BOX SCORE
(OSKALOOSA, Iowa, Sept. 24)—The McKendree University football team fell to 0-3 on the season following a 21-0 loss Saturday on the road at William Penn University.
The Bearcats' defensive unit held the host Statesmen to more than 200 yards below their season rushing average of 415 yards per game. However, the McKendree offense generated just 17 second-half yards in taking the loss. McKendree will look for its first victory of the year next Saturday (Oct. 1) when the Bearcats return home to Leemon Field to host Truman State University. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
The teams were locked in a scoreless battle until the final minutes of the first half, when William Penn took advantage of a McKendree turnover to score the first points of the contest. The Bearcats started a drive at their own 37-yard line with 2:24 to play in the half. Following a rushing play and a sack, senior running back Chris Montgomery (Avondale, AZ/Mascoutah) (Avondale, Ariz./Mascoutah) took a handoff and was stripped of the ball. William Penn's Nick DiMarco recovered the loose ball at the Bearcats' 25-yard line with 1:12 to go in the second quarter.
On the next play, DeMarco Sanders raced around the left side for a 25-yard touchdown run, and the extra point pushed William Penn in front 7-0. McKendree drove quickly downfield following the kickoff, but a 47-yard field goal attempt by junior kicker Josh Pruitt (Orlando, FL/Boone) (Orlando, Fla./Boone) was short with three seconds remaining in the half.
"That turnover was really a turning point,” said McKendree football coach Carl Poelker. “Both defenses were settling in and playing some good football. William Penn got a short field to work with and took advantage of it.”
William Penn, now 5-0 and ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, took the second half kickoff and marched 74 yards in 13 plays to grab a 14-0 advantage early in the third quarter. The Statesmen then finished off the game on Sanders' second scoring run of the day, an eight-yard burst, with 11:42 to play.
The Statesmen entered the game averaging and NAIA-best 415.8 yards per game on the ground, but were limited to just 179 yards on the day by a stingy Bearcat defense. Senior linebacker Brandon Nigro (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way Central) (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) led McKendree in tackles with nine, while junior defensive lineman Ricardo Lopez (Chicago, IL/De la Salle) (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) added eight stops. Senior linebacker Reggie Cloyd (Danville, IL/Danville) (Danville, Ill./Danville) was in on seven tackles and broke up a pair of passes.
McKendree appeared to have broken up the William Penn shutout bid midway through the fourth quarter, but a 40-yard touchdown strike from senior quarterback Austin Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) (Washington, Ill./Washington) to junior wide receiver Nick Jones (Murphysboro, IL/Murphysboro) (Murphysboro, Ill./Murphysboro) was negated by a holding penalty.
“Our rush defense really kept us in the ballgame,” said Poelker. “They did a great job of limiting William Penn, especially in the first half. We still have to limit mistakes, though, with turnovers and penalties and key times.”
Montgomery led McKendree with 53 yards on 23 carries. Fisher completed 8-of-26 pass attempts for 82 yards and was sacked four times. Senior wide receiver Richard Bailey (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) and sophomore fullback Stephen Wallace (Chester, IL/Chester) (Chester, Ill./Chester) each caught two passes in the effort for the Bearcats.
This was the just the third time since McKendree revived its football program in 1996 that the Bearcats were shut out in a game, and the first since 2008, a span of 33 games.
