SATURDAY'S SCORES
#16 UT Martin 28, @Eastern Illinois 17
@Tennessee State 20, Tennessee Tech 13 (OT)
Murray State 32, @Southeast Missouri 31
#16 UT MARTIN 28, EASTERN ILLINOIS 17
CHARLESTON, Ill. - A second-half shutout by the No. 16 ranked University of Tennessee at Martin football team directly resulted in a 28-17 Ohio Valley Conference road triumph over Eastern Illinois at O’Brien Field.
With the win, the Skyhawks won their fifth straight game – their longest winning streak since 2006. UT Martin is now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in OVC play heading into a three-game homestand.
UT Martin led at the end of the first quarter but trailed for over 29 minutes of clock time until a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. The Skyhawk defense did not allow a point over the final 37-plus minutes, conceding just 271 yards of total offense – 111 in the second half – on 61 plays overall.
John Ford posted 12 tackles (nine solo) and a pair of quarterback hurries while David DuBose (blocked punt), D’Carrious Stephens (blocked punt touchdown return), Eyabi Anoma (two sacks) and Takeem Young (interception) also made game-changing plays for the stout UT Martin defense.
Offensively, Zak Wallace continued his hot stretch with career-highs in carries (21) and rushing yards (125). The redshirt freshman running back from Benton, Ark. found the endzone twice after three touchdown rushes last week against Murray State.
Keon Howard threw for 166 yards and rushed for 32 more, hooking up with Donnell Williams for his first touchdown reception of the 2021 campaign and seventh of his Skyhawk career.
The UT Martin defense kept the Panthers (1-6, 1-1 OVC) off the scoreboard in their first three drives, accounting for a defensive score for the second straight week. With under six minutes to go in the first quarter, DuBose broke through the wedge to block an Eastern Illinois punt. Stephens scooped up the loose ball and scampered 34 yards down the right sideline to give the Skyhawks a 7-0 lead following a Tyler Larco kick on the extra-point try.
The Panthers scored on their ensuing possession as UT Martin held Eastern Illinois to a 33-yard field goal with 3:24 to go in the first quarter.
Four plays in to the second quarter, the Panthers scored on a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line to make the score 10-7.
Eastern Illinois added another touchdown on its next possession, capping off a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a six-yard pass. The Panthers went ahead 17-7 but ultimately that was the final time that they would score.
The Skyhawks answered with a huge drive of their own, marching 75 yards on 12 plays in 6:12 to get within three points before the halftime break. Wallace had a 20-yard run on 3rd-and-3 before punching it in from three yards out, making the score 17-14 at the 1:37 mark of the second quarter.
Statistically, UT Martin dominated the third quarter but had nothing to show for it after a pair of missed field goal attempts. In the third quarter, the Skyhawks outgained Eastern Illinois in yards 176 to 16, possessing the ball for 12:13. After converting zero first downs in the quarter, the Panthers held on to take a 17-14 advantage into the fourth quarter.
It didn’t take long for UT Martin to tally the go-ahead score as Howard hit Williams with an 11-yard touchdown strike on the third play of the fourth quarter.
Another Skyhawk defensive stand followed and Larco pinned Eastern Illinois at its own 9-yard line after a 41-yard punt with 8:47 remaining. Six plays later, Young snagged his fifth career pick to give UT Martin good starting position at its own 43-yard line with 6:22 to go.
Wallace was responsible for one of the biggest offensive plays of the game – a 29-yard run on 4th-and-2 from the Eastern Illinois 31-yard line – to set up the final score of the contest. On the next play, Wallace found the endzone from two yards out to make it a two-score game – 28-17 – with 2:35 left on the clock.
The Skyhawks recovered the ensuing kickoff at the Panther 20-yard line after an Eastern Illinois special teams miscue. That play essentially sealed UT Martin’s first win in Charleston since 2016.
TENNESSEE STATE 20, TENNESSEE TECH 13 (OT)
NASHVILLE (AP) - Dayron Johnson scored on a 13-yard catch in overtime, Cory Rahman intercepted Willie Miller in the end zone on fourth down and Tennessee State beat Tennessee Tech 20-13 on Saturday, giving first-year coach Eddie George back-to-back victories.
Its the first time Tennessee State (3-3, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference) has won consecutive games in five seasons.
Tight end Rodell Rahmaan caught a short pass in the flat from Geremy Hickbottom and raced 56 yards into the end zone for TSU’s first touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Rahmaan also had a 37-yard grab with 1:56 remaining, setting up a 24-yard field goal by Antonio Zita to tie the game.
Hickbottom was 20 of 34 for 256 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Rahmaan finished with four catches for 106 yards.
Miller threw for 126 yards with one touchdown and one pick for Tennessee Tech (2-5, 1-2). David Gist carried it 23 times for 113 yards.
MURRAY STATE 32, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 31
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Murray State football team drove 47-yards in one minute and seven seconds to set up a 35-yard field goal from Aaron Baum as time expired to give the Racers a 32-31 win over Southeast Missouri Saturday at Houck Field in Cape Girardeau.
Murray State used two rushing touchdowns and a field goal from Baum in the first half to build a 16-10 lead that they took into the locker room at the break. However, the third quarter absolutely belonged to the Redhawks who scored 21 unanswered in the stanza to take a commanding 31-16 lead to the fourth quarter.
Though down by two scores, the Racers wasted little time scoring in the fourth, as DJ Williams found Damonta Witherspoon for a 16-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 31-22. After holding the Redhawk offense to a three-and-out on the following SEMO possession, Honeycutt made a heads-up special teams play that turned the game for Murray State. With the punted ball on the ground with three Redhawks looking on, Honeycutt came in and scooped up the un-downed ball and took it 52 yards for the score to cut the lead to 31-29.
From that point on, the Murray State defense held the Redhawks to three more three-and-outs, allowing zero SEMO first downs and just 12 yards in the fourth quarter. Conversely, Murray State had eight first downs in the fourth quarter including three consecutive first downs in the final game-winning drive. The Racers drove 47 yards over six plays with just 1:02 left in the game and no timeouts to give Baum the opportunity for the win. Baum sent the ensuing kick right down the middle with plenty of distance to give Murray State the win and Baum his seventh consecutive made field goal of the season.
Witherspoon also ran for 81 yards in the game in addition to a team-high 56 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. Jacob Bell caught three passes for 66 yards, while Honeycutt caught three for 44 yards. Defensively, Eric Samuta led the way with 12 tackles, while Cade Shupperd followed with seven and Jamari Dailey added five with a pass breakup. Marcis Floyd also had a big game, notching four tackles and three pass breakups.