Graduate Wide Receiver Makhia Sherrard prepares for the game against Chicago State on Sep. 5, 2026, at the Hardy M. Graham Stadium in Martin, Tenn. (Pacer Photo / Chloe Kent)
The UT Martin Skyhawks earned their first win of the season against the Chicago State Cougars, defeating them 45-7.
Despite the Cougars striking first with a six-yard passing touchdown caught by redshirt junior wide receiver DeArmond Mathews, the Skyhawks were not fazed, proceeding to score six unanswered touchdowns.
The Skyhawks first score came off of a rushing touchdown from junior running back Chris Franklin. After that, it was all Skyhawks.
The star of the show was junior running back Tommy Ansley with three touchdowns and 114 rushing yards. Franklin also showed out with two touchdowns and 72 rushing yards.
Overall, the Skyhawks had 25 first downs and 38 rushing attempts for 226 yards. They managed to convert on five out of nine third-downs. The two quarterbacks, graduate Julian Calvez and freshman Tate Surber, combined for 261 passing yards.
The Skyhawks played spectacular defense, only allowing the one touchdown in the first quarter. Junior linebacker Reginald Allen Jr. had eight tackles and one tackle for loss.
Despite the offensive dominance, one issue for the Skyhawks was the excessive penalties they committed throughout the game. The Skyhawks ended the matchup with 13 penalties, costing a total of 110 yards. The Cougars were not much better with 10 penalties and 102 yards lost.
Coach Jason Simpson addressed the penalty issue in the post-game conference.
“…Disappointed in 13 penalties. As the opponents get tougher, you just can’t overcome that. 110 yards in penalties, I’m disappointed in that,” said Simpson.
Simpson also praised the team’s offensive success.
“Tommy and Chris, between the two of them, they had almost 200 yards,” said Simpson. “Played both quarterbacks; they deserved the opportunity to play. Being a redshirt freshman (Tate Surber), that was his first game to play in. Julian had a little bit of bad luck, but when we’re rough, I still want to give the experience…we’ve got a three week stretch here before we get to conference play, and we’ve got a lot of growth that’s got to happen.”
Simpson also addressed how he will handle the team’s upcoming four-game road trip.
“One week at a time. It was a luxury to have two in a row…it doesn’t affect your practice,” said Simpson. “We’re lucky to be flying this week. It could be a lot worse. We could be driving back to Chicago. It doesn’t change anything as far as our routine.”
The Skyhawks next matchup will be on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, where they will pay a visit to the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field in Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.
