GAME DAY LINKS -- 
McKENDREE vs. QUINCY -- Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, 1 p.m.
QU Stadium, Quincy, Ill.

LISTEN LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE VIDEO (Quincy Broadcast)
LIVE STATS

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

QUINCY GAME NOTES
QUINCY SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 4)--The McKendree University football team will head north for its final regular-season road game of the 2016 season on Saturday with a visit to Great Lakes Valley Conference rivel Quincy University. The Bearcats and Hawks are set for a 1 p.m. kickoff at QU Stadium. Scott Cummings will be joined by Joe Zydlo for the broadcast on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree) with the pre-game show set to begin at 12:45 p.m.

McKendree is riding a season-high three-game win streak thanks to its 55-3 victory last Saturday at Lincoln University. The Bearcats piled up a season-high 556 yards of total offense while the defense was just as impressive in allowing the Blue Tigers just 168 yards of total offense. The 168 yards given up last week was a season-low for a McKendree opponent. Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) -- making his first career start under center for McKendree -- completed 20-of-23 pass attempts for 338 yards. It was the Bearcats' first 300-yard passing effort of the season. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) continued his strong play of late, rushing for career-highs of 150 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, McKendree registered four more quarterback sacks at Lincoln, giving the team 43 for the season, which is just five shy of the program record.

For his efforts, Metcalf was selected as the Great Lakes Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week. He was joined by Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic), who was a repeat winner of the league's Special Teams Player of the Week honor. O'Block accounted for 13 points in the win at Lincoln, pushing his career total to 261. That pushed O'Block past Stephen Webb for the Bearcats' career kick scoring record. Webb produced 253 points during his four-year career at McKendree from 2002-05. 

McKendree enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 6-3 and a 4-2 mark in the GLVC. Quincy brings a 5-4 season record and a 3-3 league ledger to QU Stadium for its battle against the Bearcats. Quincy was defeated last Saturday in GLVC play at Truman State University, 38-28. Wide receiver Eric Pointdexter had a big day in the losing effort for the Hawks as he caught six passes for 217 yards. Pointdexter set a new Quincy record and tied a GLVC mark with four touchdown catches against the Bulldogs. Three of those scores went for at least 60 yards. Quarterback Robbie Kelley was 14-of-28 through the air for 311 yards. 

Saturday's game will mark the 18th meeting between the two programs since McKendree returned to the gridiron in 1996. The Bearcats own a 13-4 advantage in those games against Quincy. However, the teams have split the eight games played in the city of Quincy over that span. Back in 2014 in a game played at Flinn Stadium, McKendree held off a late charge from the Hawks to record a 28-21 win. After playing five seasons at Flinn Stadium from 2010-14, Quincy returned to QU Stadium following numerous renovations to the facility, which included the installation of new field turf, grandstands and pressbox. 

Following Saturday's McKendree/Quincy contest, the Bearcats will have just one more contest remaining on their 2016 regular-season slate. McKendree will host Truman State University next Saturday (Nov. 12) for a Senior Day tilt at Leemon Field. Prior to the 1 p.m. kickoff, the program will honor its 11 senior players. 

INSIDE THE McKENDREE/QUINCY GAME
THE HEAD COACHES
McKENDREE: Mike Babcock is in his fourth season as the head coach of the McKendree Bearcats (23-17 at McKendree and overall).

QUINCY: Tom Pajic is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Quincy Hawks (20-32 at Quincy and overall).

THE SERIES (Since 1996)
McKendree holds a 13-4 advantage in the series with Quincy. That includes last year's 56-30 victory for the Bearcats 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.)
   2015 -- McKENDREE 56, Quincy 30 (at Leemon Field)

McKENDREE -- LAST TIME OUT
The Bearcats rolled to a 55-3 victory last Saturday at Lincoln University in GLVC play. McKendree registered season-highs in both points and total offense (556 yards) on its way to the win. Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel), making his first career start, completed 20-of-23 pass attempts for 338 yards. Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) caught six of those passes for 51 yards, while Dalton Balster (Springfield, IL/Springfield) added four receptions for a team-best 142 yards. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) rushed for a game-high 150 yards and scored three touchdowns. A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) led the Bearcats' defense with eight tackles, while Darion Simmons (Peoria, IL/Peoria) and Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) each posted 1 1/2 sacks against the Blue Tigers. McKendree also had a pair of defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) and a 40-yard interception return for a score by Michael Tucker (Chicago, IL/North Lawndale College Prep).

