BOZEMAN — On Monday we gave Montana State Bobcat fans a glimpse at Missouri State ahead of their game against University of Tennessee Martin. In this article MTN Sports looks at the Skyhawks, who could very well play Montana State in two weeks if they beat the Bears on Saturday.
UT Martin is led by head coach Jason Simpson who has been there since 2006. He has a 99-78 record heading into their game on Saturday. UT Martin finished atop the Ohio Valley conference with a 9-2 record. This is their second playoff berth and thanks to their great season, Simpson is one of 17 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award which goes to the best coach in the FCS.
On offense the Skyhawks are a run-heavy team. They’ve run the ball 157 times more than they’ve passed.
A Tulane transfer, senior quarterback Keon Howard is at the helm of the Skyhawks offense. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who has 1,800 yards passing and 15 passing touchdowns. On the ground He’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has 472 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Right behind him in the backfield is senior running back Peyton Logan who has been an animal running the ball. He’s averaging a massive 7.5 yards per carry which is second in the FCS on 131 attempts for 982 yards. The man who has been getting the touchdowns is redshirt freshman Zak Wallace, he’s punched the ball into the end zone 14 times.
On defense, the Skyhawks are a little above average. They’re ranked 40th in points allowed giving up 24 per game and they’re 41st in total defense giving up 349 per game and tied with their opponent Missouri State at 36th in rushing defense giving up 129 yards per game.
Senior linebacker John Ford has been all over the field for UT Martin. He is second on the team in tackles, tied for first with three interceptions and has five tackles for a loss,
Montana State fans will find out Saturday at 4 p.m. if they play UT Martin. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
