NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kinkead Dent was instrumental for UT Martin as he threw three touchdown passes within a mere seven minutes of the first quarter, coupled with a rushing touchdown in the second. This impressive performance helped the Skyhawks secure a narrow 28-21 victory over Tennessee State in a crucial matchup within the Big South-OVC Association on Saturday night.
With this win, the Skyhawks improved their record to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play, positioning themselves just one game behind Southeast Missouri State, the conference leader, who achieved a 30-24 win against Gardner-Webb. Meanwhile, Tennessee State’s record slipped to 4-5 overall and 4-2 in the conference, leading them to third place.
The game began with a strong drive from the Skyhawks, culminating in Dent connecting with DeVonte Tanksley for a 35-yard touchdown just two minutes into the match. Shortly after, Dent found Zoe Roberts with a 33-yard pass, extending their lead to 14-0. A further five minutes passed before Dent struck again, completing a 33-yard touchdown pass to Scottie Alexander, putting UT Martin ahead 21-0.
Tennessee State managed to respond when CJ Evans launched a remarkable 98-yard return on the next kickoff, bringing the Tigers onto the scoreboard. As the second quarter began, Draylen Ellis connected with Bryant Williams for a 43-yard touchdown completion, narrowing the gap to 21-14. Yet, before halftime, Dent capped off the Skyhawks’ efforts with a three-yard rushing touchdown, increasing the lead to 28-14 just under a minute before the break.
The Tigers came back into contention when Ellis found Jalal Dean with a two-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, making the score 28-21. In a thrilling finish, Tennessee State drove to the UT Martin 6-yard line in the last minute of the game but was unable to score as Josh Hastings intercepted a fourth-down target to secure the victory for the Skyhawks.
In terms of individual performances, Dent completed 18 of 27 passes for a total of 266 yards, three touchdown completions, and one interception. He also had a solid ground game with six carries for 43 yards. Patrick Smith contributed significantly as well, with 79 yards on 16 carries. For Tennessee State, Ellis finished the night with a 33-of-53 passing record for 312 yards, throwing two touchdown passes while also being intercepted twice. Jalal Dean stood out among the receivers with 11 catches for 118 yards, with Karate Brenson also catching 11 passes for 86 yards.
