Saturday, October 28
Boiling Springs, NC
12:30 pm
UT Martin
at
Gardner-Webb
NO. 13 SKYHAWKS HIT THE ROAD FOR BIG SOUTH-OVC MATCHUP AT GARDNER-WEBB
10/24/2023 7:45:00 AM | Football
The No. 13 ranked University of Tennessee at Martin football program will hit the road for a key Big South-OVC Football Association showdown against defending Big South champion Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Oct. 28. Kickoff from Spangler Stadium is slated for 12:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (6-1, 3-0 Big South-OVC) have won six consecutive contests heading into the weekend and currently sit No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll and No. 14 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The squad is one of nine FCS teams without a loss against a subdivision foe this season joining the likes of Delaware, Florida A&M, Furman, IUW, Lafayette, North Carolina Central, South Dakota and South Dakota State.
A key reason for the team's winning streak has been its defense which has allowed just seven points in the second half of its last five games. UT Martin pitched defensive shutouts in the second half against Houston Christian, North Alabama, Tennessee State and Charleston Southern while allowing seven points in the fourth quarter against Eastern Illinois. Overall, the Skyhawks rank 22nd nationally with 20.6 points allowed while holding opponents to less than 100 rushing yards in four contests.
UT Martin ranks in the top-25 nationally in 12 different team categories and 13 individual categories. The squad sits among the nation's top 10 teams in blocked kicks allowed (zero, first), blocked punts allowed (zero, first), winning percentage (85.7 percent, second), rushing offense (246.4 ypg, fifth), net punting (42.39, fifth), rushing defense (84.6 ypg, sixth), team tackles for loss (7.6, seventh) and total offense (442.4 ypg, 10th).
In the association's preseason poll, Gardner-Webb was predicted to finish second in the league standings while UT Martin was slotted third. The Skyhawks have come out of the gates with an impressive start, posting six FCS victories while possessing a perfect 3-0 mark in league action. Following a win over Charleston Southern last week, the Skyhawks have won eight consecutive league contests – setting a new program record – while boasting a 14-1 record against conference opponents since the 2020-21 campaign. Conversely, the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped their association opener to Tennessee State before evening their record up with a win over Robert Morris.
Running back Sam Franklin ranks as the nation's leading rusher in both rushing yards (940) and rushing yards per game (134.3 ypg). The sophomore needs 60 yards to become just the 12th player in program history to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for a single season. Meanwhile, defensive end Daylan Dotson ranks in the career top-10 in both sacks (15.5, third) and tackles for loss (28.5, ninth).
Saturday's contest marks the fifth meeting between the two programs after each team split the first four matchups dating back to 2001. In the most recent matchups back in 2006, first-year head coach Jason Simpson and his squad picked up a 35-9 home victory.
The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ while fans locally can tune into the Skyhawk Sports Network to hear Davis Gregory (play-by-play) and Julius McNair (analyst) call the action. Games are broadcast on WCMT "Talk and News You Can Use!" with simulcasts on 1410 AM, 100.5 FM, 92.7 FM, 96.1 FM, 99.7 FM and 103.3 FM. Those links – in addition to live stats – can be found at the top of the page.
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The Skyhawks (6-1, 3-0 Big South-OVC) have won six consecutive contests heading into the weekend and currently sit No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll and No. 14 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The squad is one of nine FCS teams without a loss against a subdivision foe this season joining the likes of Delaware, Florida A&M, Furman, IUW, Lafayette, North Carolina Central, South Dakota and South Dakota State.
A key reason for the team's winning streak has been its defense which has allowed just seven points in the second half of its last five games. UT Martin pitched defensive shutouts in the second half against Houston Christian, North Alabama, Tennessee State and Charleston Southern while allowing seven points in the fourth quarter against Eastern Illinois. Overall, the Skyhawks rank 22nd nationally with 20.6 points allowed while holding opponents to less than 100 rushing yards in four contests.
UT Martin ranks in the top-25 nationally in 12 different team categories and 13 individual categories. The squad sits among the nation's top 10 teams in blocked kicks allowed (zero, first), blocked punts allowed (zero, first), winning percentage (85.7 percent, second), rushing offense (246.4 ypg, fifth), net punting (42.39, fifth), rushing defense (84.6 ypg, sixth), team tackles for loss (7.6, seventh) and total offense (442.4 ypg, 10th).
In the association's preseason poll, Gardner-Webb was predicted to finish second in the league standings while UT Martin was slotted third. The Skyhawks have come out of the gates with an impressive start, posting six FCS victories while possessing a perfect 3-0 mark in league action. Following a win over Charleston Southern last week, the Skyhawks have won eight consecutive league contests – setting a new program record – while boasting a 14-1 record against conference opponents since the 2020-21 campaign. Conversely, the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped their association opener to Tennessee State before evening their record up with a win over Robert Morris.
Running back Sam Franklin ranks as the nation's leading rusher in both rushing yards (940) and rushing yards per game (134.3 ypg). The sophomore needs 60 yards to become just the 12th player in program history to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for a single season. Meanwhile, defensive end Daylan Dotson ranks in the career top-10 in both sacks (15.5, third) and tackles for loss (28.5, ninth).
Saturday's contest marks the fifth meeting between the two programs after each team split the first four matchups dating back to 2001. In the most recent matchups back in 2006, first-year head coach Jason Simpson and his squad picked up a 35-9 home victory.
The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ while fans locally can tune into the Skyhawk Sports Network to hear Davis Gregory (play-by-play) and Julius McNair (analyst) call the action. Games are broadcast on WCMT "Talk and News You Can Use!" with simulcasts on 1410 AM, 100.5 FM, 92.7 FM, 96.1 FM, 99.7 FM and 103.3 FM. 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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