Eastern increased its winning streak over Tennessee-Martin to nine games with a 29-12 victory at O’Brien Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers rode the back of red-shirt freshman tailback Vincent Webb for 206 yards on 30 carries and a touchdown.

“He did a hell of a job today and I’ve always liked his running style,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said. “He’s making the most of the opportunity.”

Eastern won its fourth straight Homecoming game in the 87th contest since 1915, increasing the record to 42-37-8.

However, Spoo felt his squad sleepwalked through the contest with an effortless performance.

“We didn’t have the emotion whatsoever and the fire was apparently left at home today,” Spoo said. “In terms of Homecoming, I don’t know if Homecoming created too many distractions or what.”

The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard first after a reverse on the opening kickoff return by junior Trent Sanders went to the Eastern 45-yard line.

Fifteen plays later, junior kicker J.T. Batson spilt the uprights on a 19-yard field goal to give UTM a three-point lead.

Eastern used its physical size difference on the Skyhawks and broke for a 52-yard run by Webb that set up a 19-yard field goal by sophomore Steve Kuehn to tie the score.

“We had so many opportunities inside the red zone that we should’ve converted today but didn’t make a play,” Spoo said.

In the beginning of the second quarter, Eastern went on a nine-play, 75-yard drive ending with Guillermo Davis’ first carry finding the end zone to put the Panthers up 10-3.

“We have to stop playing catch-up in so many games,” UTM head coach Matt Griffin said. “We keep putting ourselves in this position.”

Eastern found itself in Skyhawk territory and Andrew Harris ran an option play to the right side of the field. The sophomore junior college transfer broke a pair of tackles before he walked into the end zone but a blocked extra point made it 13-point half time deficit for the Skyhawks.

“The offensive line blocked well for us today, but most of it is me being an athletic quarterback from Florida,” Harris said. “I’ve seen tape on Randall Cunnigham played early on in his career and try to do what he does.”

On the first down of the second possession, Eastern used the third play to run a screen pass to perfection. Webb took the reception and ran through 67 yards of daylight to score and make a Skyhawk comeback looking unlikely.

“That play was all about perfect blocking because all I had to do is make one cut and I was gone,” Webb said. “That’s just the offensive line doing its job.”

UTM used the arm of sophomore quarterback Brady Wahlberg to a seven-play, 74 yard-drive that ended with Wahlberg finding Cole Duncan from 19 yards away and being part of the true freshman tight end’s first career career touchdown.

“Brady was out there making plays, but that’s just him being a competitor,” Griffin said. “When our back was against the wall, we fought but when everything was even Steven, we got outplayed.”

The Skyhawks long snapper Zac Scott got off a low snap and holder Orentheus Taylor’s pass was intercepted by outside linebacker Jake Maurer. Maurer led the Panthers in tackles and was the player told before the game by defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni that he would get a pick.

“Coach Roc has been a prophet this season,” Maurer said. “As a player, i just can’t understand it.”

Tennesse-Martin used a 10-play, 69-yard drive to set up a 38-yard field goal for Baston with the wind to his back that split the uprights.

Suddenly, the Skyhakws were down 11 points with 14 minutes in the game making this contest eerily similar to UTM’s first OVC win in 44 games this season against Tennessee Tech.

“We simply weren’t as focused as we needed to be,” Spoo said.

Eastern tried to ice the game in the middle of final quarter but Kuehn hooked a 25-yard field goal wide right and Panthers eat over six minutes off the clock and had no points to show for it.

“We had so many special teams errors either with blocked kicks, muffed holds, missed attempts and kickoff coverage,” Spoo said. “It just makes you sick.”

Early in the fourth quarter, Webb had suffered an ankle injury and was helped off the field. The St. Louis native making his first career start got a quick tape job from the training staff and returned for the final Eastern drive.

“It was sore but we needed a guy in there that could deliver points,” Webb said. “It shouldn’t be something that keeps me out of next week’s game.”

Eastern finally put the ball away with a one-yard touchdown run by Webb which turned out to be the final score of the game.

“This game today proved how much of class guy coach Spoo really is,” Griffin said. “Everything basic they do well comes come their head guy.”