UT Martin has had a brutal fortnight of its own. The Skyhawks opened the season as a preseason-ranked FCS team and lost to Central Arkansas, then needed a 42-7 rout of Chicago State just to get their first win — a game in which redshirt freshman Tate Surber made his college debut at quarterback. A trip to West Virginia followed, and it wasn't close.
Kickoff at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium comes with a forecast near 96 degrees and clear skies, which is its own factor for two offenses that have already logged a lot of snaps in September heat. A gap this size between two programs usually says most of what needs to be said before anyone lines up.
What actually matters for Memphis here is whether the defense that got gashed for 352 rushing yards can tighten up before American Conference play starts, and whether Stokes and tight end Hunter Tipton — both coming off big individual days — can keep building rhythm against inferior competition without picking up bad habits. Those are the real evaluation points, not the final score.
For UT Martin, this is the guarantee-game money grab every FCS program takes, and the roster is thin on answers after absorbing 90 combined points across two FBS trips. A young quarterback getting reps, even in a lopsided setting, still has some value for a program trying to figure out its identity under center for the rest of the OVC-Big South schedule.