2023 UT Martin Skyhawks football team

2023 UT Martin Skyhawks football
Big South–OVC co-champion
Conference	Big South–OVC football
Ranking
STATS	No. 25
FCS Coaches	No. 23
Record	8–3 (5–1 Big South–OVC)
Head coach	Jason Simpson (18th season)
Offensive coordinator	Kevin Bannon (8th season)
Defensive coordinator	Brandon Butcher (1st season)
Home stadium	Graham Stadium

2023 Big South–OVC football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Gardner–Webb +^		5	–	1					7	–	5
No. 25 UT Martin +		5	–	1					8	–	3
Eastern Illinois		4	–	2					8	–	3
Bryant		4	–	2					6	–	5
Southeast Missouri State		3	–	3					4	–	7
Tennessee Tech		2	–	4					4	–	7
Robert Morris		2	–	4					4	–	7
Charleston Southern		2	–	4					4	–	7
Tennessee State		2	–	4					6	–	5
Lindenwood *		1	–	5					3	–	7
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant Note: Lindenwood ineligible for Big South–OVC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2023 UT Martin Skyhawks football team represented the University of Tennessee at Martin as a member of the Big South-OVC Football Association during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 18th-year head coach Jason Simpson, the Skyhawks played home games at Graham Stadium in Martin, Tennessee.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	5:00 p.m.	at No. 1 (FBS) Georgia*		Sanford Stadium Athens, GA	SECN+/ESPN+	L 7–48	92,746
September 9	6:00 p.m.	Missouri State*		Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	W 38–31	6,104
September 16	6:00 p.m.	Houston Christian*		Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	W 66–7	3,102
September 23	6:00 p.m.	at North Alabama*		Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL	ESPN+	W 37–21	8,836
September 30	6:00 p.m.	Tennessee State	No. 22	Graham Stadium Martin, TN (Sgt. York Trophy)	ESPN+	W 20–10	5,020
October 7	2:00 p.m.	at Eastern Illinois	No. 18	O'Brien Field Charleston, IL	ESPN+	W 28–27 OT	8,078
October 21	2:00 p.m.	Charleston Southern	No. 17	Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	W 17–0	5,718
October 28	12:30 p.m.	at Gardner–Webb	No. 14	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	L 34–38	5,017
November 4	1:30 p.m.	at Tennessee Tech	No. 21	Tucker Stadium Cookeville, TN (Sgt. York Trophy)	ESPN+	W 44–41 OT	10,187
November 11	2:00 p.m.	Southeast Missouri State	No. 21	Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	W 41–14	4,209
November 18	12:00 p.m.	at Samford*	No. 19	Pete Hanna Stadium Homewood, AL	ESPN+	L 17–27	3,043
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Game summaries

at No. 1 Georgia (FBS)

See also: 2023 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Game One – UT Martin Skyhawks (0-0) at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (FBS) (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
UT Martin	0	0	0	7	7
No. 1 Georgia (FBS)	7	10	14	17	48

at Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia

• Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: -
• Game attendance: 92,756
• Referee: Kyle Olson
• TV announcers (SEC Network+): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (color) and Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (3:40) UGA – Brock Bowers 3-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:39; Georgia 7–0) Second quarter (4:29) UGA – Carson Beck 4-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 2:43; Georgia 14–0) (0:03) UGA – Peyton Woodring 23-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:14; Georgia 17–0) Third quarter (8:29) UGA – Mekhi Mews 54-yard pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 98 yards, 2:32; Georgia 24-0) (5:35) UGA – Roderick Robinson II 2-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:54; Georgia 31–0) Fourth quarter (11:36) UGA – Oscar Delp 21-yard pass from Brock Vandagriff (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards, 0:37; Georgia 38–0) (6:39) UTM – Trevonte Rucker 9-yard pass from Kinkead Dent (Aidan Laros kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:57; Georgia 38–7) (2:09) UGA – Peyton Woodring 33-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:30; Georgia 41–7) (1:59) UGA – Kyron Jones 26-yard interception return (Peyton Woodring kick) (Georgia 48–7)

Statistics	UTM	UGA
First downs	15	28
Total yards	62–262	69–559
Rushing yards	29–134	30–159
Passing yards	128	400
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–33–1	26–39–0
Time of possession	29:35	30:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UT Martin	Passing	Kinkead Dent	18/32, 128 yards, TD
	Rushing	Kinkead Dent	6 carries, 47 yards
	Receiving	Asa Wondeh	4 receptions, 42 yards
Georgia	Passing	Carson Beck	21/31, 294 yards, TD
	Rushing	Kendall Milton	9 carries, 53 yards
	Receiving	Brock Bowers	5 receptions, 78 yards