Saturday, October 8
Murray, Ky.
2 p.m.
UT Martin
at
Murray State
NO. 14 UT MARTIN TO OPEN THREE-GAME ROAD TRIP WITH OVC MATCHUP AT MURRAY STATE ON SATURDAY
10/3/2022 5:16:00 PM | Football
**Jason Simpson's Weekly Press Conference is below**
The No. 14 ranked University of Tennessee at Martin football team will hit the road for its first of three consecutive away matchups when traveling to Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State in its final bout as league members on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff from Roy Stewart Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. and will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (3-2, 2-0 OVC) enter the contest off back-to-back conference victories over Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech – including a 45-28 win in their most recent contest. The team scored in all three phases of the game with five offensive touchdowns, a defensive score and a field goal. UT Martin also eclipsed the 500-yard mark on total offense for the third time this season while continuing a stretch of quarterly scoring to 16 consecutive periods against FCS opponents.
Two players were honored for their exceptional performances as cornerback Shaun Lewis was tabbed OVC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season while redshirt-freshman tight end DJ Nelson garnered OVC Newcomer of the Week honors. Lewis had a team-high 11 tackles in the contest while returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. Nelson played a big role in the offense by tallying career highs with 95 yards and two touchdown receptions.
UT Martin currently leads the league in scoring offense (36.0 ppg), scoring defense (28.8 ppg), rushing offense (180.4 ypg), rushing defense (111.6 ypg), defensive touchdowns (two), redzone offense (93.8 percent), sacks allowed (one), sacks (16), tackles for loss (40) and turnover margin (+3). In the team's two OVC contests, the Skyhawks average 50.5 points per game and 532.0 yards of total offense while recording an average margin of victory of 24.0 points per game.
The head coaching battle features two leaders which vast experience playing against each other. UT Martin's Jason Simpson ranks fourth in OVC history with 103 wins in his 17-year career. Meanwhile, Dean Hood is in his second stint at an OVC school while boasting a 66-50 all-time mark over 10 seasons. Dating back to matchups while at Eastern Kentucky, Hood has held a slight advantage over Simpson, boasting a 5-4 head-to-head record.
Murray State's (0-5, 0-1 OVC) final season in the OVC has gotten off to a bumpy start with five straight losses to open the year. The Racers are seeking their first win of the season after dropping its five contests by an average margin of victory of 32.6 points per game while ranking last in the OVC in both scoring offense (9.6 ppg) and scoring defense (42.2 ppg).
Saturday's contest marks the 62nd meeting between the two programs with Murray State holding a 38-22-1 advantage. The Skyhawks have held their own in recent history however, winning 12 of the last 16 matchups.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ while fans locally can tune into WCMT 1410 AM/100.5 FM to hear John Hatler (play-by-play) and Julius McNair (analyst) call the action. Those links – in addition to live stats – can be found at the top of the page.
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The No. 14 ranked University of Tennessee at Martin football team will hit the road for its first of three consecutive away matchups when traveling to Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State in its final bout as league members on Saturday, Oct. 8. Kickoff from Roy Stewart Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. and will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (3-2, 2-0 OVC) enter the contest off back-to-back conference victories over Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech – including a 45-28 win in their most recent contest. The team scored in all three phases of the game with five offensive touchdowns, a defensive score and a field goal. UT Martin also eclipsed the 500-yard mark on total offense for the third time this season while continuing a stretch of quarterly scoring to 16 consecutive periods against FCS opponents.
Two players were honored for their exceptional performances as cornerback Shaun Lewis was tabbed OVC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season while redshirt-freshman tight end DJ Nelson garnered OVC Newcomer of the Week honors. Lewis had a team-high 11 tackles in the contest while returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. Nelson played a big role in the offense by tallying career highs with 95 yards and two touchdown receptions.
UT Martin currently leads the league in scoring offense (36.0 ppg), scoring defense (28.8 ppg), rushing offense (180.4 ypg), rushing defense (111.6 ypg), defensive touchdowns (two), redzone offense (93.8 percent), sacks allowed (one), sacks (16), tackles for loss (40) and turnover margin (+3). In the team's two OVC contests, the Skyhawks average 50.5 points per game and 532.0 yards of total offense while recording an average margin of victory of 24.0 points per game.
The head coaching battle features two leaders which vast experience playing against each other. UT Martin's Jason Simpson ranks fourth in OVC history with 103 wins in his 17-year career. Meanwhile, Dean Hood is in his second stint at an OVC school while boasting a 66-50 all-time mark over 10 seasons. Dating back to matchups while at Eastern Kentucky, Hood has held a slight advantage over Simpson, boasting a 5-4 head-to-head record.
Murray State's (0-5, 0-1 OVC) final season in the OVC has gotten off to a bumpy start with five straight losses to open the year. The Racers are seeking their first win of the season after dropping its five contests by an average margin of victory of 32.6 points per game while ranking last in the OVC in both scoring offense (9.6 ppg) and scoring defense (42.2 ppg).
Saturday's contest marks the 62nd meeting between the two programs with Murray State holding a 38-22-1 advantage. The Skyhawks have held their own in recent history however, winning 12 of the last 16 matchups.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ while fans locally can tune into WCMT 1410 AM/100.5 FM to hear John Hatler (play-by-play) and Julius McNair (analyst) call the action. Those links – in addition to live stats – can be found at the top of the page.
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Players Mentioned
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