Saturday, December 7
Bozeman, Mont.
2 p.m.
UT Martin
at
Montana State
UT Martin Football Set For Second Round Matchup Against No. 1 Montana State
12/4/2024 11:17:00 AM | Football
The University of Tennessee at Martin football program will hit the road once again when traveling to No. 1 ranked and top-seeded Montana State in the second round of the 2024 Division I Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7. Kickoff from Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana is slated for 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The No. 20 ranked Skyhawks (9-4) enter the second round coming off a big road victory in the first round against New Hampshire where they notched a 41-10 win – posting the largest margin of victory of any first round matchup. UT Martin rushed for five touchdowns in the contest – ranking as its highest rushing touchdown total since 2022 - while defensively the squad squashed the Wildcats attack by limiting them to just 124 yards of total offense (the lowest yardage total allowed against a FCS team since 2010).
Last week's victory marked the second postseason victory for the program in the school's Division I history – joining a first round win over Missouri State back in 2021. The victory also marked the fifth straight road win for the Skyhawks dating back to the squad's win over FBS foe Kennesaw State in late September. The Skyhawks enter this week's matchup ranked in the top-10 nationally in interceptions (19, 3rd), rushing defense (84.9 ypg, 5th), defensive touchdowns (four, 5th) and third down conversion percentage defense (29.5%, 8th).
UT Martin is the first Big South-OVC Football Association member to play the No. 1 ranked FCS team when it travels to top-seeded Montana State in the second round. The previous highest ranked opponent an Association member played was when Tennessee State traveled to No. 2 North Dakota State earlier this season. As a member of the OVC, the Skyhawks previously squared off against the No. 1 ranked FCS program in 2015 when the squad dropped a narrow 48-41 decision to Jacksonville State.
Montana State (12-0) boasts an unblemished record on the way to being the No. 1 team in the country and ultimately the top seed in this year's FCS playoffs. The Bobcats feature a dynamic offense which ranks first nationally in total offense (496.2 yards per game), scoring offense (40.7 ppg) and rushing offense (317.9 ypg). Leading the way is 2024 Walter Payton Award finalist Tommy Mellott who was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year after completing 148-of-216 pass attempts for 1,956 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air while rushing for 640 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Saturday's contest marks a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Division I Football Championship second round when UT Martin traveled to Montana State. The Skyhawks hung tough in the contest before falling to the eventual national champion runner-up by a final margin of 26-7.
The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ while locally fans can tune into the Skyhawk Sports Network to hear Davis Gregory (play-by-play) and Chuck Hammer (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 No. 20 ranked Skyhawks (9-4) enter the second round coming off a big road victory in the first round against New Hampshire where they notched a 41-10 win – posting the largest margin of victory of any first round matchup. UT Martin rushed for five touchdowns in the contest – ranking as its highest rushing touchdown total since 2022 - while defensively the squad squashed the Wildcats attack by limiting them to just 124 yards of total offense (the lowest yardage total allowed against a FCS team since 2010).
Last week's victory marked the second postseason victory for the program in the school's Division I history – joining a first round win over Missouri State back in 2021. The victory also marked the fifth straight road win for the Skyhawks dating back to the squad's win over FBS foe Kennesaw State in late September. The Skyhawks enter this week's matchup ranked in the top-10 nationally in interceptions (19, 3rd), rushing defense (84.9 ypg, 5th), defensive touchdowns (four, 5th) and third down conversion percentage defense (29.5%, 8th).
UT Martin is the first Big South-OVC Football Association member to play the No. 1 ranked FCS team when it travels to top-seeded Montana State in the second round. The previous highest ranked opponent an Association member played was when Tennessee State traveled to No. 2 North Dakota State earlier this season. As a member of the OVC, the Skyhawks previously squared off against the No. 1 ranked FCS program in 2015 when the squad dropped a narrow 48-41 decision to Jacksonville State.
Montana State (12-0) boasts an unblemished record on the way to being the No. 1 team in the country and ultimately the top seed in this year's FCS playoffs. The Bobcats feature a dynamic offense which ranks first nationally in total offense (496.2 yards per game), scoring offense (40.7 ppg) and rushing offense (317.9 ypg). Leading the way is 2024 Walter Payton Award finalist Tommy Mellott who was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year after completing 148-of-216 pass attempts for 1,956 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air while rushing for 640 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Saturday's contest marks a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Division I Football Championship second round when UT Martin traveled to Montana State. The Skyhawks hung tough in the contest before falling to the eventual national champion runner-up by a final margin of 26-7.
The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ while locally fans can tune into the Skyhawk Sports Network to hear Davis Gregory (play-by-play) and Chuck Hammer (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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