UT Martin opens Big South-OVC play with 20-10 win over Tennessee State

MARTIN, Tenn. -- , Kinkead Dent passed for one touchdown and ran for another to help UT Martin defeat Tennessee State and win its Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Association opener on Saturday night. After Tennessee State (2-2, 1-1) took a 10-0 lead, Dent threw a 15-yard TD pass to DJ Nelson with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. Then he went 31 yards for the go-ahead score with 48 seconds remaining and a 14-10 halftime lead. Aidan Laros had the only points in the second half with a pair of field goals for the Skyhawks (4-1, 1-0). The Tigers' points came on Draylen Ellis ' 28-yard run and James Lowery 's field goal. But the Tigers ended up punting on its nine other possessions. Dent was 16-of-25 passing for 230 yards and ran for another 48. Sam Franklin rushed 132 yards on 20 carries while DeVonte Tanksley had 93 yards on six catches.