Butler rallies Tennessee State past UT-Martin, 34-30

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ronald Butler fired a 9-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Smith with 18 seconds left in the game to lift Tennessee State to a 34-30 win over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Trailing 23-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Tiger rallied. Butler hit Chris Sanders-McCollum with a 3-yard pass with 10:08 left to take a 24-23 lead and Tennessee State padded it on a 57-yard field goal by Lane Clark with 7:27 left. Troy Cook put the Skyhawks (2-3, 1-1 Ohio Valley) ahead 30-27 with 2:00 left on a 20-yard pass to Londell Lee before Butler engineered the seven-play, 74-yard drive to win the game. Butler finished 17-of-24 for 223 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers (4-0, 1-0). Smith finished with six catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Cook was 27-of-39 for 318 yards for UT-Martin. Cook had four touchdown passes but was intercepted three times.