Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 4)—The McKendree University football team was defeated in its 2014 season opener Thursday night at home by No. 21-ranked Ferris State University, 75-14. The contest marked the first-ever Thursday night game in the history of McKendree football.
 
The visiting Bulldogs scored on six of their seven first-half possessions and never looked back in posting the win. McKendree, now 0-1 on the year, will hit the road for the first time in the new year next Saturday when it travels to the University of Findlay for a non-conference contest. Kickoff is set for 12 noon ET in Findlay, Ohio.
 
McKendree had pulled within 28-14 following a 45-yard touchdown run by senior running back Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) with 5:20 left until halftime. However, Ferris State, rated 21^st in the d2football.com pre-season poll, scored twice within a 37-second span late in the half to build a 42-14 advantage at the intermission. The Bulldogs then capped the contest by scoring 28 fourth-quarter points to pull away for the win. Thursday's game marked the first meeting between the two schools.
 
"You could see coming out that Ferris State was worthy of their national ranking," said McKendree head football coach Mike Babcock. "They have great athletes and it showed. They executed well and made big plays. While it wasn't one specific play for us, we need to learn from the mistakes that we made tonight, correct them and move on from this game."
 
After Ferris State raced to a 15-0 lead midway through the first quarter, McKendree posted its first points of the season when junior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) connected with freshman wide receiver Dustin Walls (Champaign, IL/Centennial) on a 50-yard touchdown pass. Walls broke two tackles on his way to the end zone with 5:08 left in the period. Sophomore kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) added the point after to bring the Bearcats within 15-7.
 
The Bulldogs tacked on a pair of touchdowns early in the second quarter before Herring broke loose up the middle for his 45-yard TD burst, and O'Block's point after trimmed the McKendree deficit to 28-14. Ferris State scored on its next possession to regain a 21-point lead before forcing the Bearcats' offense to a three-and-out. After a punt and return put the ball at the McKendree 40-yard line, quarterback Jason Vander Laan scrambled out of the pocket and raced 40 yards for the Bulldogs' second TD in 37 seconds.
 
Vander Laan, who set the NCAA Division II record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season, led Ferris State with 86 yards on the ground while throwing for 274 yards and four TDs.
 
Fisher completed 20-of-29 pass attempts for 196 yards for McKendree. His favorite target was junior wide receiver Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville), who grabbed six passes. Senior tight end Reuben Bowlby (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) collected a career-best five passes. Herring led the Bearcats with 80 rushing yards on the night.
 
Sophomore linebacker A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) posted a career-high 13 tackles to pace the McKendree defense. 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 apiece.