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(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 11)--The McKendree University football team will take on its second nationally-ranked opponent of the season when the University of Indianapolis comes to Lebanon for a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Leemon Field.

The Greyhounds are ranked No. 21 in the latest American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Division II poll. Indianapolis is 4-1 overall and, like McKendree, is 1-0 in GLVC play. The Greyhounds opened their league schedule last week with a 34-3 victory at home over Missouri S & T. The game was played in heavy rain at times and also included a 38-minute lightning delay in the second quarter.

McKendree, 2-2 overall, is coming off its first home loss of the season, a 38-21 defeat at the hands of the University of Findlay. The Bearcats got off to a quick start thanks to a 76-yard touchdown run by junior Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) on the second play of the contest. The burst marked the longest run of Herring's career at McKendree, and is also the longest run for a Bearcat play at Leemon Field. Herring finished the day with 104 rushing yards on just eight carries. Junior Dewayne Gatti (Pasadena, CA/Bonita), who leads the GLVC in receptions per game at 6.5, caught seven passes on the day. Gatti now has 27 receptions through the Bearcats' first four games.

Defensively against Findlay, juniors Harrison Skokos (Bradenton, FL/Lakewood Ranch) and Bryce Colvin (East Peoria, IL/East Peoria) each collected 12 tackles to lead the way for McKendree. Sophomores Jackson Carver (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul) and Alec Gerdes (Normal, IL/Normal) each added nine stops, while sophomore Derrik Starrett (Brighton, IL/Alton Marquette) blocked a Findlay field goal attempt in the first quarter.

Herring leads McKendree with 270 rushing yards, while sophomore quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) has completed just under 65 percent of his pass attempts for 820 yards with five touchdowns. The Bearcats continue to excel on special teams as the team leads NCAA Division II in punt returns. McKendree has averaged 42 yards per return on its first four attempts in 2013. That includes a 46-yard effort by sophomore Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) in last week's contest against Findlay. McKendree is also averaging just over 26 yards per kickoff return, and the team has three special teams scores through its first four games.

Gerdes lead the Bearcats' defense with 36 tackles, while senior Javar Murphy (Chicago, IL/Marian Catholic) has added 26 stops. Skokos and senior Tirell Anderson (Decatur, IL/MacArthur) are currently tied for third with 25 tackles.

Indianapolis is led offensively by a pair of seniors in running back Klay Fiechter and quarterback Chris Mills. Fiechter, an All-GLVC selection a year ago, has rushed for 465 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Fiechter also became the Greyhounds' career in rushing TDs last week with a second-quarter score versus Missouri S & T. He has recorded 31 rushing touchdowns for the Greyhounds. Mills has completed 60.1 percent of his pass attempts this year for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore Reece Horn leads the team with 32 receptions, while junior Greg Johnson is next with 20 catches.

On defense, senior linebackers Todd Hacker and freshman Derrick Bryant lead the way for Indianapolis with 46 tackles each. Senior defensive lineman Vince Maida has registered a team-high 4 1/2 quarterback sacks, while fellow senior defensive lineman Mike Phillips is right behind with four sacks. Junior defensive back Andre Smith leads the GLVC with four interceptions, three of which came in the Missouri S & T victory.

The teams met for the first time last season, with Indianapolis pulling away in the second half for a 45-15 victory. Jeruel Taylor (University Park, IL/Marian Catholic) led McKendree with 59 rushing yards on 14 carries, In a reserve role, Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) completed 6-of-10 pass attempts for 74 yards. Javar Murphy (Chicago, IL/Marian Catholic) had a team-high 13 tackles while Bryce Colvin (East Peoria, IL/East Peoria) added 11 stops. Drake Schmudlach (Carthage, IL/Illini West) had seven tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the contest. Klay Fiechter rushed for a game-high 138 yards with two touchdowns to lead the Greyhounds. Chris Mills threw for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the night.