Saturday, September 12
Morgantown, W.Va.
12 p.m.
UT Martin
at
West Virginia
Skyhawks Open Four Game Road Trip With First-Time Matchup at West Virginia
9/7/2026 6:00:00 PM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team will hit the road for the first time this season when the Skyhawks travel to Morgantown for a first-time matchup against Big 12 member West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff from Milan Puskar Stadium is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT while being streamed live on ESPN+.
UT Martin (1-1) enters the matchup with momentum after picking up its first victory of the season with a convincing 42-7 decision over Chicago State last Saturday. The Skyhawks scored 42 unanswered points while piling up 477 yards of total offense and finding the end zone six times on the ground.
Following the contest, the tandem of running back Tommy Ansley (Offensive) and linebacker Reginald Allen Jr. (Defensive) garnered OVC Player of the Week honors for their respective standout performances. Ansley posted the best game of his career by equaling his previous career high with 118 rushing yards while setting a new personal-best with three rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Allen paced the squad with eight total tackles – including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Saturday's contest serves as the first of four consecutive road games for the Skyhawks, featuring matchups against West Virginia, Memphis, Austin Peay and Tennessee State before returning to Hardy Graham Stadium on Oct. 17. This marks the first four-game regular season road trip for UT Martin since the 1993 campaign – just its second season of its Division I Era.
The Skyhawk rushing attack has led the way for the team's offensive production in its first two games. After the tandem of Ansley and Chris Franklin combined for just five touchdowns in 12 games last season, the duo has already eclipsed that figure with seven touchdowns on the year – including an OVC-leading five touchdowns for the reigning OVC Player of the Week while ranks second nationally in the FCS.
On the other side of the ball, UT Martin's defense settled in after allowing a first quarter touchdown and held Chicago State scoreless for the final 52-plus minutes. The Skyhawks limited the Cougars to just 191 yards of total offense – including only 38 rushing yards – while recording a pair of sacks and holding their opponent to 4-of-17 on third down.
West Virginia (1-0) opened the season with a 31-24 home victory over Coastal Carolina last weekend. The Mountaineers built a 24-0 first-half advantage before holding off a late Chanticleer behind a heavy rushing attack in the opener, accumulating 281 yards on the ground. Running back Cam Cook led the way with 142 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries while quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. provided another dynamic threat with his legs, rushing for 103 yards and a score. Together, the duo accounted for 245 of West Virginia's rushing yards and all three of its touchdowns on the ground.
Defensively, West Virginia generated consistent pressure against Coastal Carolina by recording five sacks for 35 yards in losses while also recovering a pair of fumbles. The Mountaineers also limited the Chanticleers to just 52 rushing yards on 27 attempts.
Saturday's matchup will mark the first meeting in program history between UT Martin and West Virginia. It also gives the Skyhawks their first of back-to-back opportunities against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents as UT Martin will travel to Memphis the following week.
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.
UT Martin (1-1) enters the matchup with momentum after picking up its first victory of the season with a convincing 42-7 decision over Chicago State last Saturday. The Skyhawks scored 42 unanswered points while piling up 477 yards of total offense and finding the end zone six times on the ground.
Following the contest, the tandem of running back Tommy Ansley (Offensive) and linebacker Reginald Allen Jr. (Defensive) garnered OVC Player of the Week honors for their respective standout performances. Ansley posted the best game of his career by equaling his previous career high with 118 rushing yards while setting a new personal-best with three rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Allen paced the squad with eight total tackles – including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Saturday's contest serves as the first of four consecutive road games for the Skyhawks, featuring matchups against West Virginia, Memphis, Austin Peay and Tennessee State before returning to Hardy Graham Stadium on Oct. 17. This marks the first four-game regular season road trip for UT Martin since the 1993 campaign – just its second season of its Division I Era.
The Skyhawk rushing attack has led the way for the team's offensive production in its first two games. After the tandem of Ansley and Chris Franklin combined for just five touchdowns in 12 games last season, the duo has already eclipsed that figure with seven touchdowns on the year – including an OVC-leading five touchdowns for the reigning OVC Player of the Week while ranks second nationally in the FCS.
On the other side of the ball, UT Martin's defense settled in after allowing a first quarter touchdown and held Chicago State scoreless for the final 52-plus minutes. The Skyhawks limited the Cougars to just 191 yards of total offense – including only 38 rushing yards – while recording a pair of sacks and holding their opponent to 4-of-17 on third down.
West Virginia (1-0) opened the season with a 31-24 home victory over Coastal Carolina last weekend. The Mountaineers built a 24-0 first-half advantage before holding off a late Chanticleer behind a heavy rushing attack in the opener, accumulating 281 yards on the ground. Running back Cam Cook led the way with 142 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries while quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. provided another dynamic threat with his legs, rushing for 103 yards and a score. Together, the duo accounted for 245 of West Virginia's rushing yards and all three of its touchdowns on the ground.
Defensively, West Virginia generated consistent pressure against Coastal Carolina by recording five sacks for 35 yards in losses while also recovering a pair of fumbles. The Mountaineers also limited the Chanticleers to just 52 rushing yards on 27 attempts.
Saturday's matchup will mark the first meeting in program history between UT Martin and West Virginia. It also gives the Skyhawks their first of back-to-back opportunities against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents as UT Martin will travel to Memphis the following week.
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.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, September 08
Sunday, September 06
Sunday, September 06
Tuesday, September 01