SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#15 UT Martin 45, Tennessee Tech 28
#24 Southeast Missouri 49, Lindenwood 28
Lane College 28,
Tennessee State 27 (OT)
#21 Southeastern Louisiana 48,
Murray State 14
#15 UT MARTIN 45, TENNESSEE TECH 28
MARTIN, Tenn. - The No. 15 ranked University of Tennessee at Martin football team scored early and often en route to its program-record ninth consecutive victory at Hardy M. Graham Stadium while remaining unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play with a 45-28 win over visiting Tennessee Tech.
The Skyhawks (3-2, 2-0 OVC) treated fans and alumni to a high-scoring league matchup while soaring to the team’s third consecutive Homecoming victory behind a well-rounded afternoon which saw the home squad score in all three phases of the game. UT Martin scored in every quarter while accumulating its third 500-yard performance of the season on offense. Additionally, the Skyhawks added to their afternoon with a defensive touchdown via an interception while making their lone field goal attempt.
Big plays highlighted the contest as UT Martin recorded 12 plays totaling 10 yards or more while notching six of the team’s 10 longest plays this season with plays eclipsing 40 yards. Some of the top highlights include a 70-yard touchdown pass from Dresser Winn to DJ Nelson, a 69-yard connection from Winn to DeVonte Tanksley, an 86-yard rushing touchdown by Sam Franklin, a 44-yard interception return by Shaun Lewis, a 55-yard pass from Winn to EJ Smoot and a 41-yard scamper by Zak Wallace.
With the big plays in their pocket, the Skyhawks presented a balanced offense on their way to 523 yards. UT Martin passed for 335 yards while the ground attack racked up 188 yards – including three rushing touchdowns. Winn led the offensive attack at quarterback by completing 21-of-34 pass attempts for 335 yards and two touchdowns. Nelson led the air attack with career highs in both yards (95) and touchdowns (two) while Tanksley paced the team with four catches totaling 69 yards.
The ground attack had five players notch carries with Wallace leading the squad with 17 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdowns marked the 23rd and 24th of his career, moving into sole possession of third place on the program’s all-time rushing touchdown leaderboard. Meanwhile, Franklin made the most of his five carries by racking up 94 yards – including an 86-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
UT Martin’s defense saw Lewis lead the way with a game-high 11 tackles while returning his third interception of the season 44 yards for a touchdown. Linebacker John H. Ford II and safety Carson Evans just missed double-digits in the tackle column with nine stops each while Rob Hicks paced the team with 2.0 tackles for loss – including a sack.
Wrapping up the team’s top performances in each phase was specialist Tyler Larco who posted yet another strong afternoon in the kicking game. Not only did Larco boot a season-long 36-yard field goal in the third quarter, he also averaged 47.7 yards per punt – including a season-best 66-yard blast. He also excelled on kickoffs by averaging 57.1 yards per attempt while tallying five touchdacks.
Tennessee Tech (1-3, 0-1 OVC) notched 409 yards of total offense behind quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall. The transfer quarterback completed 19-of-34 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns while throwing one interception. Running back David Gist also had a nice afternoon with two total touchdowns – scoring both on the ground and through the air.
#24 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 49, LINDENWOOD 28
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Geno Hess ran for a career-high 276 yards and four touchdowns, and broke two of his program's career records to lead #24 Southeast Missouri (4-1, 1-0) to a 49-28 win over Lindenwood (2-2, 0-2) Saturday at Hunter Stadium.
In the first-ever meeting between SEMO and LU, deemed Game Ball Brawl, the Redhawks prevailed in a shootout that featured a combined 77 points and 1,218 yards of total offense.
A native of Peoria, Illinois, Hess broke SEMO's all-time career records in total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns surpassing Walter Smallwood in both categories. Smallwood attended the game and presented Hess with the game ball after the Redhawks buried the Lions with a 21-point fourth quarter. Hess now has 39 total touchdowns and 37 rushing touchdowns in his career.
SEMO never trailed in the game and drove inside LU's 20-yard line on each of its first two possessions but settled for DC Pippin field goals of 21 and 29 yards to take an early 6-0 lead with 5:33 left to play in the first quarter.
The Lions were then inside the Redhawks 10-yard line when quarterback Cade Brister fumbled on back-to-back plays. Brister's second fumble was recovered by LaWilliam Holmes.
SEMO later capitalized on the turnover with a 9-play, 87-yard march that ended with a 15-yard touchdown run by Hess pushing the Redhawks lead to 13-0 at the 13:13 mark in the second quarter.
The Redhawks continued their strong start with another touchdown, this time a 21-yard pass from Paxton DeLaurent to Johnny King. King's team-high fourth receiving TD was followd by a 2-point conversion as SEMO widened its lead to 21-0 with 8:28 to go.
A roughing the kicker penalty by SEMO gave LU an automatic first down with under three minutes left in the second quarter. Brister would hook up with Payton Rose on a 14-yard pass to cut the Redhawks lead to 21-7 at the half.
