GAME DAY LINKS -- McKendree vs. Quincy -- Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, 1 p.m. -- Leemon Field, Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS

McKENDREE/QUINCY VIDEO PREVIEW WITH COACH BABCOCK
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
McKENDREE GAME NOTES
QUINCY SEASON STATISTICS
QUINCY GAME NOTES

(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 6)--The McKendree University football team will wrap up the home portion of its 2015 schedule on Saturday by playing host to Quincy University. Kickoff at Leemon Field is set for 1 p.m. The contest will air live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.mckbearcats.com/watch) as Joe Zydlo will have the call, beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m. 

Saturday's game will mark Senior Day at Leemon Field, as the Bearcats will say farewell to 11 players appearing in their final home game for the program. McKendree,which enters the contest at 6-2 overall and 4-2 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, will be looking to uphold its recent success in Senior Day outings. The Bearcats have won 10 of the last 11 games played on Senior Day, including each of the last two seasons. Quincy will look to spoil the festivities as the Hawks bring a 3-5 season record and 3-3 mark in the GLVC to Leemon Field. 

Last Saturday, McKendree scored on its first four possessions and never looked back in notching a 65-0 victory at home over Lincoln University. Offensively, the Bearcats rolled up a season-high in points and total offense (587 yards) and did not record a play for negative yardage until the final kneeldown on the last play of the contest. On defense, McKendree registered a season-low by holding the Blue Tigers to 265 yards on the day while matching a season-high with eight quarterback sacks. The Bearcats also registered their first shutout in more than five seasons in the win. The special teams unit also got into the scoring column as Carter Vance (Secor, IL/Eureka) -- the reigning GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week -- blocked a third-quarter punt, and Jordan Osborne (Quincy, IL/Quincy Senior) scooped up the loose ball and raced 15 yards for a touchdown. 

Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) threw for 308 yards and ran for 82 more in leading the Bearcats' offensive unit. Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) had seven receptions, including a pair of second-quarter touchdown grabs. Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) rushed for 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Lincoln as well. Defensively, A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) led a balanced effort with nine tackles, while Darion Simmons (Peoria, IL/Peoria) and Brad Wyss (Gardner, IL/Seneca) each collected two sacks on the day. 

Quincy played in front of a national television audience last Saturday at home against Truman State University. The Hawks used a 17-point outburst in the fourth quarter to rally for a 23-19 win over the Bulldogs. Quarterback Nick Lonergan was 23-of-39 for 289 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the win. His favorite target was Eric Poindexter, who caught nine passes for 109 yards. Chris Harris rushed for a game-high 109 yards on 23 carries. On the defensive side of the ball, T.J. Daniels paced the Hawks with eight tackles, while Clayton Cole added seven stops. Shane Barrett's interception with 1:41 remaining set up an insurance field goal to give Quincy a late four-point lead against Truman State.

This will be the 17th meeting between McKendree and Quincy since 1996. The Bearcats hold a 12-4 edge in the all-time series against the Hawks. McKendree has taken five of the last six contests versus Quincy, including last year's 28-21 battle in Quincy, Ill. The Bearcats built a 21-7 lead in the second quarter, then held off a late rally attempt from the Hawks to collect the season-ending victory. 

Saturday's game will also feature two of NCAA Division II's active passing leaders. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) currently ranks ninth among the division's active quarterbacks with 8,016 passing yards. Nick Lonergan is right ahead of Fisher in eighth place with 8,031 yards. This will be the fourth and final time the duo will meet as the starting quarterbacks for their respective programs. Fisher and the Bearcats hold a 2-1 edge in those match-ups, while Lonergan has thrown for more yards (814-548) in those three games. 

McKendree will close out its 2015 regular-season slate next Saturday (Nov. 14) at Truman State University. 

INSIDE THE McKENDREE/QUINCY GAME
THE HEAD COACHES
McKENDREE: Mike Babcock is in his third season as the head coach of the McKendree Bearcats (15-14 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. 

QUINCY: Tom Pajic is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Quincy Hawks (14-27 at Quincy and overall). 

THE SERIES (Since 1996)
McKendree holds a 12-4 advantage in the series with Quincy. That includes last year's 28-21 victory for the Bearcats in Quincy, Ill. McKendree is 8-0 all-time against the Hawks at Leemon Field:
   1997 -- McKENDREE 39, Quincy 0 (at Leemon Field)
   1998 -- Quincy 27, McKENDREE 17 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   1999 -- McKENDREE 38, Quincy 12 (at Leemon Field)
   2002 -- McKENDREE 55, Quincy 20 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   2003 -- McKENDREE 24, Quincy 7 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   2004 -- McKENDREE 31, Quincy 7 (at Leemon Field)
   2005 -- McKENDREE 44, Quincy 0 (at Leemon Field)
   2006 -- Quincy 21, McKENDREE 17 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   2007 -- McKENDREE 37, Quincy 19 (at Leemon Field)
   2008 -- Quincy 20, McKENDREE 13 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   2009 -- McKENDREE 38, Quincy 0 (at Leemon Field)
   2010 -- McKENDREE 50, Quincy 21 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   2011 -- McKENDREE 44, Quincy 20 (at Leemon Field)
   2012 -- Quincy 38, McKENDREE 19 (at Quincy, Ill.)
   2013 -- McKENDREE 51, Quincy 16 (at Leemon Field)
   2014 -- McKENDREE 28, Quincy 21 (at Quincy, Ill.)

