Skyhawks Rally Past Lindenwood For Senior Day Victory

Saturday, November 14

Martin, Tenn.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

5-6 , 4-2

Lindenwood

5-5 , 4-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Lindenwood	7	14	3	7	31
UT Martin	0	17	6	15	38

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11/14/2026 8:33:00 PM | Football

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MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team capped off its 2026 home schedule in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, rallying from a 14-point deficit before scoring the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes to defeat Lindenwood, 38-31, at Hardy M. Graham Stadium.

The victory highlighted a memorable Senior Day and Military Appreciation Game while marking another historic milestone for longtime head coach Jason Simpson. With the victory, Simpson earned his 103rd career Ohio Valley Conference victory, moving into sole possession of second place on the league's all-time conference wins list.

The Skyhawks (5-6, 4-2 OVC) overcame an early 14-0 deficit and trailed by as much as two touchdowns on two occasions before outscoring the Lions 21-10 in the second half. The comeback marked the largest for the Skyhawks since overcoming an 18-point deficit back in 2024. UT Martin's offense produced 474 total yards – marking the highest total putout since Week 1 against Chicago State – including 261 yards on the ground and controlling possession for more than 38 minutes.

With the victory, UT Martin still remains in the hunt for the OVC regular season championship and playoff berth. With a win in the regular season finale against Southeast Missouri and a Lindenwood win over Western Illinois, the Skyhawks will claim a share of the OVC championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the playoffs.

UT Martin received a balanced offensive performance as two Skyhawk running backs eclipsed the century mark for the first time this season. Junior Chris Franklin rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries while freshman Jaydon Peete matched that total with 104 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Senior wide receiver Makhia Sherrard also celebrated Senior Day with a big afternoon, totaling 120 all-purpose offensive yards with six receptions for 82 yards and three carries for 38 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.

Freshman quarterback Tate Surber completed 19-of-28 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score. Senior wide receiver Phaizon Wilson hauled in a touchdown reception, while tight end Connie Hewitt II had timely catches – including a critical third-down reception and a two-point conversion off a tip-play.

Defensively, hometown safety Quincy Hamilton paced the Skyhawks with a game-high 12 tackles, including nine solo stops. Joel Castleberry and Brylan Jordan added five tackles apiece, while Tyson Hornbuckle forced a fumble that Castleberry recovered to seal the victory. Meanwhile in the secondary, Wendell Smith contributed three pass breakups in a stingy defensive second half.

On special teams, reining OVC Special Teams Player of the Week Brandon Sims had a big day for the second straight contest. With the Skyhawks trailing by two touchdowns, Sims capped off three of the next four scoring drives for the Skyhawks with a field goal. He matched his previous career-long with a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter before adding a pair of field goal attempts in the third quarter. He split the uprights with a 33-yard field goal with 10:21 to play in the third quarter before setting a new career-long nearly seven minutes later by booting a 44-yard field goal to give the Skyhawk their first lead of the game at 23-20.

"Great team and program win," Simpson said. "We talked this week about finding a way. Statistically we haven't been very good all year. We've been good, we've been average and we've been bad. We knew we were going to get their best, but our best is better, and we were good enough today to get the win. I'm very proud of the kids and proud of the program. You work hard to get to the last week of the season with something to play for. There are not a lot of teams in the country that get to do that and we have been fortunate to do it for six years in a row. Our game means something and these kids have earned that, so I look forward to next week."

Entering the game tied for first place in the OVC standings, Lindenwood (5-5, 4-2 OVC) jumped out an early 14-0 advantage behind quarterback Pops Battle who was responsible for all four touchdowns for the visiting Lions. Battle finished the day by completing 20-of-37 pass attempts for 288 yards and three passing touchdowns while adding another rushing touchdown to his stat line. Wide receiver Jalen Smith was his primary target, finishing with seven receptions for 106 yards and three scores.

Defensively, the Lions were led by Jacob Waller who tallied a team-high nine tackles while recording a pair of tackles for loss. Caleb Jacobmeier added eight tackles while both Zach Lewis and Andrew Baumgart recorded TFLs in the loss. Place kicker Will Graham also jumped in the scoring column with a 31-yard field goal.

UT Martin will wrap up the regular season with a critical road matchup against OVC rival Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 21. Kickoff from Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau is slated for 1 p.m.