The West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the UT Martin Skyhawks to secure their second win of the early college football season, according to live game reporting from Sports Illustrated. Playing at Milan Puskar Stadium, West Virginia leaned on explosive plays from quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. to establish an early lead and suppress an FCS upset bid.
First-Half Explosive Plays Build Mountaineer Lead
West Virginia struck early despite a momentary communication hiccup on their opening play from scrimmage, according to Sports Illustrated. Just two snaps later, quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. connected with receiver DJ Epps on a 53-yard touchdown pass. The Mountaineers extended their advantage shortly after when Andrew Powdrell blocked a UT Martin punt, setting up a four-play scoring drive capped by a rushing touchdown from Cam Cook to make it 14-0.
UT Martin threatened deep inside West Virginia territory later in the first quarter, but defensive back Geimere Latimer punched the ball loose near the goal line, allowing linebacker Ben Cutter to recover the fumble. Hawkins added to the lead before the quarter ended by juking a linebacker and racing 71 yards untouched for a rushing score, bringing the tally to 21-0, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
Second Quarter Momentum and Defensive Stands
The Skyhawks briefly found success through the air in the second quarter when a long passing play beat the West Virginia secondary, though the gain was nullified by an illegal block below the waist penalty on blitzing safety Kamari Wilson, according to Sports Illustrated. Forced to punt, UT Martin watched West Virginia strike again when Hawkins hit Epps for a 59-yard gain before rushing for his second touchdown of the afternoon to push the score to 28-0.
UT Martin pieced together a lengthy drive before halftime, but missed a field goal attempt. A final Hail Mary heave into Mountaineer territory as time expired in the half fell incomplete, sending West Virginia into the locker room with a 28-0 lead.
Second-Half Execution and Roster Notes
West Virginia picked up where they left off in the third quarter, marching down the field on their opening possession. Hawkins threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ryan Ward to stretch the margin to 35-0, according to Sports Illustrated. The Mountaineer defense maintained pressure when linebacker Ashton Woods intercepted a pass over the middle, giving West Virginia possession deep in opponent territory.
Ahead of kickoff, West Virginia announced several roster absences. Running backs Andre Devine and Chris Talley, receiver Prince Strachan, defensive lineman Jaylen Thomas, and linebacker Antoine Sharp Jr. did not dress for the contest, according to Sports Illustrated.
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