GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE at DAVENPORT -- Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, 1 p.m. ET
Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex -- Caledonia, Mich.
LISTEN LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE VIDEO (Davenport Broadcast)
LIVE STATS
DAVENPORT PREVIEW WITH COACH BABCOCK
McKENDREE GAME NOTES
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
DAVENPORT GAME NOTES
DAVENPORT SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 12)--The McKendree University football team will play its final non-conference game of the 2017 season on Saturday when the Bearcats head to Michigan for its first-ever meeting with Davenport University. The Bearcats and Panthers are set to tangle in a contest that will kick off at 1 p.m. ET at Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex in Caledonia, Mich. Saturday's game can be heard live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree) beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m. ET.
McKendree had its four-game win streak snapped last Saturday with a 28-10 loss at Leemon Field against the University of Indianapolis, which was ranked No. 7 at the time in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll. Offensively the Bearcats received a pair of solid performances from quarterback
Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) and running back
Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia). Metcalf completed 25-of-30 pass attempts for 221 yards. His completion rate of 83.3 percent was a season-high. Edwards topped the 100-yard mark in rushing for the fourth time in the last five games, gaining 104 yards on 24 carries. In the process, Edwards moved into the No. 5 spot on the Bearcats' career rushing list and takes 1,953 yards into Saturday's contest. Edwards needs 47 yards to become just the fifth player in program history with 2,000 career rushing yards.
Defensively, the Bearcats were paced by linebacker
Ricco Gipson (Godfrey, IL/Alton), who posted 12 tackles. Defensive end
Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) registered a career-high 11 tackles against the Greyhounds, while linebacker
Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) chipped in with nine stops. Safety
Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) was a factor as well with eight tackles along with McKendree's lone interception of the game, which thwarted an Indianapolis scoring threat and led to a touchdown by the Bearcats in the third quarter.
Davenport, which is in year two of its transition process to NCAA Division II membership, will be in search of its first victory of the season on Saturday. The Panthers bring a record of 0-6 into the contest. Davenport is in its first season as members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and are 0-5 against league members. Last Saturday, the Panthers were defeated on the road in GLIAC play at Saginaw Valley State University, 33-0. Offensively, Davenport could muster just 44 yards of total offense in the contest. William James rushed for a team-leading 30 yards in the contest for Davenport. On defense, C.J. Thornton notched 11 tackles, while Kye Black helped out with 10 tackles against Saginaw Valley State.
Following Saturday's contest, McKendree will have four more games on its 2017 regular-season schedule, all of which will come in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Bearcats will be on the road again next Saturday (Oct. 21) for a night game at Missouri S&T. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. in Rolla, Mo.
McKENDREE-DAVENPORT GAME NOTES
2017 Records --
McKENDREE: The McKendree University Bearcats are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
DAVENPORT: The Davenport University Panthers are 0-6 overall and 0-5 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The Head Coaches --
McKENDREE: Mike Babcock is in his fifth season as the head coach of the McKendree Bearcats (29-19 at McKendree and overall).
DAVENPORT: Sparky McEwen is in his first season as the head coach of the Davenport Panthers (0-6 at Davenport and overall).
The Series (Since 1996) --
This will be the first meeting on the gridiron between the Bearcats and the Panthers.
McKendree -- Last Time Out...
The Bearcats had their four-game win streak -- and 10-game win streak at Leemon Field -- snapped with a 28-10 loss last Saturday at home against the University of Indianapolis.
Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) completed 25-of-30 pass attempts for 221 yards in the contest.
Josh Revay (Livermore, CAl) hauled in seven receptions for 70 yards for the Bearcats.
Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) gained 104 yards on 24 carries against the Greyhounds' defense.
Ricco Gipson (Godfrey, IL/Alton) showed the way defensively for McKendree with 12 tackles and a forced fumble.
Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) chipped in with 11 tackles, while
Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) registered eight tackles and an interception.
Davenport -- Last Time Out...
The Panthers were defeated last Saturday in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference play last Saturday at Saginaw Valley State University. Davenport could muster only 44 yards of total offense and four first downs in the contest. William James paced the Panthers with 30 rushing yards on nine carries. C.J. Thornton led the defensive effort with 11 tackles, while Kye Black added 10 stops, including seven solos. Robert Clanton had the lone quarterback sack of the game for Davenport.
Bearcat Tracks --
BEARCATS vs. THE GREAT LAKES STATE: McKendree has a record of 2-2 against teams from the state of Michigan since 1996. The Bearcats have won each of their last two contests and Michigan schools, which includes a 24-21 victory earlier this season at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich.
EDWARDS TAKES AIM AT 2,000: Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) has moved up to fifth place on the Bearcats' all-time rushing list. Edwards enters today's contest with 1,953 yards at McKendree, and needs 47 yards to become just the fifth player in school history with 2,000 career rushing yards:
1) Daryle Jones -- 3,187 yards
2) George Smith -- 2,378 yards
3) Brandon Murphy -- 2,239 yards
4) Drew Cofty -- 2,041 yards
5) Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) -- 1,953 yards
6) Louis Harden -- 1,874 yards
7) Jarrod Karnes -- 1,825 yards
TWICE AS NICE: For the first time in 19 years, McKendree recorded two interception returns for a touchdown during the victory at William Jewell. The last time the Bearcats registered two pick-sixes in the same game was back in 1998 during a 39-9 win over Doane College at Leemon Field. It is the third time in program history that McKendree had two interception returns for a score in the same contest.
