The UT Martin Skyhawks paid a visit to the West Virginia Mountaineers and were handed their second loss on the year on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.
The Skyhawks only managed to score one touchdown in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter, with a six-yard fumble recovery by sophomore outside linebacker John Betts III.
The Mountaineers got started early in the first and never looked back with a 53-yard pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. to redshirt senior wide receiver DJ Epps. Senior running back Cam Cook scored the second touchdown for the Mountaineers with a two-yard run.
On the next Skyhawk possession, the Skyhawks managed a first-and-goal but choked away a critical opportunity to slow down the Mountaineer momentum with a fumble.
With five minutes left in the first, Hawkins made a 71 yard dash for a touchdown, making it 21-0 after the kick by redshirt senior kicker Jack Cassidy.
Entering the second, Hawkins Jr. scored his second touchdown of the afternoon with a five-yard run.
After the first half, the Mountaineers proceeded to score three more touchdowns and a field goal, totaling a whopping 52 points.
The Skyhawks managed to put up 148 rushing yards compared to the Mountaineers’ 316. The Skyhawks produced 170 passing yards compared to the Mountaineers’ 209 passing yards.
Junior running back Chris Franklin led the Skyhawks in rushing yards with 93 total. The Skyhawks three-man quarterback rotation was led by freshman Tate Surber with 137 yds. Sophomore wide receiver Deuce Oliver caught a game-high six catches from Surber, proving some excellent chemistry despite the tough loss.
UT Martin sophomore safety Trey Cotton had the most tackles on the field with 10.
This game was the Skyhawks’ first road game of the year, as well as their first matchup against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) school. Coach Jason Simpson was asked about this experience post-game.
“This was a learning experience for our players in a good environment,” said Simpson. “When you play a FBS opponent, if you handle it the right way, your team will get better with that experience.”
The Skyhawks will play their second road game of their four-game trip on Saturday, Sept. 19 against another FBS school, the Memphis Tigers. Perhaps due to Memphis’ close proximity to Martin, this will be more of a comfortable matchup. The Skyhawks have a 4-9-1 record all time against the Tigers with the last matchup going in favor of Memphis 21-6.
Conference play is approaching with the Skyhawks’ first OVC matchup of the year against the Tennessee State Tigers on Oct. 10. The Skyhawks look promising, but they will need to work out kinks before that fateful day approaches.
