VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
PHOTO GALLERY

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 3)—The McKendree University football team kept its perfect record for 2015 intact with a 38-13 win on Homecoming Saturday afternoon over Southwest Baptist University at Leemon Field.
 
After holding a 14-13 lead at the half, the Bearcats pitched a shutout over the final 30 minutes to push their record to pull away for the victory. McKendree remains undefeated at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Bearcats will be at home again next Saturday (Oct. 10) for a meeting against the three-time defending GLVC champions from the University of Indianapolis. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Leemon Field.
 
Dating back to last season, McKendree has won its last nine games. That matches the Bearcats' longest win streak since the football program was revived in 1996. McKendree reeled off nine straight wins to open the 2002 campaign, then ended the 2009 regular season by winning nine in a row. The win also gives McKendree a 19-1 record in Homecoming games since 1996.  
 
Senior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) collected his fourth consecutive 300-yard passing game, throwing for 326 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Fisher also ran for two more scores in the effort. Senior wide receiver Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) matched a career-high with nine receptions, which included a 28-yard TD grab in the later stages of the second quarter that put the Bearcats in front to day. As a team, McKendree piled up 489 yards of total offense.
 
Defensively, the Bearcats enjoyed a big day as well. Junior defensive end Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) registered 4 ½ quarterback sacks, while senior defensive end Brett Pearman (Granite City, IL/Granite City) added another 2 ½ sacks. The duo combined for seven of McKendree's eight sacks in the contest. Senior defensive back Cruz Navarro (Escondido, CA/Escondido) led the way with 11 tackles, junior linebacker A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) finished with 10 stops while Baar added nine total tackles. .
 
"We talked a lot this week about finishing," said McKendree head football coach Mike Babcock. "Our team answered the call today. We played a good football team today, and we had to work for that win today. Offensively, once we started to move the ball you could see the confidence start to rise. And I thought our defensive effort in the second half was a huge story against one of the best offenses in the league."
 
Southwest Baptist (2-3, 1-2 GLVC) struck first in Saturday's game. Quarterback Trent Edwards threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Deantrel Prince six minutes into play to help the visitors take a 6-0 lead. McKendree senior offensive lineman Derrik Starrett (Brighton, IL/Alton Marquette) blocked the extra point. That was the fifth blocked kick in Starrett's career, which put him atop the Bearcats' career list for the category.
 
McKendree answered on its next possession when Fisher capped a 10-play, 84-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown, and junior kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) added the extra point to push the Bearcats in front 7-6. Southwest Baptist took its final lead of the afternoon late in the first quarter at 13-7 when Bubba Jenkins scored from a yard out.
 
From there, McKendree reeled off 31 unanswered points to pull away for the victory. Midway through the second quarter, the Bearcats took possession at the Southwest Baptist 28-yard line following a short punt. On the next play, Fisher connected with James in the back corner of the end zone for the 28-yard TD pass that gave McKendree the lead for good at 14-13.
 
Southwest Baptist received the second-half kickoff, but McKendree sophomore defensive back Dominick Pickens (Springfield, IL/Lanphier) forced a fumble on the return. Freshman defensive back Josh Cole (Chicago, IL/Simeon) recovered the loose ball for the Bearcats at the Southwest Baptist 24-yard line. McKendree used the short field to extend its lead to 21-13 as Fisher connected with sophomore wide receiver Darius Crochrell (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) on a one-yard TD pass.
 
O'Block added a 24-yard field goal on the next drive to push the Bearcats' advantage to 24-13. That score stood until the fourth quarter, when McKendree nailed down the victory. With just over 10 minutes to play, Fisher dropped back to pass at the Southwest Baptist 11-yard line. After being flushed from the pocket, Fisher scrambled and dodged two tackles on his way to the end zone. O'Block's point after gave the Bearcats a 31-13 lead.
 
Sophomore running back Myles Hammonds (Lee's Summit, MO/Park Hill South) capped the scoring with 1:05 remaining thanks to a five-yard scoring run. Senior running back Treye Williams (Mattoon, IL/Mattoon) led a balanced attack for McKendree with 54 yards on 11 carries, while Hammonds finished with 44 yards.