GAME DAY LINKS -- McKendree vs. Missouri S & T -- Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, 1 p.m. -- Allgood-Bailey Stadium, Rolla, Mo.
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McKENDREE/MISSOURI S & T VIDEO PREVIEW WITH COACH BABCOCK
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
McKENDREE GAME NOTES
MISSOURI S & T SEASON STATISTICS
MISSOURI S & T GAME NOTES

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 22)--Two of the top teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference standings are set to square off on Saturday when the McKendree University football team makes the short trip to Rolla, Mo., for a match-up against Missouri S & T. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Allgood-Bailey Stadium. The contest can be heard live on the Bearcat Sports Network at www.mckbearcats.com/watch, beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m.

Both teams currently sit in second place in the GLVC standings at 3-1. McKendree and Missouri S & T are a game behind the University of Indianapolis for the top spot in the league standings as the 2015 season enters its final month of play. The Bearcats are 5-1 overall after bouncing back into the win column last Saturday with a 29-10 victory at Saint Joseph's College. Two big plays from the McKendree defense in the closing minutes helped spark the Bearcats to the road win. Sophomore linebacker Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) intercepted a Pumas' pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown with 3:53 on the clock to give McKendree a 22-10 advantage. On Saint Joseph's next offensive play, senior defensive back Cruz Navarro (Escondido, CA/Escondido) stepped in front of another pass, and his 19-yard return set up the Bearcats' final points of the day as senior running back Treye Williams (Mattoon, IL/Mattoon) scored on a 15-yard TD burst. 

Special teams also played a big role in the triumph at Saint Joseph's as junior kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) matched a career-high by booting three field goals, including a 42-yarder in the first quarter that equaled a career-long effort. In addition, junior defensive lineman Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) blocked a field goal attempt by the Pumas with four minutes left before halftime, and the Bearcats' offense responded with a 60-yard scoring drive capped by a two-yard TD run by senior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) with 32 seconds remaining before the intermission. McKendree took a 10-7 lead at that point and never trailed the rest ot the way. The win was the Bearcats' first in four meetings against the Pumas. 

Missouri S & T enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 3-3. The Miners went winless in non-conference play, falling to Chadron State University and Texas A & M University-Kingsville, but have responded in GLVC play by winning three of its last four outings. Last Saturday, Missouri S & T built a big lead and cruised to a 40-23 win at Lincoln University. Quarterback Lamar Wilkes and running back D'Luis West each accounted for three touchdowns in the win. Wilkes went 15-of-25 through the air for 204 yards with three TD passes. West rushed for a game-high 82 yards and three more scores in the effort. Defensively, Austin Truvillion led the Miners' defense with eight tackles, while Landon Compton added seven stops.

This will be the fourth meeting on the gridiron between the Bearcats and Miners. Last season, McKendree built a 24-0 lead after three quarters and held off a late charges from Missouri S & T to post a 27-24 Homecoming victory at Leemon Field. The triumph was part of the Bearcats' season-ending five-game win streak in 2014. It was also McKendree's first win over Missouri S & T. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) tied a program record with 34 completions as he threw for 295 yards while rushing for 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns in last year's win for the Bearcats. 

McKendree wraps up a two-game road swing at Missouri S & T. The Bearcats will return to Leemon Field for its final two home contests of the 2015 regular season. McKendree will host Lincoln University on Oct. 31 before Quincy University provides the opposition for the Senior Day match-up on Nov. 7. 

INSIDE THE McKENDREE/MISSOURI S & T GAME
THE HEAD COACHES
McKENDREE: Mike Babcock is in his third season as the head coach of the McKendree Bearcats (14-13 at McKendree and overall). Babcock came to McKendree from Colorado State University-Pueblo, where he spent the five years as an offensive assistant coach. From 2009-12, Babcock served as the ThunderWolves' quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. 

MISSOURI S & T: Tyler Fenwick is in his third season as the head coach of the Missouri S & T Miners (3-3 at Missouri S & T and overall). 

THE SERIES (Since 1996)
The Miners hold a 2-1 edge in the overall series against the Bearcats. McKendree did win the last contest between the two teams, which came last year at Leemon Field:
   2012 -- Missouri S & T 31, McKENDREE 0 (at Leemon Field)
   2013 -- Missouri S & T 31, McKENDREE 21 (at Rolla, Mo.) 
   2014 -- McKENDREE 27, Missouri S & T 24 (at Leemon Field)

