BOZEMAN, Mont. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team saw its remarkable 2024 season come to an end today in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship, falling 49-17 in front of 17,017 fans at No. 1 Montana State.
Coming off their second playoff victory in the school’s Football Championship Subdivision era last week at No. 16 New Hampshire, the Skyhawks reeled off 10 points in the second quarter to make the score 21-10. Coming into this game, the host Bobcats had only allowed 10 first-half points in their six home games this fall. Following UT Martin’s second-quarter surge, Montana State scored 28 unanswered points on the way to the win.
Senior wide receiver Trevonte Rucker had a big game for the Skyhawks today, recording game-highs of six receptions for a career-best 107 yards with a pair of touchdowns. It marked the fourth multi-touchdown performance of the season for the Ocala, Fla. native. His 78-yard scoring catch in the second quarter was the longest play from scrimmage that the Bobcats had allowed all season while he also added an acrobatic four-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
Kinkead Dent threw for 167 yards on the day, eclipsing the 2,500-yard passing plateau on the season. Patrick Smith capped off his All-Big South-OVC campaign with a team-high 36 yards on 12 carries to give him 1,226 rushing yards in 2024.
Defensively, Jacob Stevenson and Josh Hastings each set career-highs with nine tackles apiece for UT Martin. Keyshawn Johnson had a sack while JaMichael McGoy, Jr. recorded a tackle for loss.
Jaren Van Winkle had a productive day on special teams today, booting a 37-yard field goal to get the Skyhawks on the scoreboard. He also boomed eight punts for an average of 47.1 yards with a long of 57.
The Bobcats (13-0) were led by Walter Payton Award finalist Tommy Mellott, who went 22-for-25 for 300 yards and four touchdowns. Taco Dowler hauled in a pair of scores while Ty McCullouch and Hunter Provience were also touchdown targets for Mellott. On the ground, Scottre Humphrey (game-high 102 rushing yards on 11 carries), Adam Jones and McCullouch each found the endzone. The trio of Rylan Ortt (seven tackles), Brody Grebe (1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries) and Kenneth Eiden IV (1.5 sacks) guided Montana State, who will host an FCS quarterfinals contest against either No. 8 Idaho or Lehigh.
UT Martin wraps up another spectacular campaign in 2024 with a 9-5 overall record. The Skyhawks went 6-2 in Big South-OVC play to clinch their fourth consecutive conference championship and 10th overall, five of which have come under head coach Jason Simpson.
