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McKENDREE GAME NOTES

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 11)--The McKendree University football team will hit the road for the first time in 2014, heading east to face the University of Findlay in a non-conference battle. Kickoff is set for 12 noon ET (11 a.m. CT). The contest will be carried live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.mckbearcats.com/watch) with the pre-game show beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET (10:30 a.m. CT). 

ABOUT McKENDREE --
The Bearcats opened their 2014 season with a 75-14 loss last Thursday (Sept. 4) to Ferris State University at Leemon Field. The contest marked the first Thursday game in the history of the McKendree football program. Junior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) completed 20-of-29 pass attempts for 196 yards with a 50-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Dustin Walls (Champaign, IL/Centennial) in the first quarter. Junior wide receiver Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) had a team-high six pass receptions, while senior tight end Reuben Bowlby (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) grabbed five passes for 50 yards. Senior running back Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) rushed for a team-leading 80 yards on just six carries, including a 45-yard TD scamper in the second quarter. Sophomore linebacker A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) registered a career-high 13 tackles against Ferris State, while junior linebacker George Hill (Chicago Heights, IL/Rich Central), senior defensive back David Thomas (St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood) and junior linebacker Alec Gerdes (Normal, IL/Normal) each chipped in with seven stops in the contest.

ABOUT FINDLAY --
The Oilers held off a late charge from Hillsdale College last Saturday to post a 46-38 home win in their season opener last Saturday (Sept. 6) at Donnell Stadium. Quarterback Verlon Reed proved to be a dual threat for Findlay, rusing for a game-high 176 yards on 18 carries, while completing 17-of-28 pass attempts for 293 yards. Reed accounted for six Oiler TD's in the outing (four rushing and two passing). Lloyd Henry caught nine passes from Reed for 129 yards, while Darnell Fields and Luke Hampton each had a TD reception for Findlay. Harold Jones-Quartey and Tory Clark shared team-high honors with 11 tackles each, while Nathan Morris notched 10 tackles with nine solos. 

THE LAST MEETING...McKENDREE vs. FINDLAY -- 
On Oct. 5, 2013 at Leemon Field, McKendree got off to a fast start against Findlay, but the Oilers regrouped to post a 38-21 victory over the Bearcats. Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) gave McKendree a 7-0 lead on the second play of the game as he took a handoff and raced 76 yards for a score, marking the longest run of Herring's career with the Bearcats. The Oilers scored 21 unanswered points before a four-yard scoring run by Jeruel Taylor (University Park, IL/Marian Catholic) helped McKendree trim the deficit to 21-14 at the half. Findlay took control during the early stages of the second half before Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) connected with Dewayne Gatti (Pasadena, CA/Bonita) on a four-yard TD pass in the final minute to account for the Bearcats' final points. Herring gained a team-high 104 yards on the ground, while Fisher was 22-of-33 for 136 yards. Gatti caught seven balls for 62 yards as seven different receivers had at least one catch for McKendree. Harrison Skokos (Bradenton, FL/Lakewood Ranch) led the defensive effort for the Bearcats with 11 tackles. For Findlay, Daiquone Ford rushed for a game-high 229 yards on 30 attempts, while Verlon Reed threw for 335 yards and rushed for 52 more. Trevor Smith registered a team-leading nine tackles for the Oilers. 

WHAT'S NEXT -- 
McKendree will wrap up the non-conference portion of its 2014 schedule next Saturday (Sept. 20) when it heads to Midland, Mich., to face Northwood University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT). 

BEARCAT TRACKS... -- 
McKENDREE IN ROAD OPENERS: The Bearcats sport an 8-10 record in road openers since the footblal program was revived in time for the 1996 season. McKendree last won a road opener in 2010 against the University of the Cumberlands, 34-27, at the Big River Bowl in Dyersburg, Tenn.

GETTING TO KNOW THE GLIAC: Today's game with Findlay will mark the second of three consecutive non-conference games for McKendree against teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Bearcats opened the season last Thursday at home against Ferris State University, and will also head to Northwood University next Saturday to wrap up non-league play. 

DOUBLING UP: McKendree has reached double figures in the scoring column in 159 of its last 170 games. 

