UT Martin Football loses double overtime showdown against Southeast Missouri
42
0-2, 0-1
45
winner
2:1, 1:0
42
45
2:1, 1:0
winner
| team | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | OT | OT | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 42 |
|
|
7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 45 |
Match Summary: Football |
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team went head-to-head with rival Southeast Missouri of the Big South-OVC Football Association in a double-overtime game, but ultimately lost by a final score of 45-42.
The Skyhawks (0-2, 0-1 Big South-OVC) led by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter before the Redhawks fought back in the final minutes – including a home team touchdown with 39 seconds left that forced overtime.
Overtime continued as a game of ups and downs, with the lead changing hands six times. In the first period, SEMO managed an 11-yard pass from Paxton DeLaurent to Mitchell Sellers, who scored his third consecutive touchdown and took an early lead. Then the Skyhawks came alive when a game-ending interception was canceled and a seven-yard jet sweep from Kinkead Dent To Asa Wondeh to tie the game and send it into the second overtime. A 36-yard field goal attempt by the Skyhawks was deflected to the right, opening the door for SEMO, who converted their 37-yard field goal attempt and pulled away with a 45-42 victory.
“Congratulations to SEMO, they made one more play than us tonight,” UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. “I’m proud of our guys, we played really, really hard. Sometimes we just didn’t practice as well as we should have or weren’t as disciplined on penalties as we should have. We need to pull ourselves together and win some games. It’s not going to get any easier in the next few weeks. We need to regroup and gain confidence.”
In an offensive game, UT Martin totaled 470 yards on offense, including 277 yards through the air and 193 yards from the running attack. Dent drove the offense with an efficient game, completing 23 of 33 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Meanwhile on the ground Patrick Smith had a clear lead with 26 attempts over 148 yards and a touchdown.
One of Dent’s top targets was the graduate receiver DeVonte Tanksley who caught seven of his twelve passes for 113 yards. Then a pair from Dent in the first half to Trevonte Rucker led to touchdowns through passes – points were scored through pass catches of 20 and 3 yards respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball, transfer cornerback Robert Johnson played a brave game in the secondary. Despite battling an injury in the second half, he led the team with seven tackles and an incredible four pass defenses. Meanwhile, the trio of Jaylon Sharpe, Josh Hastings And Oshae Baker Each made five tackles, while Baker tied the program record for most career pass defenses with a pair, bringing his total to 30 – tying him with Chris Jones at the top of the UT Martin all-time list. Rounding out the top defensive players were outside linebacker Michael Pleas, Jr. who scored 1.5 sacks in the competition.
Southeast Missouri (2-1, 1-0 Big South-OVC) continued its impressive home play, extending its home winning streak against the Skyhawks to three games. The Redhawks passed 64 times and totaled 365 yards on offense behind DeLaurent, who completed 36 of 63 pass attempts for 376 yards and six touchdowns. SEMO fielded two 100-yard receivers in the game, with Cam Pedro leading the team with nine receptions for 126 yards, while Dorian Anderson had eight catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Sellers did the most damage, however, as he hauled in six receptions for 60 yards – including three touchdowns.
A forced fumble by Bryce Norman in the fourth quarter played a key role in the comeback win, as the Preseason Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Year recorded 13 tackles. Khalani Riddick (11 tackles) and Mali Walton (10 tackles) also reached double figures for the Redhawks.
UT Martin looks to bounce back next week when it makes its home debut against United Athletic Conference foe North Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff for the Hall of Fame Game at Hardy Graham Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
