Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 4)—The McKendree University football was defeated at home in Great Lakes Valley Conference play by Truman State University on Saturday, 30-17.
 
The Bearcats trailed just 13-10 at the intermission, but visiting Truman State scored 17 unanswered points in the early stages of the second half to pull away from the victory. McKendree slips to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in the GLVC. The Bearcats will hit the road for its next two games, beginning with its final night game of the 2014 season next Saturday at the University of Indianapolis. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT).
 
For the third consecutive week, McKendree held the edge in first downs and total offense against its opponent. On Saturday, McKendree picked up 26 first downs compared to 21 for Truman State. The Bearcats also held a 414-377 edge in total yards over the Bulldogs. McKendree also forced a trio of turnovers on the day.
 
Junior defensive lineman Brett Pearman (Granite City, IL/Granite City) had a hand in two of the Bearcats' takeaways. First, he stripped the football from Truman State quarterback Devonte Black on a sack early in the second quarter, and the ball was recovered by sophomore defensive lineman Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park). Later in the second quarter, Pearman recovered another Bulldogs' fumble. Pearman finished the day with seven tackles, including two sacks.
 
"Our defense made some big plays and gave us opportunities to score," said McKendree head coach Mike Babcock. "While we able to move the ball on offense, we were not able to capitalize on those chances. This game came down to big plays, and Truman State was able to make a few more big plays than we were. They are a good football team and they showed that especially in the second half today."
 
Junior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington), who completed 27-of-47 attempts on Saturday, added to his collection of career records as he became the Bearcats' all-time leader in passing yards. Fisher threw for 279 yards against Truman State, boosting his career total to 4,355 yards. He surpassed the previous mark set by his older brother Austin, who had 4,332 through the air while playing at McKendree from 2008-11.
 
McKendree scored first when Fisher connected with junior wide receiver Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) on a 23-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter. Sophomore kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) added the extra point to give the Bearcats a 7-0 lead with 8:16 left in the period.
 
 Truman State (4-1, 3-0 GLVC) responded by scoring on its next two possessions to take a 13-7 lead later in the quarter. Garrett White, who had a game-high 159 rushing yards in the contest, scored the first of his three touchdowns on a five-yard burst to tie the game at 7-7. Just over two minutes later Black tossed a 20-yard TD pass to Kurt Loyd, but McKendree junior offensive lineman Derrik Starrett (Brighton, IL/Alton Marquette) blocked the point after attempt.
 
The six-point lead for Truman State stood until the final minute of the first half, when O'Block drilled a 25-yard field goal with 29 seconds left until intermission to bring the Bearcats within 13-10.
 
White sandwiched his other two scoring runs on the day around a 36-yard field goal by Roger Howard as Truman State pushed its lead to 30-10 with 10:24 remaining. Over the next four minutes, McKendree drove 67 yards in 10 plays, with senior running back Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) providing a four-yard touchdown run to help the Bearcats trim the deficit to 30-17. Fisher was 7-for-7 for 67 yards on the drive.
 
In addition to his 279 passing yards, Fisher rushed the ball 18 times for a career-high 87 yards. James had a career-high nine receptions for 75 yards, while freshman wide receiver Dustin Walls (Champaign, IL/Centennial) and senior tight end Reuben Bowlby (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) each caught four passes for the Bearcats.
 
For the fifth straight game, sophomore linebacker A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) led McKendree in tackles with 11. Junior linebacker Alec Gerdes (Normal, IL/Normal) chipped in with eight stops, while senior linebacker Bryce Colvin (East Peoria, IL/East Peoria) had seven tackles on the day.