WVU Football plays host to UT Martin on September 12 in a Week 2 affair. The contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the Mountaineers and Skyhawks on the gridiron.
It falls a week before WVU hits the road for the first time in 2026 and should act as a tune-up game, much like the 2025 opener against Robert Morris. No team should ever underestimate its opponent, though. Read more: Tale of the Tape 2.0 – UT Martin.
The Skyhawks are searching for their first win against an FBS opponent since September 28, 2024, when they beat Kennesaw State in the Owls’ first year at the top level.
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In recent seasons, UT Martin has lost to one Big 12 team per year. Oklahoma State (27-7 in 2025) and Kansas State (41-6 in 2024) both rolled by the Skyhawks with ease. WVU presumably has hopes of adding to the list.
First-timers
Being the inaugural matchup between WVU and UT Martin, there is no former history between the schools when it comes to football. The Mountaineers typically play an FCS opponent as part of the non-conference slate each season, but the Skyhawks have never been the team to travel up to Morgantown.
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More than 630 miles and a time zone separate the two campuses, and the two teams have just never gotten around to playing each other.
On UT Martin
This program lives and breathes through head coach Jason Simpson, with more than two decades at the helm now. Through roster turnover (nearly 50 players this season) and the passage of time, Simpson remains the anchor for a consistently solid program.
The five-time Ohio Valley Conference champion enters his 21st season leading the Skyhawks, with 130 wins under his belt. He even touts a four-peat of conference titles from 2021-2024. Football must run in Simpson’s blood, with his son Ty making headlines down south in his time as the quarterback for Alabama and now on the Los Angeles Rams’ roster.
On the less consistent side, the Skyhawks have plenty of question marks surrounding the QB room. Freshman Tate Surber and Grambling State transfer Julian Calvez seem to be the frontrunners for the starting job. However, much like the rest of this series, it is too early to make a prediction.
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The running back room looks a little more concrete, with a three-headed monster showing off in the spring game and past success in actual contests.
Regardless of who suits up, coach Simpson knows how to win — albeit with minimal success against FBS opponents. That is not a knock on the program, it is just an observation. UT Martin is a steady mainstay in the OVC, notching a .656 winning percentage in conference play since 2006.
The fact is, depth makes a difference. The 27-7 loss to Oklahoma State last year was the Cowboys’ only win on their 1-11 campaign.
While UT Martin can come in and hope to wreak havoc, putting WVU and its coaching staff on the hottest of seats, it is a long shot. Even a 4-8 Mountaineer squad beat Robert Morris by 42 in 2025.
Final wrap
Week 2 action from Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown between WVU and UT Martin is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. on September 12. Expect another hot non-conference afternoon game when the Skyhawks roll into town.
Tune into 100.9 FM The Torch or any of its affiliate stations across the John Fredericks Media Network for play-by-play coverage of Mountaineer action. For this game’s TV coverage, ESPN+ carries the broadcast.
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