BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team rolled up 445 yards of total offense today but ultimately it wasn’t enough as Samford dealt the Skyhawks a 27-17 setback in the 2023 regular season finale.
UT Martin led by a 10-3 margin late in the first quarter today but the defending Southern Conference champion Bulldogs (6-5) scored 24 unanswered points, highlighted by a pair of big plays (90-yard punt return, 61-yard rush). Despite four turnovers and a pair of trips inside the 5-yard line that resulted in no points, the Skyhawks had a chance to pull within one score with a little under four minutes to go but a 38-yard field goal was missed.
Sam Franklin shouldered a heavy load out of the UT Martin backfield today as the redshirt sophomore ran for 160 yards on 25 carries – including a 70-yard touchdown. Kinkead Dent passed for 261 yards and a touchdown to DJ Nelson, who tallied team-highs in receptions (five) and receiving yards (70). Trevonte Rucker (58 yards) and Marlon Cook, Jr. (42 yards) also had five catches today while DeVonte Tanksley registered four receptions for 53 yards.
Defensively, Tevin Shipp wrapped up a team-high nine tackles (seven solo), including one tackle for loss and a forced fumble for the Skyhawks. Giovanni Davis had two sacks and a forced fumble while Daylan Dotson broke free for 2.5 tackles for loss. Josh Hastings and JaMichael McGoy each came away with a pair of pass breakups for UT Martin, who pieced together nine tackles for loss as a unit.
Aidan Laros punted four times for an average of 50.8 yards, including a long of 71. He also split the uprights on a 20-yard field goal in the first quarter.
Samford’s Jay Stanton rushed for 193 yards and a score on 15 totes while quarterback Michael Hiers threw for 205 yards and a touchdown to Chandler Smith, who was targeted 12 times for eight receptions and 86 yards. Smith also had the 90-yard punt return for the go-ahead score as time expired at the end of the first quarter. Noah Martin and CJ Douglas guided the Bulldog defense with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.
“We’re disappointed – we just couldn’t get a break to go our way,” Skyhawk head coach Jason Simpson said. “Give Samford credit – we didn’t play our best but I hope we get judged by our 11-game body of work and not just today. We hope to have a chance to represent our conference in the playoffs next week.”
Ranked No. 13 in this week’s AFCA Coaches’ Poll and co-champion of the Big South-OVC Football Association, UT Martin is 8-3 (all wins coming against FCS opponents) and will await its postseason fate tomorrow when the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision committee announces the playoff bracket at 11:30 a.m. on ESPNU.