QUINCY -- LAST TIME OUT
The Hawks were clipped last Saturday on the road at Truman State University, 38-28. Eric Poindexter had a big day for Quincy as he caught six passes for 217 yards and scored all four touchdowns in the contest. Robbie Kelley was 14-of-28 through the air for 311 yards for the Hawks, while Jaylan James rushed for a team-best 49 yards on 14 carries. Shane Barrett notched a game-high 14 tackles -- including eight solos -- to lead the Quincy defense.

THE LAST MEETING -- McKENDREE vs. QUINCY
On Nov. 7, 2015 at Leemon Field, McKendree pounded out a season-high 606 yards on its way to a 56-30 Senior Day win over Quincy. The Bearcats topped the 300-yard mark both on the ground and through the air. Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) threw for 296 yards on the day, completing 20-of-29 pass attempts. He also rushed for a game-high 117 yards with a score. Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) gained 110 yards on 11 carries and posted three rushing touchdowns against the Hawks. Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) caught seven passes for 151 yards and also threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Fisher in the third quarter. A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) collected 16 tackles to lead all players, while Cruz Navarro (Escondido, CA/Escondido) had 11 stops and Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) added 10 tackles. Quincy had 504 yards of total offense against the Bearcats, with Robbie Kelley going 15-of-21 on the day for 223 yards with two touchdowns. Darius Burse was the Hawks' leading rusher with 89 yards on 20 attempts. Clayton Cole paced the Quincy defensive unit with eight tackles.

BEARCAT TRACKS
BEARCATS vs. THE LAND OF LINCOLN: McKendree has a record of 55-18 against schools from the state of Illinois since 1996.

FAMILIAR FOE: Of the teams on the Bearcats' 2016 schedule, Quincy is the squad that the Bearcats have faced most often. Today's game will mark the 18th meeting between the two programs since 1996. 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.

TWICE AS HONORED, AGAIN: For the second time in as many weeks, McKendree had two players who earned GLVC Player of the Week accolades. For their performances against Lincoln, Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) claimed the Bearcats' first GLVC Offensive Player of the Week award in 2016, while Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) was a repeat winner for the GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week honor. Metcalf -- in his first career start -- completed 20-of-23 pass attempts for 338 yards in a 55-3 Bearcat win at Lincoln. It was Mckendree's first 300-yard passing effort of the season, and Metcalf's .870 completion percentage set a new program record. O'Block became the Bearcats' career kick scoring leader with his 13-point effort at Lincoln, which included seven extra points and a pair of field goals.

A START FOR THE SOUTHPAW: While McKendree has had left-handed quarterbacks on its squad since the revival of the football program in 1996, Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) became the first southpaw to start a contest for the Bearcats during that span. Prior to Metcalf, the last lefty signal-caller on the McKendree roster was Zane Schmudlach in 2014.

GROUND ATTACK PICKS UP THE PACE: After scoring just four rushing touchdowns over the first seven games of the 2016 season, McKendree has found the end zone on the ground eight times over the last two contests. That includes a season-high five rushing TD's in the win at Lincoln.

EDWARDS CONTINUES CLIMB UP ALL-TIME RUSHING LIST: With his 100-yard effort at Southwest Baptist University, Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) became the 20th player since McKendree revived its football program in 1996 to rush for 1,000 career yards. Edwards has pushed his career total to 1,279 yards, which is currently 15th on the program's all-time list:
   11) Marlone Chenault -- 1,448 yards
   12) Ryan Herring -- 1,437 yards
   13) Lamont Benn -- 1,436 yards
   14) Dominique Jones -- 1,344 yards
   15) Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) -- 1,279 yards
   16) Jason Yelton -- 1,255 yards
   17) Jason Jackson -- 1,241 yards

THOMPSON SETS NEW McK DIVISION II-ERA RUSHING MARK: The 150 rushing yards collected by Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) in the Bearcats' 55-3 win at Lincoln is the most by a McKendree player in the program's NCAA Division II era, which dates back to the 2012 season. The previous mark was 138 yards, which was set by Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) in a 2015 game against the University of Indianapolis.

