Saturday, October 24
Macomb, Ill.
3 p.m.
UT Martin
at
Western Illinois
10/20/2026 2:37:00 PM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – Riding the momentum of back-to-back victories to open Ohio Valley Conference play, the University of Tennessee at Martin football team will hit the road looking to continue its winning ways when traveling to Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff from Hanson Field in Macomb, Ill., is scheduled for 3 p.m. while the contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (3-4, 2-0 OVC) enter the matchup as one of the conference's two unbeaten teams in league play after stringing together consecutive victories over Tennessee State (42-28) and Gardner-Webb (17-6). UT Martin will look to maintain its early position in the conference championship race against a Western Illinois squad (3-4, 1-1 OVC) which is returning home following a competitive road setback at Southeast Missouri (40-30).
Under the direction of 21st-year head coach Jason Simpson, UT Martin has found its footing in conference play after navigating a challenging non-conference schedule. The preseason favorites have responded by winning their first two league contests, combining an explosive offensive performance at Tennessee State with a defensive showcase against Gardner-Webb. With Simpson's next conference win, he will move into a tie for second in OVC history with Boots Donnelly (102) for OVC coaching victories.
UT Martin is coming off a 17-6 victory over Gardner-Webb in its first home game in 42 days. The Skyhawks relied on a stingy defensive effort and timely offensive production to limit the Runnin' Bulldogs to just six points, with their lone touchdown coming on a kickoff return. UT Martin held Gardner-Webb to just 168 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers via interceptions.
The Skyhawks will look to continue a stretch of dominance against teams from the Land of Lincoln in recent years, winning 11 of the last 12 contests against Illinois programs dating back to the 2019 season. Included in that stretch are perfect records against OVC foes Eastern Illinois (7-0) and Western Illinois (3-0).
Western Illinois presents a challenging offensive matchup behind dual-threat quarterback Kennedy McGill who recently earned his third OVC Offensive Player of the Week honor following his performance against Southeast Missouri, accounting for 447 yards of total offense and three rushing touchdowns. McGill enters the week leading all FCS quarterbacks with 680 rushing yards while ranking sixth nationally in total offense at 310.1 yards per game.
Saturday's matchup marks the fifth meeting between the two programs with UT Martin holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Skyhawks have won all three games during Simpson's tenure and posted a 45-17 victory in the team's last visit to Hanson Field.
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.
The Skyhawks (3-4, 2-0 OVC) enter the matchup as one of the conference's two unbeaten teams in league play after stringing together consecutive victories over Tennessee State (42-28) and Gardner-Webb (17-6). UT Martin will look to maintain its early position in the conference championship race against a Western Illinois squad (3-4, 1-1 OVC) which is returning home following a competitive road setback at Southeast Missouri (40-30).
Under the direction of 21st-year head coach Jason Simpson, UT Martin has found its footing in conference play after navigating a challenging non-conference schedule. The preseason favorites have responded by winning their first two league contests, combining an explosive offensive performance at Tennessee State with a defensive showcase against Gardner-Webb. With Simpson's next conference win, he will move into a tie for second in OVC history with Boots Donnelly (102) for OVC coaching victories.
UT Martin is coming off a 17-6 victory over Gardner-Webb in its first home game in 42 days. The Skyhawks relied on a stingy defensive effort and timely offensive production to limit the Runnin' Bulldogs to just six points, with their lone touchdown coming on a kickoff return. UT Martin held Gardner-Webb to just 168 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers via interceptions.
The Skyhawks will look to continue a stretch of dominance against teams from the Land of Lincoln in recent years, winning 11 of the last 12 contests against Illinois programs dating back to the 2019 season. Included in that stretch are perfect records against OVC foes Eastern Illinois (7-0) and Western Illinois (3-0).
Western Illinois presents a challenging offensive matchup behind dual-threat quarterback Kennedy McGill who recently earned his third OVC Offensive Player of the Week honor following his performance against Southeast Missouri, accounting for 447 yards of total offense and three rushing touchdowns. McGill enters the week leading all FCS quarterbacks with 680 rushing yards while ranking sixth nationally in total offense at 310.1 yards per game.
Saturday's matchup marks the fifth meeting between the two programs with UT Martin holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Skyhawks have won all three games during Simpson's tenure and posted a 45-17 victory in the team's last visit to Hanson Field.
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.
Tuesday, October 20
Saturday, October 17
Tuesday, October 13
Sunday, October 11