PICK 'EM: The four interceptions by McKendree at William Jewell tied a program single-game record. The Bearcats had four interceptions in a game four different times before the William Jewell contest, with the last coming at home against Central State University in 2012.
PICK 'EM AND RETURN 'EM: McKendree has registered three touchdowns returns on interceptions through the first six games of the 2017 season. The team record for pick-sixes in a season is five, which was set back in 1997.
21 AND OVER: McKendree sports a 128-25 record (.837) when scoring at least 21 points in a game since the beginning of the 1996 season.
UNI-TRACKER: McKendree used five different uniform combinations during the 2016 season. Below are the records for the Bearcats while wearing each combo. We will again track the McKendree football record in 2017 while wearing certain combinations. McKendree's 2016 record in the uniform combination is in parentheses:
**Graphite Jersey/Purple Pants: 1-1 (2-0)
**Graphite Jersey/Graphite Pants: 1-0 (4-0)
**White Jersey/Purple Pants: 1-0 (0-2)
**White Jersey/Graphite Pants: 1-0 (1-1)
**White Jersey/White Pants: 0-1 (1-0)
POINTS A-PLENTY: McKendree recorded 35 first-quarter points in its 54-28 victory at William Jewell College. That marked the Bearcats' highest-scoring first quarter since 2009, when they also had 35 points in the opening 15 minutes of a 66-0 triumph over Waldorf College at Leemon Field.
SPEAKING OF POINTS...: The Bearcats' 54-point outburst at William Jewell marked the 10th time in the program's NCAA Division II era (since 2012) that McKendree scored at least 50 points in a game.
CURRY RACES INTO RECORD BOOKS: With his 63-yard punt return for a touchdown against Kentucky State, senior wide receiver
Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) has become the Bearcats' career leader in the category. It was Curry's third career punt return for TD at McKendree, all of which have come over the Bearcats' last four contests dating back to last season. He broke a tie with Jermaine Cooper (1999-2002), Adam Clapp (2003-06) and Cameron James (2012-15) for the top spot.
COOK'S PICK-SIX: Senior defensive lineman
Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) intercepted a Kentucky State pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown in the Bearcats' win over Kentucky State. That marked his first career defensive touchdown for the Bearcats. He had two TD receptions against William Jewell College as a freshman tight end at McKendree in 2014. It also marked the first time a McKendree defensive lineman had an interception return for a touchdown since J.T. Smith's 30-yard pick-six at Saint Ambrose University in 2010.
Longest Plays in Team History --
(Since 1996)
RUSH: 90 yards by Brandon Murphy vs. Iowa Wesleyan, 2000*
PASS: 85 yards by Dan Loudenslager to Zach Atkins vs. Georgetown, 2008*
KICKOFF RETURN: 100 yards by Brandon Murphy vs. Olivet Nazarene, 1997*; 100 yards by Ryan Keen vs. Tiffin, 2013*
PUNT RETURN: 90 yards by
Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) vs. Truman State, 2016*
INTERCEPTION RETURN: 100 yards by Lawrence Davis vs. William Penn,2007*
FIELD GOAL: 51 yards by
Jordan Fark vs. University of the Cumberlands, 2010
PUNT: 78 yards by
Monte Wolke (Sigel, IL/Cumberland) vs. West Liberty, 2016
* -- Touchdown
This Date in Bearcat Football History --
Oct. 14, 2000
McKendree continued its offensive roll during a 41-14 victory at home over Saint Xaver University. The Bearcats -- who piled up a school-record 608 yards a week earlier against Iowa Wesleyan College -- registered 455 yards in the rout of the Cougars at Leemon Field. Billy Gray threw just nine passes in the contest, but completed seven of those attempts for 167 yards that included a 52-yard TD strike to Clyde Brown to open the scoring. Allen Walter rushed for a game-high 101 yards on 16 carries and scored twice in the win. Darius Green led all players with 14 tackles, including three for loss. Green also added a 39-yard interception return in the outing. The Bearcats recorded six quarterback sacks as well.
Oct. 14, 2006
McKendree was edged in the final minutes of a Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League contest at Saint Ambrose University, 28-21. The host Fighting Bees took the lead for good on a four-yard scoring run by Vernon Reed with 40.7 seconds on the clock. The game-winning score was set up by turnovers on consecutive plays. McKendree had gained possession at its own 47-yard line following an interception by Mike Harrison, but the Bearcats fumbled on the ensuing play to give the ball back to Saint Ambrose. Dominique Jones rushed for 121 yards on 15 carries while Jacob Rohman contributed 99 yards on 11 attempts. Harrison paced the Bearcats' defense with 12 tackles to go along with his interception.
