GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE at MISSOURI S&T -- Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, 7 p.m.
Allgood-Bailey Stadium -- Rolla, Mo.

LISTEN LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
WATCH LIVE (Missouri S&T Broadcast)
LIVE STATS
MISSOURI S&T PREVIEW WITH COACH BABCOCK

McKENDREE GAME NOTES
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
MISSOURI S&T GAME NOTES
MISSOURI S&T SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 19)--The McKendree University football team returns to Great Lakes Valley Conference action this weekend by making the short trip to Rolla, Mo., for its annual meeting against Missouri S&T. The Bearcats and Miners are set to meet under the lights Saturday evening at Allgood-Bailey Stadium, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. The game can be heard live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree) beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. 

McKendree will be looking to get back in the win column after dropping its last two contests. Last Saturday, the Bearcats were edged in double overtime at Davenport University, 27-24. McKendree will bring a 4-3 overall record into Saturday's game, while the team currently sits third in the GLVC standings at 2-1. 

At Davenport, Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) became just the fifth player in McKendree football program history to crack the 2,000-yard mark in rushing yards for a career. Edwards gained 82 of his team-high 120 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime in spurring the Bearcats' late comeback. Edwards, who moved past Drew Cofty (2,041 yards) into fourth place on McKendree's career rushing list, brings 2,073 yards into Saturday's match-up at Missouri S&T. 

Making his first start at middle linebacker, Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) registered a career-high 21 tackles at Davenport. He was just one stop shy of the Bearcats' single-game record of 22, which was set twice by Weltha's former teammate A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem). Weltha is also just the third player in program history with 20 or more tackles in a game, joining Wentland (2015 vs. West Liberty and 2016 vs. Southwest Baptist) and Cory Wilson (2003 vs. Saint Xavier) in the exclusive club.

Missouri S&T is 5-2 overall and is one of two remaining undefeated teams in GLVC play at 3-0. The Miners won their fifth consecutive game -- all of which came on the road -- last Saturday with a 37-3 triumph at Lincoln University. Missouri S&T used a big second half to pull away for the win as Deshawn Jones rushed for a game-high 115 yards, while D'Luis West added a pair of fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns to help the Miners break away from the Blue Tigers. Austin Truvillion led the Missouri S&T defense with 10 tackles. On the day, the Miners produced five quarterback sacks against Lincoln. 

Saturday's game will mark the sixth meeting all-time between McKendree and Missouri S&T. The Miners hold a slight 3-2 edge in the series, but the Bearcats won last year's match-up at Leemon Field by a score of 40-7. McKendree built a 27-0 lead early in the third quarter and never looked back in posting the win. Kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) set a school record with 16 points scored by a kicker (four field goals and four extra points) and matched another mark with his four field goals. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) rushed for 105 yards as the Bearcats' defense registered eight sacks in the win.

This will also be the Bearcats' third night game of the 2017 season. McKendree is 1-1 so far under the lights, falling at Angelo State before posting an impressive 24-21 win at Hillsdale College. McKendree will have one more night game this season, which is slated for Nov. 4 at Leemon Field against Quincy University.

The Bearcats will return to Leemon Field next Saturday for a GLVC contest against Lincoln. McKendree will wrap up its home slate with the Quincy game before heading to Truman State University on Nov. 11 to close the 2017 regular-season schedule.

McKENDREE-MISSOURI S&T GAME NOTES
2017 Records --
McKENDREE: The McKendree University Bearcats are 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
MISSOURI S&T: The Missouri S&T Miners are 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The Head Coaches --
McKENDREE: Mike Babcock is in his fifth season as the head coach of the McKendree Bearcats (29-20 at McKendree and overall).
MISSOURI S&T: Tyler Fenwick is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Missouri S&T Miners (25-25 at Missouri S&T and overall).

