UT Martin Wins Defensive Battle Versus Kennesaw State

Tennessee Martin used a workmanlike effort to give the school its second FCS over FBS win in program history. Oshae Baker’s second half pick-six put the Skyhawks in front and they never looked back in the 24-13 win over FCS-turned-FBS Kennesaw State.

UT Martin had two strong drives to start the game with the first ending in a missed field goal and the second saw Patrick Smith run it from 7 yards out. The defense had the Owls bottled up in the first quarter and early in the second but a pick-six thrown by Kinkead Dent knotted the game up at seven. Both offenses were able to move the ball at the end of the first half as the teams exchanged field goals inside the two-minute warning leading to a 10-10 tie going into halftime.

The second half began with the Owls moving the ball efficiently but Baker’s pick-six turned the tide back in favor of UT Martin. The Skyhawks added an insurance score on their first offensive drive of the half going 72 yards in 11 plays while burning nearly 7 minutes off the clock. Smith’s dashing 21-yard TD run made it 24-10 after three quarters while the defense was able to hold the Owls out of the end zone. A fourth-quarter field goal by Kennesaw State made it 24-13 but the defense sealed the game on the final two drives by forcing a turnover on downs and Chris Hunter’s interception.

63-YARD PICK-6️⃣!⁰
Preseason All-American @oshaebaker takes it the other way for a @UTM_FOOTBALL touchdown! ⁰#BigSouthOVCFB pic.twitter.com/Su9wyEE7Do

— Big South-OVC Football Association (@BigSouthOVCFB) September 29, 2024

Kinkead Dent went 13 of 23 for 132 yards but outside the pick-six, the offense was efficient going 7 of 15 on third down. Patrick Smith led the way with 123 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns on 24 carries while Tyler Dostin was the top receiver for UTM with 3 catches for 41 yards. The defense was outstanding allowing just 2.2 yards per carry and holding KSU to 4 of 17 on third down.

For the Skyhawks, the victory is the second in school history following the 20-17 win over Memphis in 2012. It was the first win for the Big South-OVC Football Association since it began play in 2023 and the victory marked the first time that C-USA has lost 3 games in a single season to FCS opponents. UT Martin improves to 2-3 overall and has a huge home game next week against Gardner-Webb if it wants to contend for another Big South-OVC title.

Photo Credit to Kennesaw State University Athletics