GAME DAY LINKS -- 
McKENDREE vs. LINCOLN -- Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, 1 p.m.
Leemon Field -- Lebanon, Ill.

WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
LINCOLN PREVIEW WITH COACH BABCOCK

McKENDREE GAME NOTES
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
LINCOLN GAME NOTES
LINCOLN SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 26)--For the first time in three weeks, the McKendree University football team will step onto its home turf to play host to Lincoln University on Saturday. The Bearcats and Blue Tigers will meet in a Great Lakes Valley Conference battle that is set to kick off at 1 p.m. The game can be seen live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree) beginning with the pre-game show hosted by Joe Zydlo at 12:45 p.m.

McKendree snapped a two-game losing streak last Saturday night with a 39-31 victory at Missouri S&T. The Bearcats rode the strength of a 25-point scoring outburst in the third quarter to rally for the team's first win in three tries at Allgood-Bailey Stadium. Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) played a big role in the win with 10 tackles, including one of McKendree's season-high nine quarterback sacks against the Miners. Weltha saved his best work for the third-quarter scoring frenzy as he intercepted a pair of Missouri S&T pass attempts and returned each for a touchdown. The first one, a 25-yard pick-six, came on the first play following the Bearcats' go-ahead score and two-point conversion. Just 82 seconds later, Weltha grabbed a tipped pass out of the air and raced 43 yards down the left sideline for his second touchdown of the night. He became the first McKendree defensive player in program history to record two interception returns for a touchdown int the same contest. For his efforts, Weltha was named the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week as well as the D2football.com National Defensive Player of the Week.

Kyle Kirkpatrick (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) also enjoyed a big night on the defensive side of the ball for McKendree. Kirkpatrick registered a career-high 16 tackles and had three sacks against Missouri S&T. Darion Simmons (Peoria, IL/Peoria) and Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) each chipped in with two sacks apiece in the victory. 

Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) threw for 149 yards and three touchdowns for McKendree, which included a pair of TD strikes to Josh Revay (Livermore, CAl). Jalyn Williams (Carbondale, IL/Carbondale) had a team-leading four receptions for 76 yards, including a 23-yard grab that set up the touchdown that put the Bearcats in front to stay. 

Monte Wolke (Sigel, IL/Cumberland) continued his breakout season as the Bearcats' punter in the win at Missouri S&T. Wolke averaged 46 yards on six punts, with three that traveled inside the Miners' 20-yard line. Two of those punts were downed inside the five-yard line to help flip field position in the contest. He was named the GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his career thanks to his performance against the Miners.

Lincoln enters Saturday's game with a record of 1-6. The Blue Tigers are in search of their first GLVC victory after slipping to 0-4 following a 45-0 home loss last week to the University of Indianapolis. Blake Tibbs had a game-high 10 catches for 78 yards against the Greyhounds. Eugene Sainterling completed 14-of-24 pass attempts for 84 yards in the contest. Addison Tucker paced the Lincoln defense with 10 tackles, while Taj Moore added six stops. 

McKendree has won all three previous meetings against Lincoln. Last year in Jefferson City, Mo., the Bearcats raced to a 24-0 lead and never looked back in posting a 55-3 triumph. Making his first career start at quarterback, Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) went 20-of-23 for 346 yards against the Blue Tigers. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) added a career-high 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the effort. The Bearcats had two defensive touchdowns in the win as Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) recovered a fumble in the end zone and Michael Tucker (Chicago, IL/North Lawndale College Prep) posted a 33-yard interception return for another score.

Next Saturday, McKendree will celebrate Senior Day in its final home contest of the 2017 regular season against Quincy University. Prior to the 6 p.m. kickoff, the Bearcats will honor those seniors appearing for the final time at Leemon Field.

McKENDREE/LINCOLN GAME NOTES 
2017 Records --
McKENDREE: The McKendree University Bearcats are 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
LINCOLN: The Lincoln University Tigers are 1-6 overall and 0-4 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 (30-20 at McKendree and overall).
LINCOLN: Steven Smith is in his first season as the head coach of the Lincoln Blue Tigers (1-6 at Lincoln and overall).

The Series (Since 1996) --
The Bearcats have won all three previous meetings against the Blue Tigers, including last season's 55-3 triumph in Jefferson City, Mo.:
   2014 -- McKENDREE 56, Lincoln 36 (at Jefferson City, Mo.)
   2015 -- McKENDREE 65, Lincoln 0 (at Leemon Field)
   2016 -- McKENDREE 55, Lincoln 3 (at Jefferson City, Mo.)

McKENDREE -- Last Time Out --
The Bearcats rode the strength of a 25-point third-quarter scoring outburst to post a 39-31 victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Missouri S&T. Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) set a program record by returning two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive drives in the third quarter to lead the way for McKendree. Weltha finished with 10 tackles and one of the Bearcats' season-high nine quarterback sacks in the contest. Kyle Kirkpatrick (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) registered a career-high 16 tackles and had three sacks of his own. Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) threw for 149 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to Josh Revay (Livermore, CAl). Jalyn Williams (Carbondale, IL/Carbondale) had a team-high four receptions for 76 yards, including a 23-yard catch that set up the Bearcats' go-ahead score early in the third quarter. Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) and Darion Simmons (Peoria, IL/Peoria) each chipped in with two sacks against the Miners.