McKENDREE -- LAST TIME OUT...
The Bearcats used a pair of big plays from its defense in the closing minutes to register a 29-10 victory last Saturday at Saint Joseph's College. With McKendree leading 16-10, Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) intercepted a Pumas' pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown with 3:53 to play. On Saint Joseph's next offensive play, Cruz Navarro (Escondido, CA/Escondido) had another interception that set up a 15-yard touchdown burst by Treye Williams (Mattoon, IL/Mattoon) with 2:01 on the clock to seal the win. On the day, the Bearcats held the Pumas to just 281 yards of total offense. A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) paced the McKendree defensive unit with a game-high 12 tackles, while Kyle Kirkpatrick (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) added eight solo stops. Weltha chipped in with seven tackles as Navarro added six in addition to their interceptions. Brett Pearman (Granite City, IL/Granite City) notched two of the Bearcats' four quarterback sacks on the day, while Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) blocked a field goal in the later stages of the second quarter. Offensively, Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) rushed for a career-high 87 yards to lead the way for McKendree. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) rushed for 55 yards and a score while completing 17-of-28 pass attempts for 94 yards. 

MISSOURI S & T -- LAST TIME OUT...
The Miners built a 31-point lead early in the fourth quarter and cruised to a 40-23 win on the road last Saturday at Lincoln University. Lamar Wilkes and D'Luis West were each responsible for three touchdowns on the day for Missouri S & T. Wilkes went 15-of-25 through the air for 204 yards with a trio of TD passes. West gained a game-high 82 yards on the ground with three rushing scores against the Blue Tigers. Wilkes' favorite target was Braxton Graham, who had five receptions for 102 yards with a TD. Elrod Spencer and Dustin Schindler also had touchdown catches in the effort. Defensively, Austin Truvillion led the Miners with eight tackles, while Landon Compton contributed seven stops. Nate Brown and Isaac Williams each posted an interception at Lincoln. 

THE LAST MEETING, McKENDREE vs. MISSOURI S & T
On Oct. 25, 2014 at Leemon Field, McKendree built a 24-0 lead through three quarters of play and held off a late charge by Missouri S & T to post a 27-24 Homecoming victory. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) led the way offensively as he completed 34-of-49 pass attempts for 295 yards. Fisher matched a team record that he set earlier in the season with his 34 completions in a game. He also ran for a team-best 84 yards and two touchdowns. Darius Crochrell (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) grabbed eight passes for 75 yards, while Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) added seven receptions for 72 yards against Missouri S & T. Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) booted a pair of field goals, including a 39-yarder with 1:20 to play to help seal the victory for the Bearcats. On the defensive side, A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) had a team-best seven tackles along with an interception. George Hill (Chicago Heights, IL/Rich Central) and Bryce Colvin (East Peoria, IL/East Peoria) each added five stops. For Missouri S & T, Peter Simpson was 13-of-25 in the passing department for 218 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Lamar Wilkes was 2-of-12 in the contest for 19 yards. Chris Kennard led the Miners' ground attack with 27 yards on four carries. Melvin Stovall and Leon Moody each had six catches in the effort. Dillon Bowman recorded a game-high 14 tackles while adding an interception for Missouri S & T, while Dawan Ferguson added nine tackles. 

BEARCAT TRACKS
WELTHA NAMED GLVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) earned the Great Lakes Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week award for his performance in the Bearcats' win at Saint Joseph's College on Oct. 17. Weltha had seven tackles, including 2 1/2 for loss in the 29-10 victory. Weltha also provided perhaps the biggest play of the game with his 45-yard interception return for a touchdown with 3:53 to play to push the Bearcats' lead to 22-10. It is the first career GLVC weekly honor for Weltha. He is also the fifth different McKendree player to be recognized by the league in 2015, and the third Bearcat defender, joining A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) and Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park).

BEARCATS vs. THE SHOW-ME STATE: McKendree has a record of 11-8 against teams from the state of Missouri since 1996. The Bearcats are 5-4 in road contests in such games. McKendree won its only other game played in the state of Missouri this year -- a 41-23 decision at William Jewell College back on Sept. 26. 

20 SEASONS OF FOOTBALL: 2015 marks the 20th season of football at McKendree since the program was revived in 1996. 

200 AND COUNTING: The Sept. 12 contest at West Liberty marked the 200th football game played by McKendree since bringing back its football program in 1996. 

DOUBLING UP: McKendree has scored at least 10 points in a game in 174 of its last 186 outings. 

POINTS NOT TAKEN: The 10 points allowed by McKendree at Saint Joseph's College are the fewest given up by the Bearcats' defense in the program's NCAA Division II era (since 2012). It is the lowest point total for McKendree opponent since the Bearcats defeated Trinity International University 24-9 at Leemon Field during the 2011 season. It is also the fewest points allowed by McKendree in a conference game since a 54-7 triumph at Waldorf College in 2010.  

PICK-SIX: Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) had the Bearcats' first interception return for a touchdown of the season with his 45-yard score at Saint Joseph's College. In fact, the last two McKendree pick-six efforts have come from current members of the Bearcats' linebacking corps. A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) had a 29-yard INT return for a score at Northwood Universtiy in September 2014. 

