UT MARTIN FOOTBALL DROPS ANOTHER HEARTBREAKER 31-28 AT TENNESSEE STATE IN OVERTIME

Saturday, November 17

Nashville, Tenn.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

2-9 , 2-6

Tennessee State

4-4 , 3-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UT Martin

Tennessee State

UT MARTIN FOOTBALL DROPS ANOTHER HEARTBREAKER 31-28 AT TENNESSEE STATE IN OVERTIME

11/17/2018 6:27:00 PM | Football

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team saw its season come to a close in an all too familiar way, dropping a heartbreaking overtime showdown against Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee State 31-28 on the final day of the season.

The Skyhawks (2-9, 2-6 OVC) fought back from a 12-point deficit in the first half with a pair of touchdowns in the final minutes – including a 43-yard touchdown from true freshman quarterback John Bachus III to senior Devonte Howard (two receptions, 52 yards, one touchdown) with 10 seconds remaining to tie the game and force overtime. UT Martin would later score on a 20-yard field goal by Ryan Courtright to take an early lead in the extra period but Tennessee State would answer with a touchdown reception on its next possession to pull out the victory.

The loss marked the fifth of the season for the Skyhawks which came by seven points or less. The Skyhawks posted an average margin of victory of 31.5 points during conference play while losing by just an average of 4.8 points in five of the team's six league losses. Despite today's decision, UT Martin tied for the best record in the annual Sgt. York Trophy series with a 2-1 mark against Tennessee foes in the OVC while Austin Peay retains the trophy due to tie-breaker rules.

UT Martin tallied 428 yards of total offense, including 302 yards in the second half when Bachus moved under center for the Skyhawks. Making his third appearance of the season in the second half, Bachus motivated a stalled offense by completing 14-of-22 pass attempts for 236 yards and three touchdowns. The middle Tennessee native would put his strong arm to the test, finding Jaylon Moore for a 75-yard touchdown completion on his first drive of the game. He later found Moore again in the fourth quarter for a 32-yard score. As a whole, Moore would tally eight receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns on the day.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Skyhawks were led by senior linebacker James Gilleylen with 13 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Gilleylen finishes his career with 299 tackles – which ranks ninth in program history – while tallying 35 tackles for loss. Fellow seniors Garrett Wall and Antonio Clifton also posted a solid outing in their final game with nine and seven tackles, respectively. Meanwhile Porter Streator III and Wayna Moton would both force fumbles in the contest.

"That one hurts," UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. "The healthier team won today. The defense played great in the first half and give John a ton of credit because he gave us a great spark and I'm very proud of him. We fought back, tied it up and maybe I should have gone for two but who knows. It's disappointing but I'm proud of how these guys fought. I'm going to miss a lot of these seniors. It has certainly been a frustrating season, but the kids played hard all year. The wins certainly have to come but that's my responsibility and we can't wait to get back to work."