UT Martin Football Set For Hall of Fame Clash Against SIU

The University of Tennessee at Martin soccer program will host Missouri Valley Football Conference foe Southern Illinois for the group’s dwelling opener and annual Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, Sept. 13. Kickoff from Hardy Graham Stadium is scheduled for six p.m. and will likely be broadcast on ESPN+.

The annual Hall of Fame Game caps off a loaded weekend which incorporates the induction of the Class of 2025 for the UT Martin Athletics Hall of Fame. Dacotah Faught (rifle, 2013-16), Mark Guy (soccer, 1983-84, 87-88), Katie Jackson (soccer, 2002-05) and Ray Williams (soccer, 2005-08) will likely be formally enshrined on Saturday earlier than being acknowledged at halftime.

The Skyhawks (0-2) enter the competition on the lookout for their first win of the season and can lean on the pleasant confines of Hardy Graham Stadium to propel them. UT Martin has received 25 of its final 30 video games at dwelling since 2019 – together with an 18-3 document over the previous 4 seasons. The Skyhawks have been particularly robust in dwelling openers the place they’ve boasted wins in six straight seasons relationship again to 2019.

UT Martin will play its first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) recreation of the season when enjoying host to Southern Illinois after back-to-back Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) matchups to open the marketing campaign. The Skyhawks dropped street contests at Big 12 foe Oklahoma State (27-7) and Conference USA member UTEP (42-17) to open the season.

Southern Illinois (1-1) enters the competition ranked nationally in each polls, sitting as excessive as No. 14 within the AFCA Coaches’ Poll after profitable its season opener in opposition to Thomas More (49-3) earlier than falling to Big 10 foe Purdue (34-17) final week. The Salukis boast a dual-threat quarterback in DJ Williams who leads the group with six complete touchdowns – 4 passing and two speeding – whereas throwing for 429 yards in two video games. Defensively, Andrew Behm leads the group with 22 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

This marks the ten^th assembly between the 2 applications in a sequence which started 99 years in the past in 1926. Southern Illinois has held the higher hand within the sequence, profitable eight of 9 conferences. UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson has squared off in opposition to present SIU head coach Nick Hill on two events, as soon as as a participant in 2006 within the first spherical of the FCS Playoffs after which as an opposing coach in 2019.