O'BLOCK KICKS UP ANOTHER RECORD: Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) became the Bearcats' career kick-scoring leader during the 55-3 win at Lincoln University. O'Block finished the day with 13 points, giving him 261 in his four years at McKendree. That surpasses the old record of 253 points amassed by Stephen Webb during his four-year career at McKendree from 2002-05. O'Block also booted two more field goals at Lincoln, giving him 13 for the season. The Bearcats' single-season mark is 14, which was established by Brian Schneider in 2001.
21 AND OVER: McKendree sports a 122-25 record (.830) when scoring at least 21 points in a game.

WENTLAND CONTINUES TO TACKLE THE BEARCATS' RECORD BOOK: A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) matched his own McKendree program record for tackles in a game with 22 stops in the Bearcats' contest at Southwest Baptist University. Wentland first established the mark in the 2015 regular-season opener at West Liberty University. Wentland continues to add to his McKendree career mark for tackles, which now stands at 400. Wentland also has topped the 100-tackle mark for the third straight year, and has 124 stops entering the Quincy contest. He needs 11 tackles to equal his McKendree single-season record of 135 set last year. Wentland also set another record by reaching 100 tackles in the fastest time in a season (seven games).

RAISING THE BAAR: Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) added to his McKendree career record with a sack at Lincoln. Baar now has 43 1/2 sacks in his four seasons with the Bearcats. He now stands 2 1/2 sacks shy of tying the NCAA Division II career mark of 46 sacks, which is currently held by Marc Schieckl, who played at Colorado School of Mines from 2007-10. In addition, Baar is now the Bearcats' career leader in tackles for loss at 60 1/2, moving past Oku Satcher, who had 59 tackles for loss during his McKendree career from 1999-2001.

SACK MASTERS: As a team, McKendree has registered 43 quarterback sacks so far in 2016. The Bearcats lead the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the category, and top all NCAA Division II programs by averaging 4.78 sacks per game.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) has 33 punt returns through the Bearcats' first nine games of 2016. That is the second-highest single-season total in program history. The Bearcats' record is 42, which was set by Adam Clapp during the 2004 campaign.

UNI-TRACKER: McKendree made history of sorts against Angelo State by wearing purple uniform pants for the first time in program history. The purple pants give the Bearcats multiple uniform combinations as they can also be worn with the new white road jerseys. We will track the McKendree football record in 2016 while wearing certain combinations.
   **Graphite Jersey/Purple Pants: 2-0
   **Graphite Jersey/Graphite Pants: 3-0
   **White Jersey/Purple Pants: 0-2
   **White Jersey/Graphite Pants: 0-1
   **White Jersey/White Pants: 1-0

THIS DATE IN McKENDREE FOOTBALL HISTORY
Nov. 5, 2005
Dominique Jones set a school record by scoring four touchdowns to help lead McKendree to a 41-9 Senior Day victory at Leemon Field against Saint Ambrose University. Jones had three rushing scores along with a 31-yard touchdown reception as the Bearcats piled up 490 yards of total offense. Brendan Delaney was 7-of-11 in the passing department for 149 yards against the Fighting Bees. Jones finished the afternoon with a team-high 88 rushing yards. Saint Ambrose entered the day with the NAIA's No. 2-ranked rushing defense at 65.5 yards per game, but McKendree posted 341 yards on the ground in the win. Defensively, the Bearcats limited the Fighting Bees to just 197 yards on the day, which was more than 250 yards below Saint Ambrose's season average.

Nov. 5, 2011
McKendree nearly overcame a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit at Henderson State University, but came up just short in a 16-10 loss to the Reddies in Arkadelphia, Ark. Chris Montgomery's one-yard scoring run in the first minute of the fourth quarter and a 25-yard field goal by Josh Pruitt with 4:36 remaining helped the Bearcats pull within a score. McKendree got the ball back in the final two minutes of play, but could not convert on fourth down as Henderson State held on for the win. David Bergschneider was 13-of-30 on the day for 136 yards. Pat Doty (Springfield, IL/Springfield) and Erik Fohne each caught four passes against the Reddies. Bergschneider also paced the Bearcats with 34 rushing yards. Brandon Nigro registered a game-high 14 tackles for McKendree, while Josh Atwood added nine stops.