Saturday, November 11
Martin, Tenn.
2 pm
UT Martin
41
vs
14
Southeast Missouri
THREE-PEAT! SKYHAWK FOOTBALL EARNS SHARE OF THIRD STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLE WITH 41-14 ROUT OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
11/11/2023 9:31:00 PM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – History was made today at Hardy Graham Stadium as the University of Tennessee at Martin football team cruised to at least a share of its third conference championship in a row after a 41-14 dismantling of Southeast Missouri.
In a collision of one-loss conference teams, the No. 16 ranked Skyhawks scored 27 unanswered points during one stretch to improve to 8-2 overall. UT Martin finishes its debut season in the Big South-OVC Football Association with a 5-1 record, which is a half-game ahead of Gardner-Webb (4-1) atop the league standings.
The Skyhawks have now claimed a conference championship in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history and fourth time as a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (since 1992).
"This title means a lot," said head coach Jason Simpson, who has directed UT Martin to each of its last four titles. "That's a lot of work – that's 18 years' worth right there. We're going to celebrate tonight but I know our locker room is hungry for more. This is a great moment for us – we've won eight FCS games and been ranked for the last seven weeks. We have one more next week but I think we've proven we're one of the top 24 teams in the country and deserve to be in the playoffs."
Gallery: (11-11-2023) Football vs. Southeast Missouri
After the Redhawks (4-6, 3-2 Big South-OVC) scored on a tipped-pass 28-yard interception return on the game's opening drive, the Skyhawks flexed their muscle. UT Martin outgained the visitors from Cape Girardeau, Mo. by a whopping 531-162 margin in total yards. The Skyhawk defense held Southeast Missouri to five rushing yards on 16 carries – good for 0.3 yards per attempt – and only eight first downs for the entire contest. It marked the lowest rushing total by a UT Martin NCAA opponent since Eastern Illinois (-5) on Oct. 22, 2011 and the fewest total yards by a Skyhawk NCAA foe since Sept. 16, 2017 (150 yards at Chattanooga).
The trio of Jaylon Sharpe, Carson Evans and Jarid Johnson led UT Martin with six tackles each today. Daylan Dotson wreaked havoc throughout the contest, amassing four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries. JaMichael McGoy and Josh Hastings both reeled in interceptions while Evans, Tevin Shipp and Giovanni Davis each had a sack.
The balanced Skyhawk offense put up three rushing and three passing touchdowns on the day as the offensive line did not concede a single sack. Narkel LeFlore went off for a career-high 147 rushing yards and two scores on 15 carries, averaging 9.8 yards per tote. Sam Franklin added 123 yards on 21 carries as UT Martin accounted for multiple 100-yard rushers for the first time since Aug. 29, 2013 (DJ McNeil and Trent Garland at Chattanooga).
Kinkead Dent (217 passing yards) was responsible for four touchdowns, finding Zoe Roberts (22 yards), DeVonte Tanksley (31 yards) and Marlon Cook, Jr. (18 yards) for scoring strikes while also scrambling for a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Tanksley accrued team-highs of eight catches and 92 yards to lead the Skyhawk wide receivers.
Aidan Laros placed all four of his punts inside the 20-yard line, averaging 41.2 yards per punt for UT Martin.
The Redhawks' Ryan Flournoy snared nine receptions for 112 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Greg Menne in the third quarter. Flournoy also produced Southeast Missouri's longest run of the day (19 yards). Christian Fuhrman made a game-high nine tackles while Joedrick Lewis had the pick-six to open the scoring today.
The Skyhawks end the 2023 regular season next Saturday, Nov. 18 when they travel to Samford out of the Southern Conference. Kickoff from Birmingham, Ala. is set for noon on ESPN+.
In a collision of one-loss conference teams, the No. 16 ranked Skyhawks scored 27 unanswered points during one stretch to improve to 8-2 overall. UT Martin finishes its debut season in the Big South-OVC Football Association with a 5-1 record, which is a half-game ahead of Gardner-Webb (4-1) atop the league standings.
The Skyhawks have now claimed a conference championship in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history and fourth time as a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (since 1992).
"This title means a lot," said head coach Jason Simpson, who has directed UT Martin to each of its last four titles. "That's a lot of work – that's 18 years' worth right there. We're going to celebrate tonight but I know our locker room is hungry for more. This is a great moment for us – we've won eight FCS games and been ranked for the last seven weeks. We have one more next week but I think we've proven we're one of the top 24 teams in the country and deserve to be in the playoffs."
After the Redhawks (4-6, 3-2 Big South-OVC) scored on a tipped-pass 28-yard interception return on the game's opening drive, the Skyhawks flexed their muscle. UT Martin outgained the visitors from Cape Girardeau, Mo. by a whopping 531-162 margin in total yards. The Skyhawk defense held Southeast Missouri to five rushing yards on 16 carries – good for 0.3 yards per attempt – and only eight first downs for the entire contest. It marked the lowest rushing total by a UT Martin NCAA opponent since Eastern Illinois (-5) on Oct. 22, 2011 and the fewest total yards by a Skyhawk NCAA foe since Sept. 16, 2017 (150 yards at Chattanooga).
The trio of Jaylon Sharpe, Carson Evans and Jarid Johnson led UT Martin with six tackles each today. Daylan Dotson wreaked havoc throughout the contest, amassing four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries. JaMichael McGoy and Josh Hastings both reeled in interceptions while Evans, Tevin Shipp and Giovanni Davis each had a sack.
The balanced Skyhawk offense put up three rushing and three passing touchdowns on the day as the offensive line did not concede a single sack. Narkel LeFlore went off for a career-high 147 rushing yards and two scores on 15 carries, averaging 9.8 yards per tote. Sam Franklin added 123 yards on 21 carries as UT Martin accounted for multiple 100-yard rushers for the first time since Aug. 29, 2013 (DJ McNeil and Trent Garland at Chattanooga).
Kinkead Dent (217 passing yards) was responsible for four touchdowns, finding Zoe Roberts (22 yards), DeVonte Tanksley (31 yards) and Marlon Cook, Jr. (18 yards) for scoring strikes while also scrambling for a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Tanksley accrued team-highs of eight catches and 92 yards to lead the Skyhawk wide receivers.
Aidan Laros placed all four of his punts inside the 20-yard line, averaging 41.2 yards per punt for UT Martin.
The Redhawks' Ryan Flournoy snared nine receptions for 112 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Greg Menne in the third quarter. Flournoy also produced Southeast Missouri's longest run of the day (19 yards). Christian Fuhrman made a game-high nine tackles while Joedrick Lewis had the pick-six to open the scoring today.
The Skyhawks end the 2023 regular season next Saturday, Nov. 18 when they travel to Samford out of the Southern Conference. Kickoff from Birmingham, Ala. is set for noon on ESPN+.
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