BOX SCORE

(DAVENPORT, Iowa, Oct. 8)—The McKendree University football team was handed a 28-7 loss Saturday on the road at Saint Ambrose University. The non-conference game was played at Brady Street Stadium.
 
The Bearcats trailed just 14-7 at the half, but a pair of second-half touchdown runs by the host Fighting Bees sent McKendree to 0-5 overall. McKendree will try to break into the win column for 2011 next Saturday (Oct. 15) when it travels to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Grand View University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
 
Senior quarterback Austin Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) (Washington, Ill./Washington) completed 15-of-27 pass attempts for 91 yards with a touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) (Bloomington, Ill./Normal) and sophomore running back Stephen Wallace (Chester, IL/Chester) (Chester, Ill./Chester) each caught five passes in the contest, with Rutledge grabbing a three-yard TD reception late in the first half.
 
Saint Ambrose (4-1) scored on its first two possessions, but the Bearcats were able to cut the deficit in half thanks to a ball-control drive that consumed more than seven minutes. Fisher went 5-for-6 on the drive, completing three to Rutledge during the march. On the 17^th play of the drive the duo connected on a three-yard TD strike just inside the right pylon of the end zone with 21 remaining before halftime. The extra point by junior kicker Josh Pruitt (Orlando, FL/Boone) (Orlando, Fla./Boone) brought McKendree within 14-7. The scoring drive consumed 80 yards and seven minutes, 30 seconds.
 
“I thought that was going to be a big momentum shift,” said McKendree football coach Carl Poelker. “We took the wind, drove down, were patient and put together a really good drive. I thought we came together as that first half went on. It was a slow start. But we had opportunities in the second half, and couldn't capitalize on them.”
 
Midway through the third quarter, Saint Ambrose regained a two-touchdown advantage at 21-7 when Cole Kelly posted his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon, a 18-yard burst up the middle with 5:21 left in the period. The Fighting Bees iced the game early in the fourth quarter when Anton Wilkins took a handoff and raced down the left sideline for a 48-yard touchdown with 12:14 remaining. It was also Wilkins' second scoring run of the afternoon.
 
Senior running back Erik Fohne (Pocahontas, IL/Greenville) (Pocahontas, Ill./Greenville) led a balanced rushing attack for McKendree with 38 yards on six carries. Freshman running back Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East) added 35 yards on nine rushes.
 
Kelly led all rushers with 133 yards – including 104 in the second half – for Saint Ambrose. Wilkins chipped in with 84 yards on 15 carries.
 
Defensively, senior linebacker Brandon Nigro (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way Central) (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) moved another spot up the career tackles list for McKendree. Nigro finished with a team-high 10 tackles, boosting his career total to 244. He moved past the late Cory Wilson for third place on the Bearcats' all-time list, and is now 33 tackles shy of the record 277 tackles posted by Mike Garavalia from 1996-99.
 
Sophomore safety Jamison Wilson (Country Club Hills, IL/Hillcrest) (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest), senior linebacker Reggie Cloyd (Danville, IL/Danville) (Danville, Ill./Danville) and sophomore defensive back Michael Romshek (Gibson City, IL/Gibson City-Melvin Sibley) (Gibson City, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin Sibley) each contributed seven tackles in the contest against Saint Ambrose.
 
The loss snapped McKendree's three-game win streak in the series against Saint Ambrose. Overall, the Bearcats had won five of the last seven meetings with the Fighting Bees.