UT Martin
0-1 , 0-0
Central Arkansas
1-0 , 0-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arkansas | 6 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 36 |
| #22 UT Martin | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
No. 22 UT Martin Falls To Central Arkansas In 2026 Football Season Opener
8/27/2026 11:28:00 PM | Football
The Skyhawks led late in the second quarter before 16 unanswered points by Central Arkansas tilted the score in favor of the Bears. UT Martin pulled within five points with 9:49 to go in the contest but the Bears answered with the final touchdown of the contest six-plus minutes later.
Sophomore safety Trey Cotton opened the scoring with the Skyhawks' first pick-six since Oct. 26, 2024, taking Central Arkansas' first pass of its second drive 55 yards to the house in the opening quarter. Cotton also forced a fumble while Jamarcus Smith (11 tackles, team-best 1.5 tackles for loss) and Jamal Mayers (10 solo tackles, three pass breakups) each recorded double-digit stops to pace UT Martin defensively. Chris Wilson additionally blocked a pair of PAT's to tie a school record with Toby Camp (at Lindenwood in 2025) and Dean Wathen (at Murray State in 2010).
Tommy Ansley found the endzone twice out of the Skyhawk backfield, also topping the team with 61 rushing yards on 10 carries. Julian Calvez made his first UT Martin start under center, completing 13 of his 24 passes for 147 yards while adding 37 rushing yards on nine totes. Kaleb Washington tied for the team lead with three catches and tallied a team-best 53 receiving yards in his Skyhawk debut.
Brandon Sims converted a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter, went 3-for-3 in PAT opportunities and placed four of his five kickoff chances for touchbacks. Max Zuluaga also landed his only punt for 48 yards tonight to guide the UT Martin special teams.
"Central Arkansas has a good football team – we don't lose much at home so give them credit," Skyhawk head coach Jason Simpson said. "If you look at the stats, they were 10-of-15 on third downs and we were 3-of-11 and only snapped the ball 57 times. It's a long season and we'll know more about us as we go forward – tonight was some growing pains with 53 new players but we're not going to overreact. We're all in this together – we'll watch the tape, make some adjustments and find an identity for ourselves."
UT Martin plays its second straight home contest next week, hosting Chicago State for the first time in program history. Kickoff from Hardy Graham Stadium is set for 6 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Game/Captain's Kids Club Game.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
UCA 0, UTM 7
UTM - Cotton,Trey 55 yd interception (Sims,Brandon kick)
UCA 6, UTM 7
UCA - Juniel,Kealen 8 yd pass from Omolo,Donovyn () 6 plays, 81 yards, TOP 02:18
UCA 6, UTM 10
UTM - Sims,Brandon 25 yd field goal 13 plays, 59 yards, TOP 06:48
UCA 13, UTM 10
UCA - Tillman,Que 3 yd run (Jones,Caleb kick), 15 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:54
UCA 13, UTM 17
UTM - Ansley,Tommy 7 yd run (Sims,Brandon kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:57
UCA 19, UTM 17
UCA - Lee,Arlie 19 yd pass from Omolo,Donovyn () 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:29
UCA 26, UTM 17
UCA - Lee,Arlie 51 yd pass from Omolo,Donovyn (Jones,Caleb kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:56
UCA 29, UTM 17
UCA - Jones,Caleb 32 yd field goal 14 plays, 66 yards, TOP 06:28
UCA 29, UTM 24
UTM - Ansley,Tommy 24 yd run (Sims,Brandon kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:03
UCA 36, UTM 24
UCA - Washington,Jalen 27 yd run (Jones,Caleb kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:11