Thursday, August 29
Martin, Tenn.
6:30 p.m.
UT Martin
42
vs
20
Northwestern State
UT MARTIN FOOTBALL BLANKS NORTHWESTERN STATE IN SECOND HALF TO RECORD 42-20 VICTORY
8/29/2019 11:50:00 PM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team used a strong second half in every facet of the game to pull away from Northwestern State and secure a 42-20 victory in the season opener at Hardy Graham Stadium on Thursday night.
The Skyhawks (1-0) held the visiting Demons scoreless in the second half and allowed just 166 yards of total offense while posting explosive plays of their own. Junior running back Peyton Logan put the Skyhawks on top with 4:22 in the third quarter and never looked back – scoring touchdowns of 21 and 53 yards in the second half. Sandwiched between the two big scoring runs was a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown by Terry Williams followed by a 78-yard touchdown return by Wanya Moton in the fourth quarter to officially put the game away.
As a whole, UT Martin tallied 309 yards of total offense, scoring touchdowns in every phase of the game. Logan led the team offensive in his first game as the primary back with 13 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile, redshirt-freshman John Bachus III earned his first career start, completing 8-of-20 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including strikes of 39 and 43 yards to Colton Dowell and Jaylon Moore, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker TJ Jefferson paced all players with 12 total tackles, including one sack while recording a pair of pass breakups. Fellow senior Sherrod Pittman joined in the action with 11 tackles of his own, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Moton, a redshirt-sophomore, made the most of his day with seven tackles and a pair of interceptions to highlight an impressive season debut.
Gallery: (8/29/2019) Football vs. Northwestern State
"I'm very proud of our defense," UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. "In the first half, Northwestern State kind of got after us. Statistically, they had 300-something yards and they had a great gameplan getting the ball out quick. Their quarterback is a good player – I was very impressed with him. Our defensive staff made some adjustments and the kids adjusted to that. We didn't give up a point in the second half – that's awesome. We adjusted some things on offense and wanted to slow it down a little bit to keep the offense off the field. We were 'bend but not break' in the second half but you knew when they throw it enough that eventually they were going to find one of those seams. It was a great team win. You heard me talk in camp about the senior leadership and guys hanging together, playing as a team. That's what I saw out there today."
UT Martin will return to action with a trip to Southeastern Conference foe Florida on Saturday, Sept. 7. Kickoff from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST.
The Skyhawks (1-0) held the visiting Demons scoreless in the second half and allowed just 166 yards of total offense while posting explosive plays of their own. Junior running back Peyton Logan put the Skyhawks on top with 4:22 in the third quarter and never looked back – scoring touchdowns of 21 and 53 yards in the second half. Sandwiched between the two big scoring runs was a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown by Terry Williams followed by a 78-yard touchdown return by Wanya Moton in the fourth quarter to officially put the game away.
As a whole, UT Martin tallied 309 yards of total offense, scoring touchdowns in every phase of the game. Logan led the team offensive in his first game as the primary back with 13 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile, redshirt-freshman John Bachus III earned his first career start, completing 8-of-20 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including strikes of 39 and 43 yards to Colton Dowell and Jaylon Moore, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker TJ Jefferson paced all players with 12 total tackles, including one sack while recording a pair of pass breakups. Fellow senior Sherrod Pittman joined in the action with 11 tackles of his own, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Moton, a redshirt-sophomore, made the most of his day with seven tackles and a pair of interceptions to highlight an impressive season debut.
"I'm very proud of our defense," UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. "In the first half, Northwestern State kind of got after us. Statistically, they had 300-something yards and they had a great gameplan getting the ball out quick. Their quarterback is a good player – I was very impressed with him. Our defensive staff made some adjustments and the kids adjusted to that. We didn't give up a point in the second half – that's awesome. We adjusted some things on offense and wanted to slow it down a little bit to keep the offense off the field. We were 'bend but not break' in the second half but you knew when they throw it enough that eventually they were going to find one of those seams. It was a great team win. You heard me talk in camp about the senior leadership and guys hanging together, playing as a team. That's what I saw out there today."
UT Martin will return to action with a trip to Southeastern Conference foe Florida on Saturday, Sept. 7. Kickoff from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST.
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