LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 14)--The McKendree University football team will kick off a new era Saturday evening when it hosts MIssouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S & T) at 6 p.m.

There will be a "White Out" Saturday evening at Leemon Field. McKendree fans are encouraged to wear white to the game, and a limited number of "White Out" t-shirts will be handed out prior to the contest. In addition, the Bearcat football squad will be wearing their white jerseys at home for the first time since the program was revived prior to the 1996 season.

Fans who cannot make it to Leemon Field can watch the live video from Leemon Field at www.mckbearcats.com/watchlive. There will also be live audio that accompanies the broadcast, with Joe Zydlo providing the play-by-play action. Live stats of the McKendree/MIssouri S & T game can be viewed at www.mckbearcats.com/livestats.

Saturday's contest will mark the Bearcats' first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference football contest. In fact, it will be opening weekend for the GLVC, which did not sponsor football as a conference sport until this fall. Nine teams are competing for the league championship ths year. In the GLVC's pre-season poll released back in July, McKendree was ranked sixth, while Missouri S & T nabbed the No. 3 slot in the nine-team poll.

McKendree enters Saturday's contest with an 0-2 record. The Bearcats were defeated last Saturday in their 2012 home opener by Henderson State University, 47-24. The Bearcats built an early 17-7 lead but the visiting Reddies reeled off 40 unanswered points to pull away for the win. Senior quarterback David Bergschneider (Pleasant Plains, IL/Pleasant Plains) threw for 158 yards in the contest, which included a 74-yard touchdown pass to freshman running back Cameron Jones in the fourth quarter. Jones was also the team's leading rusher with 48 yards on just four carries.

Defensively, junior safety Jamison Wilson (Country Club Hills, IL/Hillcrest) posted a team-best nine tackles with eight solos. He also had two interceptions and a fumble recovery versus Henderson State. Wilson returned one of his interceptions 49 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Missouri S & T brings a 2-0 record to Lebanon. The Miners have had nine days to prepare for their league opener after defeating Arkansas Tech University back on Sept. 6 in Russellville, Ark., 27-19. Quarterback Josh Firm was 31-of-38 for 308 yards with two touchdown passes. His favorite target was Smook Thomas, who had a game-high 13 receptions for 134 yards, including a 26-yard TD reception that sealed the Miners' victory in the fourth quarter. Freddy Dugard led the Missouri S & T defensive attack with nine tackles.

Saturday's game will mark the first meeting on the football field between McKendree and Missouri S & T.