SKYHAWK FOOTBALL DROPS ANOTHER HEARTBREAKER, FALLING 24-21 AT EASTERN ILLINOIS IN OVERTIME

Saturday, October 20

Charleston, Ill.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

1-6 , 1-3

Eastern Illinois

2-6 , 2-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UT Martin

Eastern Illinois

SKYHAWK FOOTBALL DROPS ANOTHER HEARTBREAKER, FALLING 24-21 AT EASTERN ILLINOIS IN OVERTIME

10/20/2018 4:40:00 PM | Football

Box Score Boxscore Final Book Photo Gallery Postgame Press Conference

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team scored a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the contest to force overtime at O'Brien Field, but ultimately dropped yet another single-digit heartbreaker to Eastern Illinois by a final score of 24-21.

The Skyhawks (1-6, 1-3 OVC) dropped their third consecutive contest by mere single digits as the last three games have been decided by just 11 points combined. With heavy gusts of winds gushing across the central Illinois plains combined with yet another abundance of injuries to key Skyhawks, the squad battled until the final whistle.

Defensively, the team played strong, limiting arguably the Ohio Valley Conference's most explosive offense to just 24 points and 204 yards of total offense after entering the game averaging 469.9 yards per game. Included in the team's 204 yards, the Panthers were limited to just 27 rushing yards while an interception by DaVonte Maura forced a turnover.

On the offensive side of the ball, injuries on the offensive line saw a change in the rotation while sophomore quarterback Dresser Winn's solid start to the contest, completing 7-of-7 pass completions, ended in injury early in the first half. Thrust into action, junior quarterback Joe Hudson completed 18-of-30 pass attempts for 175 yards and a touchdown – a 26-yard strike to Jaylon Moore with 25 seconds on the clock to force overtime.

Meanwhile, senior LaDarius Galloway continued his hot stretch of play, tallying 18 carries for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Galloway earned the start and tallied scoring runs from four and five yards each to wrap the day's scoring.

"You certainly feel for the guys," UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. "While injuries aren't an excuse, we were down several key guys again but the team continued to fight. It was a nasty day but the offense made a couple plays and the defense was strong, we just couldn't find a way to get over the top."

UT Martin will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 27 when playing host to OVC foe Southeast Missouri. The game serves as the culmination of Homecoming on the UT Martin campus with festivities throughout the week.