UT MARTIN HITS THE ROAD FOR SHOWDOWN AT NO. 24 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Click on the above image to hear UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson's weekly press conference.

The University of Tennessee at Martin football team will hit the road for an Ohio Valley Conference matchup against No. 24 ranked Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 26. Kickoff from Houck Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.

The Skyhawks (5-2, 4-0 OVC) enter the contest off to their best start in OVC play since 2006 with a 4-0 record, outscoring its league opponents by an average of 23.25 points per game. Currently, the Skyhawks rank in the top-25 in 21 statistical categories nationally while leading the league in fourth down conversion percentage, defensive touchdowns, fewest penalties, interceptions, fewest interceptions thrown, punt returns, team passing efficiency, team sacks, turnover margin, turnovers lost and winning percentage.

UT Martin is led offensively by quarterback John Bachus III who has completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,361 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running back Peyton Logan has been explosive, tallying four 100-yard rushing performance on the season while notching 639 yards and six touchdowns. Wide receiver Terry Williams leads the team with 25 receptions while tallying 258 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, JaQuez Akins has a team-high 62 tackles while recording two pass breakups, an interception and a pair of forced fumbles.

The game will feature two of the league's veteran coaches in UT Martin's Jason Simpson and Southeast Missouri's Tom Matukewicz. Simpson ranks sixth in OVC history with an 85-70 overall mark in 14 seasons after recently becoming tied for the program's all-time career wins' mark. Conversely, Matukewicz has posted a 28-37 mark in his sixth season at the helm of the Redhawks.

Southeast Missouri (4-3, 2-1 OVC) enters the game ranked No. 24 nationally in the STATS FCS Poll. The Redhawks are coming off a historic victory, ending formerly No. 14 ranked Jacksonville State's 32-game home winning streak by a score of 24-21 after forcing four turnovers. The pair of Kristian Wilkerson (Offensive) and Justin Swift (Defensive) picked up OVC Player of the Week honors after impressive performances in the victory.

Saturday's game serves as the 35^th meeting between the two programs with UT Martin holding a narrow 18-16 advantage. The Skyhawks have won six of the last eight meetings against the Redhawks with SEMO tallying victories in 2014 and 2018. Dating back to 2008, nine of the last 11 contests have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

The game will be televised live on ESPN+. Fans can also tune into WCMT 1410 AM/100.5 FM to hear Tom Britt (play-by-play), Chris Brinkley (color), John Hatler (color) and John Abel (sideline) provide analysis. Links for the radio broadcast, along with live stats can be accessed through their respective links above.

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