LU managed to make it a one-possession game on a 19-yard pass from Brister to Kobe Smith with 4:10 left in the third quarter.
However, SEMO answered with touchdowns by Hess on its next to scoring drives. Hess scored from 14 yards out and later busted loose for an 84-yard touchdown after Bryce Norman intercepted Brister to give the Redhawks a 35-14 advantage.
Two more fourth-quarter touchdowns followed when Shamenski Rucker sprinted 30 yards to the end zone and Hess capped off his record-setting day with a 1-yard plunge to polish off SEMO's fourth-consecutive win.
Hess ran the ball 24 times and averaged a staggering 11.5 yards per carry to lead SEMO to a season-high 372 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, DeLaurent threw for 312 yards and one touchdown on 19-of-33 passes. King added a game-high eight receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown, his second 100-yard receiving effort this year.
SEMO's 684 total yards were the second-most in a game during the Redhawks Division I era.
Defensively, the Redhawks posted a +2 turnover margin. Trai Hodges led the way with nine tackles and Norman followed close behind with eight stops, a sack, one interception and a pass breakup.
LANE COLLEGE 28, TENNESSEE STATE 27 (OT)
NASHVILLE - Tennessee State put together a huge 226-yard performance on the ground, including 109 yards from Jalen Rouse, and three rushing touchdowns as a team, but fell 28-27 in overtime to Lane Saturday afternoon at home at Hale Stadium.
Lane improved to 3-2 on the season while TSU dropped to 0-4.
Rouse led all TSU rushers with 109 yards and one touchdown in the contest, picking up 4.4 yards per carry. Chayil Garnett also added 53 yards and one touchdown on the ground, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
The most prolific target for Tennessee State quarterbacks was Zaire Thornton, who caught five passes for 58 yards. Edwin Rhodes III accounted for 106 all-purpose yards as he finished 6-of-10 with 68 yards through the air, while also picking up 38 yards and a score on the ground.
Terray Jones led the Tennessee State defensive effort, totaling seven tackles, 2.0 TFL, and one sack. Davion Nash added 1.0 TFL and one sack in the loss. K'Vaughan Pope led TSU with nine tackles to go along with two pass breakups, while Josh Green logged eight tackles in the contest.
Tennessee State put together a stellar performance on the ground, logging 226 rushing yards while averaging 4.8 yards per carry and out-rushing Lane by 131 yards. Tennessee State converted on 42.9 percent of third-down attempts on the day.
Tennessee State's defense held up against Lane's offense, allowing 268 total yards.
After Lane opened the scoring to go up 6-0, Tennessee State fired back to take a 7-0 lead with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter. TSU then followed with another score to extend the lead to 10-6.
Lane then grabbed a 13-10 lead, but Tennessee State responded at the 11:35 left mark in the third quarter with a four-yard touchdown run Rouse to jump back ahead 17-13.Lane scored to grab a 20-17 lead, but the TSU responded with a score of their own to even things up at 20-20 as Kaleb Mosley booted a 51-yard field with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee State scored again, a two-yard touchdown run from in the first overtime, and grabbed a 27-20 lead in the process. Tennessee State didn't score again and Lane tacked on eight more points to finish off the scoring.
#21 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 48, MURRAY STATE 14
HAMMOND, La. - The Murray State football team left everything on the field Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond, Louisiana. Despite the gutsy performance on the road against a ranked Southeastern Louisiana team, the Racers ultimately fell, 48-14.
The Racers were never really out of the game until the fourth quarter, trailing by just six at the end of the third quarter. However, a touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter pushed the lead out to 13 for the Lions, sealing the win in the process. The Lions would end the game scoring 28 unanswered points
Jayden Stinson became the first Racer quarterback this season to start in consecutive games Saturday. The redshirt sophomore went 20-for-44 in the game for 292 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Quindarius Mayes and Taylor Shields totaled 108 and 107 yards, respectively, with each scoring a touchdown. They are the first Racer receiving duo to tally over 100 yards each since Janawski Davis and Jeremy Harness did it against Tennessee Tech in 2015.
The touchdown pass from Stinson to Shields went down for 84 yards and is now the third longest touchdown pass in school history. Only KD Humphries and Jesse Blackburn's 87-yard touchdown in 2016 and two passes of 86 yards by Toby Thomason and Wayne Wilson in 1966 and Buddy Parker Buddy Searcy in 1959 were longer.
LaMartez Brooks, DeQuan Dallas and Taylor Shields all had touchdowns in the game with Dallas leading the receiving corps with 97 yards on nine catches.
Nick Walker led the Racers with 11 tackles in the game, while Cody Goatley followed with nine and Cade Shupperd had eight. Shupperd also had two pass breakups in the game, while C.J. Barnes had six total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss for nine yards and a team-high three quarterback hurries.