Saturday, September 21
Martin, Tenn.
6 p.m.
UT Martin
vs
Missouri State
UT Martin Hosts Community Day With Matchup Against Missouri State
9/16/2024 4:51:00 PM | Football
The University of Tennessee at Martin football team will play host to recent regional rival Missouri State out of the Missouri Valley Conference at Hardy M. Graham Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. The contest is highlighted as Community Day with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (1-2) picked up their first win of the season last week after surging back from an 18-point deficit in the first quarter before ultimately outscoring North Alabama 43-10 on the way to a 43-28 home victory. UT Martin scored five offensive touchdowns in the comeback while forcing four turnovers to cap-off the comeback attempt.
Saturday's game features a matchup of two familiar foes with UT Martin and Missouri State meeting on the gridiron for the fourth consecutive season. The first meeting in the recent series saw the Skyhawks come away with a thrilling 32-31 victory in the first round of the FCS Playoffs in 2021 before the Bears came out on top by a final score of 35-31 in a return trip the following season. Then in 2023, UT Martin scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 to play en route to a 38-31 win.
After improving to 16-2 in home openers since 2006 with the win over North Alabama, the Skyhawks have reigned supreme at Hardy Graham Stadium over the past six seasons. Since 2019, UT Martin has won 22 of its last 25 games at home – including a 15-1 record in the last four campaigns.
UT Martin is averaging 42.5 points per game against FCS competitors while averaging 442.5 yards per game in that span. Running back Patrick Smith has played a big role in those numbers by averaging 96.7 yards per game while tallying three rushing touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Trevonte Rucker has also posted back-to-back big games with four combined touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Jaylon Sharpe paces the team with 18 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss.
Missouri State (1-2) also picked up its first win of the season after knocking off Big South-OVC Football Association member Lindenwood by a 28-14 decision. The Bears average 28.7 points per game and 384.0 yards of total offense. The squad is led by reigning MVC Offensive Player of the Week quarterback Jacob Clark as he's completed 70-of-104 pass attempts for 817 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Running back Jacardia Wright has tallied 55 carries for 265 yards and four touchdowns while receiver Jmariyae Robinson has caught 16 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Todric McGee (31 tackles) and Tahj Chambers (30 tackles) lead the way while Jalen Williams has a team-high 3.5 TFLs.
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), John Hatler (analyst) and Chris Brinkley (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 (1-2) picked up their first win of the season last week after surging back from an 18-point deficit in the first quarter before ultimately outscoring North Alabama 43-10 on the way to a 43-28 home victory. UT Martin scored five offensive touchdowns in the comeback while forcing four turnovers to cap-off the comeback attempt.
Saturday's game features a matchup of two familiar foes with UT Martin and Missouri State meeting on the gridiron for the fourth consecutive season. The first meeting in the recent series saw the Skyhawks come away with a thrilling 32-31 victory in the first round of the FCS Playoffs in 2021 before the Bears came out on top by a final score of 35-31 in a return trip the following season. Then in 2023, UT Martin scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 to play en route to a 38-31 win.
After improving to 16-2 in home openers since 2006 with the win over North Alabama, the Skyhawks have reigned supreme at Hardy Graham Stadium over the past six seasons. Since 2019, UT Martin has won 22 of its last 25 games at home – including a 15-1 record in the last four campaigns.
UT Martin is averaging 42.5 points per game against FCS competitors while averaging 442.5 yards per game in that span. Running back Patrick Smith has played a big role in those numbers by averaging 96.7 yards per game while tallying three rushing touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Trevonte Rucker has also posted back-to-back big games with four combined touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Jaylon Sharpe paces the team with 18 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss.
Missouri State (1-2) also picked up its first win of the season after knocking off Big South-OVC Football Association member Lindenwood by a 28-14 decision. The Bears average 28.7 points per game and 384.0 yards of total offense. The squad is led by reigning MVC Offensive Player of the Week quarterback Jacob Clark as he's completed 70-of-104 pass attempts for 817 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Running back Jacardia Wright has tallied 55 carries for 265 yards and four touchdowns while receiver Jmariyae Robinson has caught 16 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Todric McGee (31 tackles) and Tahj Chambers (30 tackles) lead the way while Jalen Williams has a team-high 3.5 TFLs.
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), John Hatler (analyst) and Chris Brinkley (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
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 6
Tuesday, September 30
FB: Southeast Missouri Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, September 28
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 5
Tuesday, September 23
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 4
Wednesday, September 17