2023 UT Martin Skyhawks football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 2023
| team = UT Martin Skyhawks
| sport = football
| image = UT Martin Skyhawks wordmark.svg
| image_size = 200
| conference = Big South–OVC football
| short_conf = Big South–OVC
| STATSRank = 25
| FCSCoachRank = 23
| record = 8–3
| conf_record = 5–1
| head_coach = Jason Simpson
| hc_year = 18th
| off_coach= Kevin Bannon
| oc_year= 8th
| off_scheme =
| def_coach= Brandon Butcher
| dc_year = 1st
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Graham Stadium
| champion = Big South–OVC co-champion
}}
{{2023 Big South–OVC football standings}}
The 2023 UT Martin Skyhawks football team represented the University of Tennessee at Martin as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 18th-year head coach Jason Simpson, the Skyhawks played home games at Graham Stadium in Martin, Tennessee.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 2023
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I FCS
| poll = STATS
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 2
| time = 5:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Georgia
| opprank = 1 (FBS)
| site_stadium = Sanford Stadium
| site_cityst = Athens, GA
| score = 7–48
| attend = 92,746
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 9
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Missouri State
| site_stadium = Graham Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 38–31
| attend = 6,104
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 16
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Houston Christian
| site_stadium = Graham Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 66–7
| attend = 3,102
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 23
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = North Alabama
| site_stadium = Braly Municipal Stadium
| site_cityst = Florence, AL
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 37–21
| attend = 8,836
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| rank = 22
| opponent = Tennessee State
| gamename = Sgt. York Trophy
| site_stadium = Graham Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 20–10
| attend = 5,020
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 18
| opponent = Eastern Illinois
| site_stadium = O'Brien Field
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 28–27
| overtime = OT
| attend = 8,078
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf =
| rank = 17
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Charleston Southern
| site_stadium = Graham Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 17–0
| attend = 5,718
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 28
| time = 12:30 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf =
| away = y
| rank = 14
| opponent = Gardner–Webb
| site_stadium = Ernest W. Spangler Stadium
| site_cityst = Boiling Springs, NC
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 34–38
| attend = 5,017
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| time = 1:30 p.m.
| w/l = w
| rank = 21
| away = y
| opponent = Tennessee Tech
| gamename = Sgt. York Trophy
| site_stadium = Tucker Stadium
| site_cityst = Cookeville, TN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 44–41
| overtime = OT
| attend = 10,187
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| time = 2:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| rank = 21
| opponent = Southeast Missouri State
| site_stadium = Graham Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 41–14
| attend = 4,209
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| rank = 19
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Samford
| site_stadium = Pete Hanna Stadium
| site_cityst = Homewood, AL
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 17–27
| attend = 3,043
}}
}}
{{cite web |title=2023 UT Martin Football Schedule |url=https://fbschedules.com/2023-ut-martin-football-schedule/ |website=FBSchedules |access-date=21 April 2023}}{{cite web |title=2023 Football Schedule |url=https://utmsports.com/sports/football/schedule/2023 |website=UTM Athletics |access-date=21 April 2023}}
Game summaries
=at No. 1 Georgia (FBS)=
{{see also|2023 Georgia Bulldogs football team}}
{{Americanfootballbox
|bg=#fff
|bg2=#eee
|titlestyle= {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|UT Martin Skyhawks}}; text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Game One – UT Martin Skyhawks (0-0) at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (FBS) (0-0) – Game summary
|date=Saturday, September 2, 2023
|time= 6:00 p.m. EST
|road=UT Martin
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=7
|home=No. 1 Georgia (FBS)
|H1=7|H2=10|H3=14|H4=17
|stadium=Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia
|attendance= 92,756
|weather= -
|referee=Kyle Olson
|TV=SEC Network+
|TVAnnouncers=Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (color) and Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline)
|scoring=
;First quarter
- (3:40) UGA – Brock Bowers 3-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:39; Georgia 7–0)
;Second quarter
- (4:29) UGA – Carson Beck 4-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 2:43; Georgia 14–0)
- (0:03) UGA – Peyton Woodring 23-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:14; Georgia 17–0)
;Third quarter
- (8:29) UGA – Mekhi Mews 54-yard pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 98 yards, 2:32; Georgia 24-0)
- (5:35) UGA – Roderick Robinson II 2-yard run (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:54; Georgia 31–0)
;Fourth quarter
- (11:36) UGA – Oscar Delp 21-yard pass from Brock Vandagriff (Peyton Woodring kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards, 0:37; Georgia 38–0)
- (6:39) UTM – Trevonte Rucker 9-yard pass from Kinkead Dent (Aidan Laros kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:57; Georgia 38–7)
- (2:09) UGA – Peyton Woodring 33-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:30; Georgia 41–7)
- (1:59) UGA – Kyron Jones 26-yard interception return (Peyton Woodring kick) (Georgia 48–7)
}}
| class="wikitable" style="float: left;"
! Statistics !! style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|UT Martin Skyhawks|border=1 |
|-
| First downs || 15 || 28
|-
| Total yards || 62–262 || 69–559
|-
| Rushing yards || 29–134 || 30–159
|-
| Passing yards || 128 || 400
|-
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int || 18–33–1 || 26–39–0
|-
| Time of possession || 29:35 || 30:25
|-
|}
| class="wikitable" style="float: right;"
! Team !! Category !! Player !! Statistics |
| rowspan=3 style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|UT Martin Skyhawks|border=1 |
|-
| Rushing || Kinkead Dent || 6 carries, 47 yards
|-
| Receiving || Asa Wondeh || 4 receptions, 42 yards
|-
|rowspan=3 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Georgia Bulldogs|border=1}}; text-align:center;"|Georgia || Passing || Carson Beck || 21/31, 294 yards, TD
|-
| Rushing || Kendall Milton || 9 carries, 53 yards
|-
| Receiving || Brock Bowers || 5 receptions, 78 yards
|}
{{Clear}}