• ESPN3 Information and FAQ | Direct Link to UT Martin/Eastern Illinois Game
This week the OVC Football "Game of the Week" series on ESPN3 features Eastern Illinois at UT Martin. The game is slated to kick-off at 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
This contest is the fifth of an exclusive eight-game package that will air on ESPN3 this season.
The games are being produced by Tupelo Raycom (formerly WebStream Sports), a Raycom Media company, brings together Tupelo-Honey (founded 1996) and WebStream Sports (2006). With offices in New York, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Nashville and Los Angeles the company develops new programming and delivers live events, music specials and branded features for broadcast, digital and in-venue entertainment.
Kevin Ingram, host of "The Wake Up Zone" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while Bob Belvin, on-air talent and contributor at 104.1 FM/AM 540 (ESPN Clarksville), will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past five years in the league's TV package.
The OVC Football Game of the Week package is part of an overall multiyear agreement with ESPN which was announced in October 2013.
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the ESPN App. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
GAME PREVIEW
Eastern Illinois Panthers (5-3, 4-1 OVC)
at UT Martin Skyhawks (3-4, 1-3 OVC)
Saturday, October 28 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Hardy M. Graham Stadium (8,500) • Martin, Tenn.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=182570
Series Record:.......................... Eastern Illinois leads 14-8
Last Meeting:..................... UT Martin won 33-17 (11/5/16)
Kim Dameron at Eastern Illinois:................... 23-20 (4 yrs.)
Kim Dameron Overall:............................................. same
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:..................... 75-58 (12 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Eastern Illinois Last Week: L, 30-14 vs. #3 Jacksonville State
UT Martin Last Week:........... L, 31-21 at Eastern Kentucky
GAME NOTES: UT Martin will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak, its longest since 2014, when it hosts Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Eastern Illinois finds itself at 4-1 in Conference play, which puts them in a tie for second place, although they are coming off a loss to league-leader Jacksonville State. Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series 14-8 with the two teams splitting the past four games. A year ago UTM scored 17 fourth quarter points to pull out the 33-17 victory over then No. 24 ranked EIU. Jaimiee Bowe rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown and Ladevin Fair added two rushing scores for the Skyhawks. EIU was paced by Devin Church who rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes.
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: Entering last weekend’s game, Eastern Illinois had won four OVC games by a combined 10 points (including two games that went to double overtime). The Panthers led No. 3 ranked Jacksonville State 14-6 late in the second quarter but saw its winning streak come to an end as the Gamecocks outscored them 21-0 in the second half to win 30-14. Bud Martin finished the game with 219 passing yards and a touchdown for the Panthers while Isaiah Johnson rushed for 40 yards. Defensively, Bradley Dewberry had a game-high 12 tackles while Tray Mitchell and Joe Caputo each had 11 stops. As a team Eastern Illinois ranks seventh nationally in fumbles recovered (9) and 18th in turnovers gained (16). Punter Cody Edwards averaged 40.6 yards on seven punts including a long of 51 in the game.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin is looking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since the 2007 season. After going 10 quarters without an offensive touchdown (including a 7-0 loss at Austin Peay and a 13-10 home loss to Murray State), the Skyhawks got on the board in the second quarter at Eastern Kentucky when Dresser Winn hooked up with Jaylon Moore for a 67-yard touchdown pass. The action was the first of the year for the freshman Winn who finished 7-for-15 passing for 99 yards. Normal starter Troy Cook completed 7-of-10 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown to Londell Lee. Ladarius Galloway was held to 41 yards rushing and the UTM team ended up with 38 net rushing yards for the game. UTM got a special teams touchdown in the third quarter when Peyton Logan returned a kick 95 yards for a touchdown; the first return score for the Skyhawks since 2012. Logan currently ranks seventh nationally in kick returns (29.4 yards/game). As a team UTM is third nationally in fourth down conversion defense (14.3%), fifth in kick returns (25.88 yards/return), eighth in total defense (279.6 yards/game) and punt return defense (3.58 yards/return), ninth in third down conversion defense (29.3%), 10th in punt returns (15.38 yards/return), 11th in scoring defense (17.0 points/game) and 15th in rushing defense (100.7 yards/game).