SACK MASTERS: McKendree defensive ends Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) and Brett Pearman (Granite City, IL/Granite City) continue to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Heading into today's game with Missouri S & T, Baar (1.33 sacks per game) and Pearman (1.08 sacks per game) rank first and second, respectively, in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in quarterback sacks. Among all NCAA Division II players, Baar is sixth in the category while Pearman is 11th overall. 

FISHER FACT OF THE WEEK: Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) is poised to move into the top 10 on the Bearcats' career rushing list. He enters the Missouri S & T contest with 1,412 career yards and is 13th on the team's all-time chart. Fisher needs 37 yards on the ground to take possession of 10th place on the Bearcats' career rushing list:
10) Marlone Chenault -- 1,448 yards
11) Ryan Herring (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) -- 1,437 yards
12) Lamont Benn -- 1,436 yards
13) Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) -- 1,412 yards

O'BLOCK A NATURAL AT SAINT JOSEPH'S: Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) matched a career-high by kicking three field goals in the Bearcats' win at Saint Joseph's. Included in that effort was a season-long and career-tying 42-yarder in the first quarter. In two career games on the natural grass surface of Alumni Stadium at Saint Joseph's, O'Block is a perfect 5-for-5 in field goal tries. Interestingly, O'Block has kicked two field goals of 40 or more yards at McKendree, with both of them coming at Saint Joseph's (he also had a 42-yard effort as a freshman in 2013). O'Block is 8-of-8 in field goal tries through six games in 2015. 

McKENDREE RECEIVERS CATCHING ON: Entering today's game against Missouri S & T, five current members of the Bearcats' receiving corps are in the team's all-time top 10 for receptions: Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) (1st with 131), Pat Doty (Springfield, IL/Springfield) (5th with 69), Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) (7th with 48), Tyler Brewer (Arnold, MO/Fox) (tied for 8th with 45) and Dustin Walls (Champaign, IL/Centennial) (10th with 43). James (1st with 1,404 yards), Doty (8th wtih 792 yards) and Walls (10th with 638 yards) all rank in the top 10 in career receiving yards as well. 

WENTLAND WATCH: A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) continues to climb the McKendree career list for tackles. Entering the Missouri S & T contest, Wentland is sixth on the all-time chart with 227 tackles. He needs three stops to pass Ryan Thornhill (229 tackles) for fifth on the list and 12 tackles to move ahead of the late Cory Wilson (238 tackles) into the fourth spot. Deveon Moss holds down third place on the McKendree career list with 245 tackles. Brandon Nigro currently sits atop the Bearcats' career list with 295 tackles. 

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?: The triumph at West Liberty marked the first win for McKendree in a road opener since the 2009 season. Since the revival of the football program in 1996, the Bearcats have won their road opener eight different times. In each of those seasons, McKendree closed the year with a winning record. In fact, the Bearcats averaged better than eight wins per season in those instances. 

ONE MORE IN THE WIN COLUMN: McKendree needs a victory in one of its final four games of the 2015 season to notch its first winning season in five years. The Bearcats last finished above the .500 mark in 2010, when the team posted a 9-3 overall record. 

THIS DATE IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY
Oct. 24, 2009
McKendree built a 21-0 lead in the third quarter and held off a late rally from host William Penn University to record a 24-14 victory in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The win was the seventh in a row for McKendree and kept the Bearcats undefeated in Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League play. Nick Fuhler set career-highs with five catches for 117 yards, while Joe Beimfohr added a team-leading 127 rushing yards on the day. Tight end Byron Gettis also threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Fuhler out of the Bearcats' "Royal" formation. Austin Fisher was 10-of-19 on the day for 161 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Fark kicked a 21-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to help give the Bearcats a two-score lead. Antonio Greer paced the McKendree defense with eight tackles, while Derrell Nicholas and Heath Bohannon each added seven tackles. In the game, McKendree was 9-of-16 on third-down opportunities. 

Oct. 24, 1998
In the highest scoring Homecoming game since McKendree returned to the gridiron in 1996, the Bearcats posted a 40-36 victory over Saint Xavier University in front of a crowd of approximately 2,500 fans at Leemon Field. McKendree piled up 427 rushing yards on the day, including a game-high 152 yards by Louis Harden. Jarrod Karnes added 83 yards and two touchdowns on the ground for the Bearcats. Defensively, Jason Stearns returned a pair of fumbles for scores, including a 40-yarder that gave McKendree a 19-point advantage in the third quarter. With Saint Xavier driving for the potential game-winning score late in the fourth quarter, Craig Nix intercepted a Cougars' pass at the goal line with 12 seconds remaining to lock up the win for the Bearcats. Ryan Thornhill and Mike Garavalia each posted eight tackles to lead the McKendree defense.