McKENDREE -- LAST TIME OUT...
The Bearcats were clicking on all cylinders in a 65-0 victory last Saturday at home against Lincoln University. Offensively, McKendree posted a season-high iin both points and total offense (587 yards). The defense allowed a season-low 265 yards to its opponent and matched a season-best with eight quarterback sacks. The Bearcats' special teams unit also provided the program's first blocked punt return for a touchdown in five years. Issac Fisher completed his first 16 pass attempts and finished the day 26-of-30 through the air for 308 yards with three TD passes. He also ran for a team-leading 82 yards a score in the first quarter. Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) had a team-high seven receptions for 78 yards, including two touchdown grabs in the second quarter. Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) and Dustin Walls (Champaign, IL/Centennial) each posted four catches. A.J Wentland paced the McKendree defense with nine stops, while Brandon Moody (La Habra, CA/Sonora) added six tackles. Jeremiah Wilkins (St. Louis, MO/Pattonville) returned his first career interception 30 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. 

QUINCY -- LAST TIME OUT...
Playing in front of a national television audience, the host Hawks rallied with 17 fourth-quarter points to register a 23-19 win last Saturday against Truman State University. Quincy scored twice in the final 1:55 of play to rally for the win. Quarterback Nick Lonergan was 23-of-39 in the passing department for 289 yards with a pair of TDs. His favorite target was Eric Poindexter, who caught nine passes for 111 yards. Chris Harris rushed for a game-high 109 yards on 23 carries. T.J. Daniels led the Hawks' defense with eight tackles, while Clayton Cole added seven stops. Shane Barrett's interception with 1:41 remaining set up an insurance field goal to give Quincy a four-point lead over the Bulldogs. 

THE LAST MEETING, McKENDREE vs. QUINCY
On Nov. 15, 2014 in Quincy, Ill., McKendree jumped out to a 21-7 lead late in the second quarter and held off a late charge from Quincy to post a 28-21 win in the season finale for both teams. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) threw for 284 yards and ran for 99 more in the contest. Fisher ran for two scores and threw a TD pass to Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville), who had a team-leading six receptions for 86 yards. A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) posted 12 tackles to lead the Bearcats' defense, while Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) put his stamp on GLVC Defensive Player of the Year honors with eight tackles, including four quarterback sacks. Brett Pearman (Granite City, IL/Granite City) added eight stops with two sacks on the day.

BEARCAT TRACKS
McKENDREE'S VANCE NAMED GLVC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore defensive back Carter Vance (Secor, IL/Eureka) became the sixth McKendree player this season to collect Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week honors with his performance against Lincoln University last Saturday. Vance was picked as the GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week after posting two special teams tackles while adding a blocked punt in the third quarter that was returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovery following a fourth-quarter kickoff. It is the first GLVC weekly honor for Vance. 

SENIOR SENDOFFS: McKendree has posted a record of 13-6 in Senior Day games at Leemon Field since 1996. McKendree has won 10 of its las 11 Senior Day contests, including last year's 41-20 triumph against William Jewell College. 

BEARCATS vs. THE LAND OF LINCOLN: McKendree sports a record of 54-18 against schools from the state of Illinois since the revival of the football program in 1996. That includes a 31-3 mark at Leemon Field against Prairie State opponents. 

FAMILIAR FOE: Of the teams on the Bearcats' 2015 schedule, Quincy is the squad the Bearcats have faced most often. Today's game will mark the 17th meeting between the two programs. In fact, McKendree and Quincy have met on the gridiron each year since the 2002 campaign. The Bearcats and Hawks were rivals in the Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League from 2002-10 before the Great Lakes Valley Conference began playing football in 2012. The schools also met in the 2011 season finale when both were football independents. 

