POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
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(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 5)—The McKendree University football team kicked off play in its 2015 season with a 68-0 victory over the College of Faith Saturday night at Leemon Field.
 
The Bearcats built a 51-0 lead at halftime and never looked back in the non-conference game. Defensively, McKendree turned in a dominant performance by limiting the visiting Warriors to minus-four yards of total offense. Special teams also figured prominently into the Bearcats' season-opening effort as junior kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) (Libertyville, Ill./Carmel Catholic) booted four field goals, while senior wide receiver Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) had a pair of punt returns for touchdowns.
 
McKendree will take to the road for the first time in 2015 next Saturday (Sept. 12) for another non-conference tilt at West Liberty University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET in West Liberty, W.Va.
 
"There were a lot of positive things to come out of this first game," said McKendree head football coach Mike Babcock. "Our starters came out and clicked early, and that set the tone. It was also good to get a lot of players into the mix tonight and get them some game experience. That could be important as this season progresses. But you have to take your hat off to the College of Faith. This is a team that came out and played us hard for 60 minutes. It was their first game and they gave it all they had."
 
Senior quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) (Washington, Ill./Washington) played through the middle stages of the second quarter and was a perfect 7-for-7 in the passing department while rushing three times for 68 yards. Fisher connected with James on an 11-yard touchdown strike to open the scoring just over a minute into the contest, then added a 51-yard scoring run to close out the first-quarter scoring.

Sandwiched around Fisher's first-quarter scoring plays were the two punt scoring returns by James. First, he took a College of Faith punt near midfield and raced 48 yards to paydirt. Following the Warriors' next series, James fielded another punt, broke two tackles and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown to open up a 21-point lead for the Bearcats. 
 
O'Block kicked three of his four field goals in the second quarter, including his longest of 42 yards midway through the period. His third field goal of the period came with exactly a minute until halftime to push the Bearcats in front by 51 points.
 
Sophomore Eddie Lusk (Maryville, Ill./Triad) scored his first collegiate touchdown to open the second-half scoring for McKendree, a 28-yard run following a College of Faith turnover. O'Block drilled his final field goal of the night from 22 yards out later in the period before freshman tight end Skylar Paulson (Lanark, IL/Eastland) (Lanark, Ill./Eastland) closed out the offensive effort for the Bearcats with a six-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) (Mount Carmel, Ill./Mount Carmel) with just over six minutes to play.
 
Defensively, freshman linebacker Drake Kruep (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell North) (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North) led a balanced effort for McKendree with six tackles, including three for loss. Sophomore linebacker Kyle Kirkpatrick (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) (Bethalto, Ill./Civic Memorial) chipped in with five stops, while sophomore linebacker Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) and freshman defensive lineman Jeffrey Brown (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East) each added four tackles. As a team, the Bearcats finished the night with 11 tackles for loss and a trio of quarterback sacks.