The UT Martin Skyhawks took home another conference win and moved to 4-1 in the conference with a 27-20 overtime win over the Eastern Illinois Panthers.
It was a tight game all night between the two teams; neither team led by more than seven points at any point during the game. But it was UT Martin that pulled away in the end with a quarterback sneak by senior quarterback Jase Bauer to send the game to overtime, and then Bauer connected with senior receiver Bryce Bailey in the back of the end zone to end the game.
It was another efficient night for Bauer, who threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns on 22 completions. Bauer’s performance accounted for his fifth game of the season over 200 total yards and his fifth straight game with a rushing touchdown.
Despite the solid stat line from Bauer, UT Martin’s passing game struggled to create explosive plays against the Eastern Illinois defense. The longest pass of the day was a 25-yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back Thomas Ansley; the next longest was a 17-yard grab by junior wide receiver Phaizon Wilson.
However, the passing game was supplemented by an elite ground game, especially late in the game. Three Skyhawks eclipsed the 59-yard mark on the day, led by sophomore running back Chris Franklin with 79 yards, all of which came in the second half. Franklin led UT Martin on its game-tying final drive in regulation with back-to-back 11- and 16-yard runs. While Franklin had the most on the ground, Bauer and Ansley also contributed with 64 and 60 yards, respectively.
Defensively, UT Martin upheld its reputation. The Skyhawks held Eastern Illinois to just 54 yards on the ground on 20 carries. However, Eastern Illinois was able to find success through the air. Between two quarterbacks—sophomore Cole LaCrue and freshman Connor Wolf—Eastern Illinois threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns on 19 completions through 23 pass attempts on the night.
The UT Martin defense stepped up when things mattered most. With 25 yards between Eastern Illinois and double overtime, UT Martin junior cornerback LaMarion Pierce made a strong tackle short of the sticks to force a fourth-and-1 attempt by Eastern Illinois.
That attempt was instantly stuffed for a loss of five by UT Martin star junior linebacker Keyshawn Johnson, who promptly celebrated with his team on the sideline. Game over.
Next week, UT Martin returns home for the first time in three weeks and welcomes the 2-6 Tennessee State Tigers to Hardy Graham Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m.