FISHER, LONERGAN SET TO SLING IT OUT AT LEEMON: Two of NCAA Division II's top 10 active passing leaders will meet today at Leemon Field. McKendree's Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) currently ranks ninth among the division's active quarterbacks with 8,016 passing yards. Lonergan, the Hawks' signal-caller, is just ahead of Fisher in eighth place with 8,031 yards. In three head-to-head meetings, Fisher has led the Bearcats to a 2-1 record, and here are the combined passing statistics for each over the three games:
Fisher: 45-of-88 (.511 pct), 548 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Lonergan: 51-of-105 (.486 pct.), 814 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT

PILING ON THE POINTS: The 65 points scored by the Bearcats in their victory over Lincoln University marked the fourth time in program history that McKendree scored at least 60 points in a game. It is the third-highest scoring output in program history, topped only by a 66-0 win against Waldorf College in 2010 and a 69-0 defeat of Iowa Wesleyan College to close out the 2006 campaign. 

"BLANK" CHECK: McKendree's 65-0 win against Lincoln was the first shutout posted by the Bearcats' defense in more than five years over a span of 58 games. The last time McKendree held an opponent scoreless came in a 41-0 win over Olivet Nazarene University in the second week of the 2010 campaign. 

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Jeremiah Wilkins (St. Louis, MO/Pattonville)' 30-yard interception return for a touchdown versus Lincoln was the second such score for the Bearcats' defense this season. The last time McKendree posted multiple INT returns for touchdowns in the same season came back in 2012, when Jamison Wilson and Zach Haselhorst both accomplished the feat. 

BLOCK PARTY: The Bearcats' blocked punt for a touchdown against Lincoln was the first such score for the program in five years. The last time it happened came back in the 2010 season, when Ryan Smith blocked a punt near the Olivet Nazarene University goal line, and Tim Weidenbacher recovered the loose ball in the end zone to open the scoring in a 41-0 victory over the Tigers. 

A RETURN TO WINNING WAYS: McKendree claimed its sixth victory of the season by defeating Lincoln. This will mark the Bearcats' first winning campaign since 2010, when the team went 9-3 on the year. 

FISHER FACT(S) OF THE WEEK: Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington), who was 26-of-30 through the air in the win against Lincoln, completed his first 16 pass attempts against the Blue Tigers. He was a perfect 13-for-13 in the first quarter. In addition, Fisher's 308-yard passing effort was his sixth this season, and the 10th during his four-year career at McKendree. 

FISHER (BROTHERS) FACT OF THE WEEK: With Isaac's three touchdown passes last week against Lincoln, the Fisher brothers -- Isaac and older brother Austin -- have combined to throw more than 100 touchdown passes at McKendree. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) enters the day with 62 career TD tosses, while Austin, who played for the Bearcats from 2008-11, registered 39 career touchdown passes. That equals out to 101 TDs thrown by the Fishers over the last eight seasons. 

JAMES CATCHES ANOTHER RECORD: With his two touchdown receptions against Lincoln, Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) has tied the Bearcats' single-season mark for TD catches. James now has seven scores on the year, equaling the mark set by former teammate Dewayne Gatti (Pasadena, CA/Bonita), who had seven touchdown receptions during the 2013 season. 

KICKING UP A NEW CAREER-HIGH: The 21-yard field goal by Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) against Lincoln was his 11th of the season, which sets a new career-high for the Bearcats' placekicker. O'Block booted 10 field goals as a sophomore last season. 

WENTLAND WATCH: With nine tackles against Lincoln, A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) boosted his season total to 106 stops. That figure is third on the Bearcats' single-season list, topped only by the 132 tackles posted by Wentland last season and the 108 from Brandon Nigro in 2011. Wentland is the first player in program history to record multiple seasons with at least 100 tackles. On the career charts, Wentland (247 tackles) moved past the late Cory Wilson (238) and Deveon Moss (245) into third place all-time at McKendree. He trails only Mike Garavalia (277 tackles) and Nigro (295) on the team's career list. 

THIS DATE IN BEARCAT FOOTBALL HISTORY
Nov. 7, 1998
McKendree played its longest game in program history, needing three overtimes to defeat Walsh University 26-23 in a contest played at Fawcett Stadium -- the stadium adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- in Canton, Ohio. Brian Schneider was the hero for the Bearcats as his 36-yard field goal in the third overtime provided the game-winning points. Schneider established a program record -- that has since been tied by Stephen Webb in 2002 and Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) in 2014 -- by scoring 14 points on the day as he kicked four field goals and two extra points against the Cavaliers. McKendree trailed 13-6 late in regulation when Billy Gray hit Brett Gross with a 37-yard pass on fourth down to keep the drive alive. Four plays later, Gray connected with Clyde Brown, Jr., on a 13-yard scoring strike with 29 seconds left on the clock, and Schneider's point after sent the game into overtime. Each team scored a touchdown in the first overtime and kicked a field goal in the second extra period. In overtime number three, Rory O'Connell intercepted a Walsh pass in the end zone to start the period. The Bearcats then ran the ball three times to set up Schneider's game-winning heroics.