MURRAY, Ky. — Preston Rice threw for one touchdown and ran for another and Murray State beat UT Martin 14-10 in a spring opener Sunday to give Dean Hood his first win as the Racers’ new head coach.
Hood has returned to the Ohio Valley Conference where he served as head coach at Eastern Kentucky for eight years (2008-15).
Murray State led 7-3 with six seconds left in the third quarter when the game was delayed for over two hours because of lightning in the area.
The Racers rode the legs of Damonta Witherspoon on a drive that led to Rice’s 2-yard touchdown and a 14-3 lead with a little over four minutes left in the game.
Dresser Winn scored for UT Martin on a sneak with a minute remaining but the Skyhawks were unable to recover an ensuing onside kick.
Rice connected with a wide-open Dequan Dallas for an 83-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter one play after Don Parker’s interception of a deep pass at the Racers 7.
Parker also forced a fumble on a sack of John Bachus III in the third quarter. Sylvaughn Turner had the Racers’ other interception, also in the third quarter.
Tyler Larco kicked a 34-yard field goal for the Skyhawks in the second quarter.
The game was the first for both teams in over 460 days.
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