LINCOLN -- Last Time Out --
The Blue Tigers dropped a 45-0 decision at home last Saturday to the University of Indianapolis. Blake Tibbs had a game-high 10 receptions for 78 yards to lead Lincoln. Eugene Sainterling completed 14-of-24 pass attempts against the Greyhounds for 84 yards in the contest. Tucker Addison paced the Blue Tigers' defense with a game-high 10 tackles, while Taj Moore added seven stops.

LAST MEETING -- McKendree vs. Lincoln
On Oct. 29, 2016 at Jefferson City, Mo., McKendree piled up a season-high in both points and total offense on its way to a 55-3 victory over Lincoln. The Bearcats recorded 556 yards of total offense and topped the 50-point mark for the first (and only) time in 2016. Making his first career start at quarterback Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) completed 20-of-23 pass attempts for 338 yards. Metcalf completed his first 10 throws and added 40 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) registered a career-high with 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He scored the Bearcats' first three touchdowns of the contest to give McKendree a 21-0 advantage early in the second quarter. McKendree scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in the contest as Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) recovered a fumble in the end zone and Michael Tucker (Chicago, IL/North Lawndale College Prep) returned an interception 33 yards for a score. Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) booted two field goals and added seven extra points on the day on his way to becoming the Bearcats' career leader in points scored by a kicker.

BEARCAT TRACKS --
BEARCATS vs. THE SHOW-ME STATE: McKendree has a record of 20-10 against teams from the state of Missouri since 1996. The Bearcats are 11-4 at home against teams from the Show-Me State during that span. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, McKendree has won 15 of its last 18 contests against Missouri programs.

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 today'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) -- 2,104 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 488. Only Daryle Jones (574) had more carries in a Bearcat uniform than Edwards.

A JOB WEL-THA DONE, PART ONE: 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.

A JOB WEL-THA DONE, PART TWO: With his two pick-sixes at Missouri S&T, Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) became the first player in McKendree football history with two interception returns for a touchdown in the same game.

21 AND OVER: McKendree sports a 129-26 record (.832) when scoring at least 21 points in a game since the beginning of the 1996 season.

WELTHA, WOLKE GRAB GLVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: McKendree's Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) and Monte Wolke (Sigel, IL/Cumberland) were selected for GLVC Player of the Week accolades for their performances at Missouri S&T. Weltha had 10 tackles, one sack and two interception returns for touchdowns in the contest to nab GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Wolke averaged 46 yards per punt with two punts of at least 50 yards and three punts downed inside the Miners' 20-yard line to collect GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week mention.

PICK SIX, TIMES FIVE: Through its first eight games of the 2017 season, McKendree has registered five interception returns for a touchdown. That matches the program record for pick-sixes, which was first set by the 1997 squad.

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: 2-0 (1-1)
   **White Jersey/White Pants: 0-1 (1-0)

DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS A-PLENTY: Through its first eight games in 2017, McKendree has registered five defensive touchdowns. That ranks second among all NCAA Division II squads. Only Bemidji State University -- with six -- has posted more defensive scores this season.

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 67.7 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 10.6 stops per contest, while Weltha is third in the conference at 10.2 tackles a game.

SACK THAT (MISSOURI S&T) QUARTERBACK: In its last two games against Missouri S&T, the McKendree defense has posted a total of 17 quarterback sacks. The Bearcats had a season-high eight sacks in the 2016 meeting with the Miners. In last week's win in Rolla, Mo., McKendree posted its 2017 season-high with nine sacks.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Bearcats' win at Missouri S&T marked the team's third road triumph of the 2017 season. That gives McKendree at least three wins away from Leemon Field for the third time in the last four years.

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. 28, 2000
McKendree had two players top the 100-yard rushing mark in posting a 39-15 victory in the Bearcats' conference win at the University of St. Francis (Ill.). Brandon Murphy led the way with a game-high 155 yards on just 11 carries, which including touchdown runs of 55 and 36 yards within an 88-second span in the second quarter. Allen Walter also topped the century mark with 104 yards on 24 carries. Defensively, McKendree stifled the Fighting Saints' rushing attack, allowing minus-16 yards on the ground. Mario Dixon and Darius Green paced the Bearcats' defense with nine tackles each.

Oct. 28, 2006
The Bearcats could not hold off a fourth-quarter comeback as host Quincy University rallied for a 21-17 triumph. The Hawks scored the go-ahead touchdown with just 1:05 to play as Quincy ended a five-gave losing streak to McKendree. The Bearcats could muster just 221 yards of total offense on the day as George Smith led a balanced rushing attack with 43 yards and Jake Rohman added 37 yards. Tony Wheatley and Derrick Summerlin both reached double figures in tackles with 10 stops each.