The Series (Since 1996) --
Missouri S&T holds a 3-2 advantage in the series against McKendree, although the Bearcats won last year's meeting at Leemon Field:
   2012 -- Missouri S&T 31, McKENDREE 0 (at Leemon Field)
   2013 -- Missouri S&T 31, McKENDREE 21 (at Rolla, Mo.)
   2014 -- McKENDREE 27, Missouri S&T 24 (at Leemon Field)
   2015 -- Missouri S&T 34, McKENDREE 27 (at Rolla, Mo.)
   2016 -- McKENDREE 40, Missouri S&T 7 (at Rolla, Mo.)

McKENDREE -- Last Time Out...
The Bearcats were defeated in double overtime on the road in non-conference action last Saturday at Davenport University, 27-24. Josh Lazaro (Bradley, IL/Bradley Bourbonnais) booted a 32-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24-24, but McKendree was unable to score in either overtime period in taking its second straight loss. Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) rushed for a team-high 120 yards -- 82 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime -- to lead the Bearcats' offense. Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) was 10-of-18 on the day for 102 yards. Jalyn Edwards had four catches for 61 yards in the contest. Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) set a new career-high as he led all players with 21 tackles. Weltha also had an interception that set up a Bearcats' touchdown in the first quarter. Kyle Kirkpatrick (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) added 11 tackles, while Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) and Kennith Wilson (Chicago, IL/Simeon) each added nine stops.

MISSOURI S&T -- Last Time Out...
The Miners used a big second half to pull away for a 37-3 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory last Saturday at Lincoln University. Deshawn Jones rushed for a game-high 115 yards on 23 carries, while D'Luis West scored on a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown rushes for Missouri S&T. Tyler Swart completed 11-of-16 pass attempts for 176 yards, including a 44-yard TD strike to Josh Brown to open the scoring for the Miners. Austin Truvillion led the defensive effort for Missouri S&T with 10 tackles, while Justin Onwugbufor helped out with eight stops. The Miners registered five quarterback sacks on the day.

LAST MEETING -- McKendree vs. Missouri S&T
On Oct. 22, 2016 at Leemon Field, McKendree rolled to a 40-7 victory over Missouri S&T in GLVC play. The Bearcats built a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter and never looked back in the contest. Kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) set a school record with 16 points scored by a kicker -- four field goals and four extra points -- for his most prolific day as a Bearcat. O'Block's four field goals also tied a program record. McKendree piled up 264 yards on the ground, led by a 105-yard effort from Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park). A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) led a balanced effort on defense for the Bearcats with 11 tackles, while Lucky Baar (Chicago, IL/Morgan Park) had three quarterback sacks among his eight tackles. As a team, McKendree registered eight sacks in the victory.

Bearcat Tracks --
BEARCATS vs. THE SHOW-ME STATE: McKendree has a record of 19-10 against teams from the state of Missouri since 1996. The Bearcats are 8-6 on the road against teams from the Show-Me State during that span. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, McKendree has won 14 of its last 17 contests against Missouri programs.

UNDER THE LIGHTS: McKendree has a record of 15-9 (.625) under the lights since 1996. Tonight's game will mark the third of four night contests this season for the Bearcats, with the final one coming at home versus Quincy University on Nov. 4. The four night games played this season by McKendree will be the most for the program since having five contests under the lights during Mike Babcock's first season at the Bearcats' head coach in 2013.

SHAYEEN 2K: Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) became just the fifth player in McKendree program history to rush for 2,000 yards in his career. He hit the milestone during the fourth quarter of the Bearcats' game at Davenport University. Entering tonight's contest, Edwards sits in fourth place on the Bearcats' career rushing list.
   1) Daryle Jones -- 3,187 yards
   2) George Smith -- 2,378 yards
   3) Brandon Murphy -- 2,239 yards
   4) Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) -- 2,073 yards
   5) Drew Cofty -- 2,041 yards
   6) Louis Harden -- 1,874 yards
   7) Jarrod Karnes -- 1,825 yards

CARRYING THE LOAD: In addition to moving up the Bearcats' career rushing yards list, Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) is within striking distance of the program mark for rushing attempts. Edwards is currently second on the McKendree career list for rushing attempts with 478. Only Daryle Jones (574) had more carries in a Bearcat uniform than Edwards.

