By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – Fresh off tying a program record with the team’s eighth straight victory, the University of Tennessee at Martin football team moved up one spot and into 10th place in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks climbed two spots in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll up to No. 13.
Prior to UT Martin picking up a 41-20 win against Tennessee State to record the team’s 12 unbeaten home slate in program history, the Skyhawks ranked 11th in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll while sitting 15th in the Stats Perform Poll. UT Martin is the only Ohio Valley Conference program to be ranked or receive votes in either poll. The team’s No. 10 ranking sits as the highest position for the program since Week 11 of the 2006 season when UT Martin was ranked No. 8 in both national polls.
In addition to climbing in the polls, the Skyhawks were named FCS National Team of the Week by both Athlon Sports and Stats Perform after following their dominating performance against Tennessee State. UT Martin tallied 298 rushing yards against TSU (the league’s top defense) while forcing a pair of turnovers. Quarterback Keon Howard accounted for 199 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, Zak Wallace rushed for 123 yards and two scores while linebacker John Ford had a game-high 12 tackles with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Skyhawks lead the OVC in 15 statistical categories as a team including scoring offense (32.8 ppg), rushing offense (229.6 ypg), rushing defense (116.1 ypg), sacks allowed (0.78/game), team sacks (1.67/game), tackles for loss (1.67/game), time of possession (33:53), winning percentage (88.9), third-down conversions (46.7%), fourth-down conversion defense (33.3%), tackles for loss allowed (4.78/game), blocked kicks (three), blocked punts (1), blocked punts allowed (zero) and completion percentage (58.6).
FCS Coaches’ Poll
1. Sam Houston (28) | 8-0 | 700
- James Madison | 8-1 | 668
- Montana State | 8-1 | 631
- UC Davis | 8-1 | 561
- Kennesaw State | 8-1 | 539
- North Dakota State | 8-1 | 532
- South Dakota State | 7-2 | 525
- Eastern Washington | 7-2 | 498
- Montana | 7-2 | 489
- UT Martin | 8-1 | 464
- Villanova | 7-2 | 435
- East Tennessee State | 8-1 | 391
- Southeastern Louisiana | 7-2 | 373
- Missouri State| 6-3 | 333
- Jackson State | 8-1 | 272
- Southern Illinois | 6-3 | 258
- South Dakota | 6-3 | 247
- Sacramento State | 7-2 | 217
- Chattanooga | 6-3 | 147
- VMI | 6-3 | 112
- UIW | 7-2 | 105
- Princeton | 7-2 | 88
- Dartmouth | 7-1 | 77
- Northern Iowa | 5-4 | 69
- Eastern Kentucky | 6-3 | 51
Stats Perform FCS Top 25
1. Sam Houston (50) | 8-0 | 1,250
- James Madison | 8-1 | 1,180
- Montana State | 8-1 | 1,168
- South Dakota State | 7-2 | 1,045
- North Dakota State | 8-1 | 1,015
- UC Davis | 8-1 | 1,005
- Eastern Washington | 7-2 | 889
- Villanova | 7-2 | 872
- Montana | 7-2 | 799
- Kennesaw State | 8-1 | 778
- ETSU | 8-1 | 723
- Sacramento State | 7-2 | 624
- UT Martin | 8-1 | 622
- Southeastern Louisiana | 7-2 | 613
- Southern Illinois | 6-3 | 603
- Missouri State | 6-3 | 596
- UIW | 7-2 | 516
- Jackson State | 8-1 | 385
- South Dakota | 6-3 | 338
- Northern Iowa | 5-4 | 257
- VMI | 6-3 | 173
- Chattanooga | 6-3 | 160
23. Dartmouth | 7-1 | 160
- Praire View A&M | 7-1 | 109
- William & Mary | 6-3 | 79
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information