<p>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.</p>
<p>Hood has returned to the Ohio Valley Conference where he served as head coach at Eastern Kentucky for eight years (2008-15). </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Dresser Winn scored for UT Martin on a sneak with a minute remaining but the Skyhawks were unable to recover an ensuing onside kick.</p>
<p>Rice connected with a wide-open Dequan Dallas for an <a href="https://twitter.com/racersfootball/status/1366186702931288065">83-yard touchdown</a> midway through the first quarter one play after Don Parker’s interception of a deep pass at the Racers 7. </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Tyler Larco kicked a 34-yard field goal for the Skyhawks in the second quarter.</p>
<p>The game was the first for both teams in over 460 days.</p>
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