The UT Martin Skyhawks continue to stack win after win, but Week 12 may not come so easy.

UT Martin has had a turnaround season after the team started 0-4. They now head into their second-to-last regular season game at 5-5. While not to the same extent, their opponent in Week 12 has also turned around their season. 

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers started the season rough at a record of 0-4 with losses of 45-3 against Vanderbilt, 13-0 against Coastal Carolina, 35-28 versus Lindenwood and 34-7 against William and Mary. The team then found their first win of the season 31-24 versus South Carolina State. Just when things looked like they could turn around, the team proceeded to drop back-to-back losses 30-27 and 27-13 against Gardner Webb and Tennessee Tech respectively. Now at 1-6, the season seemed all but over. Here is when the Buccaneers flipped the switch. 

To start things off, Charleston Southern went on the road to pull off an upset over the Western Illinois Leathernecks 29-24. Sophomore quarterback Zolten Osborne had a career game with four touchdown passes and 262 passing yards. 

In Week 10, hope looked all but lost as the team went into the fourth quarter against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. Osborne once again put the team on his back with a passing and rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Osborne was not the only hero though as junior defensive lineman David Portu blocked the game winning field goal, thus sealing the win for Charleston Southern. 

In the team’s most recent game, they once again pulled off an upset on the road. While the game was not pretty for Obsorne and the rest of the offense and the defense struggled, the team came away with the win 23-17 thanks to a strong 17-point first half lead. 

Charleston Southern is on a three-game winning streak–all were Ohio Valley Conference-Big South games. Osborne is young, and the struggles have been there, but he has shown a key trait this season that could help his career in the future–the ability to spread the ball out between multiple weapons. 

Charleston Southern features two wide receivers over 300 or more yards–junior Mekhi Campfield (359) and freshman Rashawn Cunningham (395). They also feature three receivers at 200 or more yards–senior Jamil Bishop (298), senior Chris Rhone (255) and junior tight end Nebanye Moore (248). The big stat to note as well is all of these players have at least 21 catches. Cunningham has led the way in the touchdown department at six. 

Defensively, UT Martin needs to watch out for standout senior defensive lineman Malik McKinzie. McKinzie has been a menace up-front with six sacks and two forced fumbles–leading the team in both. In the secondary, freshman cornerback Jayden Hancock has a tendency to attack the ball with two interceptions and four pass deflections. 

Charleston Southern is a young team that UT Martin cannot underestimate. The Skyhawks require a big day from the pass rush to send pressure at Osborne and keep the ball on the ground to avoid Hancock. 

For the second straight week UT Martin play at home, hosting Charleston Southern at Hardy M. Graham Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m.