VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH COACH BABCOCK
PHOTO GALLERY
(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 10)—The McKendree University football team saw its hopes for an undefeated season come to an end Saturday afternoon at Leemon Field with a 34-24 loss to the University of Indianapolis.
The Bearcats went toe-to-toe from the opening kickoff until the final minutes of play, when the visiting Greyhounds scored 10 points in the final 1:58 of play to collect the win. McKendree slips to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The loss also snapped a nine-game win streak for the Bearcats, which was the longest active win streak in NCAA Division II entering the contest.
"This was a great game that showcased two great teams today," said McKendree football coach
Mike Babcock. "I'm proud of our team – the way they played throughout the game and the way they kept coming back at Indianapolis. We made some big plays, but so did Indianapolis. You really have to give credit to them (Indianapolis). That is a very well-coached, well-disciplined team that made the plays down the stretch when they needed to. Our guys have nothing to hang their heads about after that effort."
Senior quarterback
Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) was held below the 300-yard passing mark for the first time this season as he completed 23-of-44 attempts for 224 yards. Fisher did rush for a game-high 124 yards, including scoring runs of 19 and 60 yards which both came on fourth-down plays in the first half. Sophomore wide receiver
Darius Crochrell (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) hauled in a season-high seven passes in the contest, while junior wide receiver
Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) added five receptions for a team-leading 76 yards.
With the game tied at 24-24 in the fourth quarter, Indianapolis (5-1, 3-0 GLVC) took possession at its own 28-yard line following a McKendree punt with 6:31 to play. The Greyhounds put together an 11-play, 58-yard drive that ended when Brad Schickel booted a 36-yard field goal with 1:58 on the clock to give the visitors a 27-24 lead. After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Bearcats ran two plays before Jamie Placht stepped in front of a Fisher pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown with 1:22 on the clock to seal the win for Indianapolis.
McKendree took the opening kickoff and marched 77 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead. With the Bearcats facing a fourth-and-one from the Indianapolis 19-yard line, Fisher faked a handoff and kept the ball, eluding a pair of tacklers on his way to the end zone for a score. Junior kicker
Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) added the extra point to give McKendree an early seven-point lead. Indianapolis trimmed the deficit to 7-3 with a Schickel field goal later in the quarter, then grabbed a 10-7 advantage on the second play of the second quarter.
On the next possession, the Bearcats were faced with another fourth-and-one, this time at its own 40-yard line. Fisher again called his own number, racing untouched up the middle and beating the Indianapolis defense to the pylon for the 60-yard score to push McKendree back in front at 14-10. The 60-yard run is the longest of Fisher's four-year career with the Bearcats.
The Greyhounds answered right back to regain a 17-14 lead midway through the period, but McKendree then embarked on a 20-play drive to knot the score. O'Block split the uprights on a 24-yard field goal try with just eight seconds before the intermission to send the teams into the half tied at 17-17.
On the first drive of the second half, Indianapolis put together a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the clock to forge a 24-17 lead. McKendree answered late in the third quarter when senior running back
Treye Williams (Mattoon, IL/Mattoon) scored on a two-yard run and used O'Block's point after to tie the score one final time at 24-24. The score stood until the final minutes, when the Greyhounds posted their two scores to finish off the contest.
Junior linebacker
A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) registered a game-high 16 tackles to lead the McKendree defensive effort. A quartet of Bearcats – sophomore defensive back
Nate Powell (Chicago, IL/King College Prep), junior defensive back
Jabaree Winston (Chicago, IL/Simeon), senior defensive end
Brett Pearman (Granite City, IL/Granite City) and junior defensive end
Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) – each added seven tackles.