21 AND OVER: McKendree sports a 105-19 record when scoring at least 21 points in a game. The Bearcats are 81-15 in their last 96 contests when reaching the 21-point mark.

HERRING HITS 1,000-YARD MILESTONE: Senior running back Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) became the 18th player in program history to rush for 1,000 career yards, hitting the mark in the Bearcats' 2013 season finale against Kentucky Wesleyan College. Herring had a career-high 117 rushing yards in that outing, and has pushed his career total to 1,100 yards at McKendree. The next three players on the Bearcats' career rushing list are:
13) Jason Yelton -- 1,255 yards
14) Jason Jackson -- 1,241 yards
T-15) Anthony Roland -- 1,100 yards

FISHER FACTS: Junior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) established new season records in total offense (2,062 yards), pass attempts (308), pass completions (189), passing yards (1,961) and passing TDs (19) in 2013. He is currently ranked second in the McKendree career categories for the aforementioned marks behind his older brother Austin, moving into the No. 2 spot on the total yardage list (3,399 yards) last week against Ferris State.

GATTI GRABS: In his first year as a Bearcat in 2013, senior wide receiver Dewayne Gatti (Pasadena, CA/Bonita) shattered team records for receptions (64), receiving yards (837) and touchdown receptions (7) in a single season. Those numbers are also good enough to put Gatti in the Bearcats' career top five in all three categories.

LONGEST PLAYS IN McKENDREE FOOTBALL HISTORY (Since 1996)
RUSH: 90 yards by Brandon Murphy vs. Iowa Wesleyan, 2000*
PASS: 85 yards from Dan Loudenslager to Zach Atkins vs. Georgetown, 2008*
KICKOFF RETURN: 100 yards by Brandon Murphy vs. Olivet Nazarene, 1997*; 100 yards by Ryan Keen (Country Club Hills, IL/Hillcrest) vs. Tiffin, 2013*
PUNT RETURN: 86 yards by Adam Clapp vs. Quincy, 2004*
INTERCEPTION RETURN: 100 yards by Lawrence Davis vs. William Penn, 2007*
FIELD GOAL: 51 yards by Jordan Fark vs. University of the Cumberlands, 2010
PUNT: 74 yards by Mark Albertini vs. St. Francis (Ind.), 1999
* -- Touchdown

THIS DATE IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY...
Sept. 13, 2008
Playing in its first night home game in 76 years, McKendree dropped a 28-21 decision to Marian College at Leemon Field. The Bearcats nearly overcame a 21-point second-quarter deficit and had the ball in the closing minute of play with a chance to tie, but the visiting Knights were able to hold on for the win. Derrick Quals started the comeback bid for McKendree with a 43-yard interception return for a TD, and Shane McBride added a 63-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. After Marian regained a 14-point advantage, Tommy Gayfield posted a two-yard TD run to give McKendree its final points of the night. Dan Loudenslager completed 13-of-28 pass attempts for 142 yards. Byron Gettis had six catches in the effort, while McBride gained a team-high 94 yards on the ground. Aaron Barnett paced the Bearcats' defensive effort with nine tackles, including seven solos. 

Sept. 13, 2003
Playing in front of a sellout crowd, No. 4-ranked McKendree defeated No. 2 Georgetown in a battle of NAIA top-five teams, 20-14. David Rhodes set the tone for the Bearcats with his 10-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The Tigers eventually took a 14-10 lead before Drew Cofty put McKendree in front to stay with an electrifying 65-yard TD burst just 78 seconds before halftime. Stephen Webb provided the only points of the second half with a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter. Cofty (108 yards) and Daryle Jones (a team-leading 115 yards) each broke the century mark in the rushing department for McKendree, which defeated Georgetown for the second consecutive year in the regular season.

Sept. 13, 1997
McKendree hit the road for the first time in 1997 and suffered a 45-19 setback at Olivet Nazarene University. Brandon Murphy set a new Bearcats' record by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in the contest. His 97-yard return early in the first quarter tied the game at 7-7, while his 100-yard TD jaunt midway through the fourth quarter provided the final points of the day for McKendree. Murphy also established another team record that still stands today with his 269 all-purpose yards against the Tigers.