The UTM football team picked up its first win of the 2004 season Saturday night against the Governors of Austin Peay State University, 31-14.

The victory ended a 35- road game losing streak that stretched back to 1997, when the Skyhawks beat the Govs at their field. The first points on the board came from the Skyhawks 4:50 into the game on a 26-yard field goal by junior kicker Taylor Brown. UTM got down field on a 13-play drive for 71 yards. The drive included four complete passes by junior quarterback Brady Wahlberg.

UTM’s three points remained unanswered for the rest of the first quarter, during which the Skyhawks picked up 50 more offensive yards and held the Governors to just 33.

The Govs followed UTM’s lead and scored early in the second quarter on a five yard pass by APSU quarterback Jesse Kellogg. The TD came off the Governors most successful drive of the night, 14 plays for 84 yards.

The Governors were only able to keep the lead for two complete drives until freshman running back Donald Chapman went on a massive 80-yard run for the touchdown, bringing the score to 10-7.

The 80-yard run is one of the top-five longest rushes in UTM history.

The Skyhawks dominated time of possession in the first half, holding the ball for 17:15. This was a sign of things to come for UTM.

The second half scoring started with 4:04 left in the third quarter when on a 15-play, 78-yard drive, Wahlberg completed his first touchdown pass of the game to sophomore wide receiver Taurean Stephens. This increased the UTM lead, 17-7. The Governors were unable to put any more points on the board during the third, only having possession of the ball for 3:51 seconds. The longest drive APSU could come up with was for nine yards.

The fourth quarter found the Skyhawks scoring early, once again, on a 22-yard pass by Wahlberg to sophomore running back Seanrick Trimar. This one came just a minute and a half in to the quarter after sophomore cornerback Rayvon Sims blocked a punt on the Austin Peay 29-yard line. The FG put UTM up by 16, 24-7, with 13:22 left in the game.

The Govs were determined to attempt to make the game interesting, and on the following drive, scored a TD off an 8-yard complete pass by Kellogg, closing the gap to 24-14. Each team had one more short series of plays for less than 10 yards when UTM mounted an impressive 62-yard drive which included four first downs. The drive resulted in another touchdown pass by Wahlberg, 5-yarder to sophomore tight end Cole Duncan.

Austin Peay couldn’t put anymore points on the board in the two minutes remaining after Duncan’s TD, and the game ended with the final score 31-14.

“It feels good to win,” said head coach Matt Griffin. “It didn’t matter where we were playing this weekend. Our kids were ready to play.”

The time of possession differential in the game of 37:31 UTM to 22:29 APSU wore the Governors’ defense down early. “Defensively we kept ourselves on the field too long,” said Austin Peay defensive coordinator Steve Haywood. “(UTM) had 86 snaps (in the game) and we don’t have the depth to be on the on the field 86 snaps.”

Wahlberg, team co-captain, had his best passing game of the season so far, with a total of 272 yards to APSU’s 217. Chapman, for the third game in a row, led the rushing game with a massive net total of 183 yards.

This feat once again landed him the title of the Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the second time in three games.

The Skyhawk defense was on target all night, limiting the Governors to just 53 yards on the ground.

Leading the team in tackles was senior linebacker John Castillo with 10 and two pass breakups. Castillo has had at least one stop in the last 15 consecutive games.

Following him was team co-captain, senior cornerback Russell Gambrell with six. Tied for third were junior defensive back Chad McMahan and freshman offensive linebacker Andrew Johnson each with five tackles on the night.

Junior cornerback Jason Coleman also had two interceptions during the game.

The victory over Austin Peay puts the Skyhawks record at 1-2, dropping the first two games to Western Michigan and Tennessee State.

The Skyhawks look to start a winning streak next Saturday when they take on the Sycamores of Indiana State University. The Sycamores are coming off a victory in the next to last game in the OVC-Gateway Conference Challenge against Murray State, 28-21.

UTM is the OVC’s last hope for a win in the annual challenge between the leagues.

Because Austin Peay football is not in the OVC, the Skyhawks’ conference record has not changed.

The overall standings have shifted with Tenn. State taking the top spot away from Jacksonville State.

Kickoff in Saturday’s game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.