GAME NOTES | LIVE AUDIO (BEARCAT SPORTS NETWORK) | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 13)--The McKendree University football team will hit the road for the first time in 2013, traveling to Arkadelphia, Ark., for a meeting with Henderson State University. The Bearcats and Reddies are set for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. The contest can be heard live on the Bearcat Sports Network at www.mckbearcats.com/listenlive.

After rallying for a 32-28 victory in last week's season opener at home over Tiffin University, McKendree will face a tougher task in taking on Henderson State. The Reddies are ranked No. 9 in the latest American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. HSU won their season opener in impressive fashion, taking down visiting Southern Nazarene University by a score of 82-10. The Reddies piled up a whopping 855 yards of total offense, including 557 yards through the air.

Junior quarterback Kevin Rodgers, who is a front-runner for the Harlon Hill Trophy, picked up where he left off following a record-setting 2012 season. Rodgers threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns against Southern Nazarene. Last season, McKendree got to experience Rodgers' talents close up as he threw for 442 yards and seven scores in the Reddies' 47-24 victory at Leemon Field last September. HSU has won both previous meetings against McKendree, which also includes a 16-10 win over the Bearcats back in the 2011 season in Arkadelphia.

McKendree put up some record-setting numbers of its own in the victory over Tiffin last week. Sophomore quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) shattered a pair of older brother Austin's passing records with the Bearcats by completing 28 passes for 375 yards on the day. In fact, Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) topped the previous mark -- set by Austin Fisher with 299 yards in the 2011 season opener against Malone University -- on the final play of the third quarter last week. Junior wide receiver Dewayne Gatti (Pasadena, CA/Bonita) hauled in 10 passes for 201 yards to establish new marks for McKendree. Fisher and Gatti connected for the game-winning score on a 59-yard TD strike with just 4:05 to play.

For the first time in school history, McKendree returned a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game. Senior defensive back Ryan Keen (Country Club Hills, IL/Hillcrest) took the second half kickoff and raced 100 yards for a score. The 100-yard return matched the program record established by Brandon Murphy (now an assistant track and field coach at McKendree) in 1997.

Sophomore running back Branden Walker (St. Louis, MO/University City) joined the act in the early stages of the fourth quarter when he fielded a punt off a bounce and took it 68 yards for a touchdown.

Following Saturday's game at Henderson State, McKendree will open the Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule for 2013 with a road contest Sept. 21 at William Jewell College. That game is also set for a 6 p.m. kickoff.