A JOB WEL-THA DONE: Making his first career start at middle linebacker at Davenport University, Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) set a career-high with 21 tackles against the Panthers. He fell just one stop shy of the program record of 22 tackles in a game, which was set twice by former teammate A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) (2015 at West Liberty and 2016 at Southwest Baptist). Weltha is just the third player in program history to make at least 20 tackles in a game. Cory Wilson had 21 tackles in a 2003 contest at Saint Xavier University.

SPEAKING OF WELTHA...: Thanks to his 21-tackle performance at Davenport, Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) has jumped up into sixth place on the Bearcats' career chart for tackles. Weltha enters the Missouri S&T game wtih 230 career tackles. He jumped has Ryan Thornhill (229) and Jason Rejfek (216) during the Davenport contest into the No. 6 spot on McKendree's all-time list for tackles.

ALL GOOD THINGS...: McKendree's loss at Davenport marked the program's first defeat in overtime. The Bearcats were previously 5-0 in games that went more than four quarters since the overtime rule was introduced in college football in 1996.

RETURNS FOR 1,000: Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) joined some elite company thanks to his 76-yard kick return in the first quarter at Davenport. Curry now has 1,065 career yards in kick returns, making him just the third player in program history to top the 1,000-yard mark in the category. Curry sits behind Brandon Murphy (1,508 yards) and Cameron James (1,308 yards) in the exclusive club.

TALE OF THE TIGHT END: Zach Bobos (Lowell, IN/Lowell) caught his second touchdown pass of the year during the Davenport contest, which gives him the team lead with four regular-season games remaining on the schedule. The last time a McKendree tight end led -- or had a share of the team lead -- in TD receptions was back in 2012, when Joe Santiago matched two others with two touchdown catches.

DEFENSE DOMINATES IN THE RED ZONE: The Bearcats currently lead the Great Lakes Valley Conference in red zone defense. McKendree has allowed its opponents to score just 64 percent of the time once an opponent crosses the Bearcats' 20-yard line. McKendree is the only team in the GLVC to hold its opponents below 70 percent in the red zone entering tonight's contest.

TACKLING THE JOB: McKendree's Ricco Gipson (Godfrey, IL/Alton) and Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) are the only teammates to rank in the top five in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in tackles. In fact, they are the only GLVC teammates to average double figures in tackles per game. Gipson leads the league with 11.2 stops per contest, while Weltha is fourth in the conference at 10.3 tackles a game.

21 AND OVER: McKendree sports a 128-26 record (.831) 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: 1-1 (0-2)
   **White Jersey/Graphite Pants: 1-0 (1-1)
   **White Jersey/White Pants: 0-1 (1-0)

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. 21, 2000
McKendree rolled up 564 yards of total offense in cruising to a 56-3 victory at Taylor University in Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League action. The Bearcats registered four touchdown runs of at least 50 yards yards in the contest, including a 73-yarder by Brandon Murphy to close out the first-half scoring. Murphy registered a game-high 145 yards on just six carries, while Anthony Roland added 107 yards on just seven attempts, including a 71-yard jaunt in the third quarter. As a team, the Bearcats had 544 yards on the ground against the Trojans. Darius Green led the McKendree defense with nine tackles, four of which went for loss.

Oct. 21, 2006
McKendree won for the 11th consecutive year on Homecoming thanks to a 42-7 victory at Leemon Field over William Penn University. A crowd of 1,000 fans -- which included members of the 1996 squad who were honored as part of the program's 10th anniversary celebration -- witnessed a big second-half effort from the Bearcats. McKendree threw for a season-high 156 yards in the contest, which included two touchdown passes by Dan Loudenslager, who went 11-of-17 on the day. George Smith rushed for a team-leading 93 yards and a score, while Mike Harrison paced the Bearcats' defense with nine tackles.