washington, helping move Southeast into the red zone. Tay Bender kept the drive alive when he ran six yards to pick up a first down at the Governors 3-yard line. Bender then scored on a 3-yard run to give the Redhawks a 21-12 lead at the 3:49 mark.
Logan Birchfield (20 yards) and Ryan McCrum (44 yards) exchanged field goals in the final minute of the second quarter before Southeast headed into the locker room with a 24-15 lead.
Vandeven completed 19-of-28 passes for a season-high 161 yards and two touchdowns to lead Southeast. His 4-yard touchdown run gave the Redhawks their first lead of the game. Vandeven surpassed 1,000 passing yards (1,103) in six starts this year.
McCullough averaged just under eight yards per carry (7.9) and the 100-yard game was his fifth of the season.
McRoberts added a game-high eight receptions for 61 yards. He is now third all-time with 155 career pass receptions at Southeast. McRoberts was one of eight different Redhawks with a catch.
Southeast outgained APSU, 404-261, and picked up 220 yards on the ground.
Defensively, the Redhawks forced two turnovers and held the Governors under 100 yards rushing (82).
Garrett paved the way with 11 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The Redhawks tallied five sacks and posted 12 in their last two games.