Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting UT Martin

Sep 2, 2019 | 0 comments


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Normally in this segment, we break down the strengths and weaknesses of the Gators’ upcoming opponent and analyze how that could affect the game’s outcome.

However, UT Martin’s chances to win this game are slim to none, and nothing about their team is a strength, at least compared to the UF units they’ll be matching up against. So, this week’s “Behind Enemy Lines” is going to be a little bit different.


Here are five players that stood out on the stat sheet in the Skyhawks’ 42-20 defeat of Northwestern State on Thursday. These individuals are capable of making some big plays if Florida lets its guard down.

  • Running back Peyton Logan

The junior running back rushed for 149 yards and two scores on 13 carries in the opener, including a 53-yard touchdown. He’s averaging 6.4 yards-per-carry for his career, so the Skyhawks will likely try to lean on him and hope he’s able to break a few long ones against the Gators. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, he’s a shiftier, more elusive type of runner. UF’s defense struggled mightily to wrap up Miami’s DeeJay Dallas, a similar type of back, and allowed him to score a 50-yard touchdown. Logan will provide a nice test to see just how much the tackling improved over the bye week.

  • Quarterback John Bachus

He’s a redshirt freshman, so last week was his first college start. He completed just eight of 20 passes for 130 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. In three games in 2018, he fared much better, completing 18 of 29 throws for 286 yards and four scores. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is more of a prototypical pocket-passer. In just his second start, he’ll be asked to play against a top-10 team in front of 80,000+ fans. No pressure there. Either way, this should be entertaining.

  • Wide out Terry Williams

The senior receiver is the Skyhawks’ most versatile playmaker. On Thursday, he averaged 24.5 yards on four punt returns with a 55-yard touchdown. He also caught two passes for 28 yards and averaged 18.3 yards on four kickoff returns. Last season, he caught a team-best 67 passes for 736 yards and three scores. He was named Preseason Second Team All-Ohio Valley by the CFB Network. Think Kadarius Toney lite.

  • Defensive back Wanya Moton

The redshirt sophomore safety had a monster game against Northwestern State. He made seven tackles, including one for a loss, and intercepted two passes and returned them for a total of 90 yards. He was named his conference’s defensive player of the week. He started 10 games last season and recorded 54 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception. One of the big storylines for the Gators this week is how quarterback Feleipe Franks will bounce back from an uneven opening performance. If he makes a mistake on Saturday, Morris could make him pay.

  • Linebackers Sherrod Pittman/Austin Pickett

Pittman, a redshirt senior linebacker, is likely the most talented player on UT Martin’s roster. He was a top-300 recruit in the Class of 2015 who began his career at South Carolina. He redshirted in 2015 and played in just three games as a sophomore before transferring. He made 11 tackles in the opener, including 2.5 for losses. Pickett, meanwhile, is a senior defensive end. He was named Preseason All-OVC and has lived up to the billing so far, picking up two tackles-for-loss and a sack. Together, Pittman and Pickett helped hold Northwestern State to just 96 rushing yards. Florida’s offensive line struggled with run blocking against the Hurricanes, so this will be something to watch.

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