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CHARLESTON, Ill. – It looked like shades of last season when Eastern Illinois won all six of its games by a total of 15 points with no victory greater than three points as the Panthers picked up a 24-21 overtime win over UT Martin on a windy homecoming afternoon at O'Brien Field.
 
The Panthers improved to 2-6 overall, 2-3 in the OVC.  UTM fell to 1-6 overall, 1-3 in the OVC.
 
Taking advantage of a wind coming from the North, EIU head coach Kim Dameron called a timeout with one second remaining in the third quarter forcing UT Martin to run one final play into the wind on third and long.  Back-up quarterback Joe Hudson rolled out of the pocket and threw back across the field only to have freshman safety Bryce Dewberry get a read on the pass.  Dewberry intercepted the pass and returned it for 61-yard touchdown to put the Panthers up 21-14 at the end of the third quarter.
 
EIU then pinned UTM at the Skyhawks own 10-yard line with 2:09 remaining and two timeouts to work with.  Hudson completed a fourth down pass to Jaylon Moore to keep the drive alive on a fourth and seven play.  Moore would catch two more passes on the drive including a 26-yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining.  Hudson was 5-of-6 on the drive after his fourth down completion to Moore. He was 18-of-30 for 175 yards in the game replacing Dresser Winn who was hurt on the final play of the first quarter after going 7-of-7 for 48 yards.
 
Ryan Courtright then bounced the extra point attempt off the right upright spinning it through to tie the game at 21-21.   In overtime, EIU would hold UTM to a 3-and-out and Courtright missed his first kick of the season as his 42-yard field goal bounced off the cross bar falling short.
 
EIU gained five yards on its possession in overtime setting up a 38-yard game winning field goal by Nick Bruno. 
 
UTM scored first in the game taking a 7-0 lead on a LaDarius Galloway 4-yard touchdown run.  The Skyhawks ran 91 plays in the game compared to just 53 for the Panthers.  UTM finished with 405 yards with Galloway rushing for 78 yards and two touchdowns.  His second touchdown came with eight seconds left in the first half to give UTM a 14-7 halftime lead.
 
The Panthers high-powered offense stalled on its first couple of drives as the first, first down of the game for EIU came on a 50-yard pass from Harry Woodbery to Matt Reyna in the second quarter as the Panthers were backed up to their own 1-yard line.
 
Alexander Hollins hauled in his 13th touchdown pass of the season in the second quarter for EIU's first score.  Hollins was held to three catches for 42 yards as EIU quarterbacks were 15-of-30 for the day with 177 yards.
 
EIU's second touchdown came with 8:34 to play in the third quarter on a Johnathan Brantley 13-yard scramble.  Dewberry's interception then gave EIU the lead.  In the game Brantley extended his current OVC record streak of consecutive passes thrown without an interception to 230.
 
Dytarious Johnson had an active day to lead the EIU defense.  The sophomore had 13 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.  Joe Caputo, Edwyn Brown and Levi Watson all finished with double figure tackles.  Caputo had 13, Brown 11 and Watson 10.  EIU registered 10.5 tackles for loss on the day.
 
UTM was led by Kevin Prather with six tackles and the only sack of the game.  DaVonte Maura had an interception for the Skyhawks.