GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. SOUTHWEST BAPTIST -- Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, 1 p.m.
Leemon Field -- Lebanon, Ill

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

McKENDREE GAME NOTES
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST GAME NOTES
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST SEASON STATISTICS

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 28)--The McKendree University football team returns to Leemon Field on Saturday to play host to Southwest Baptist University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference battle. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The game will air live on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree), beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m.

The Bearcats will be playing just their second home contest of the 2017 season after opening the campaign with three of their first four games coming on the road. Last Saturday, McKendree kicked off its GLVC slate with a 54-28 triumph at William Jewell College. The Bearcats exploded for 35 points in the first quarter and never looked back in notching their third consecutive win. 

At William Jewell, quarterback Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) threw for 196 yards on 18-of-25 passing. Metcalf also tossed his first two touchdown passes of the season, hitting Jalyn Williams (Carbondale, IL/Carbondale) for a 29-yard strike to cap the opening drive of the game before connecting on a 37-yard TD pass to Matt Cole (Chicago, IL/Curie) later in the opening period. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) rushed for a game-high 96 yards on just nine carries, which included an 18-yard TD run. The Bearcats' defense also got in on the scoring fun as Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) (32 yards) and Nate Powell (Chicago, IL/King College Prep) (27 yards) each had a pick-six in the victory for McKendree, which collected its third consecutive win in the process. McKendree enters the Southwest Baptist game at 3-1 overall.

Southwest Baptist brings a 2-2 overall record and a 1-1 GLVC mark into Saturday's Battle of the Bearcats. Last week, host Southwest Baptist built a 28-point halftime lead on its way to a 55-6 win over Quincy University. Quarterback T.J. Edwards -- the reigning GLVC Offensive Player of the Year -- threw for 443 yards and five touchdowns in the effort. Three Southwest Baptist receivers -- Jerminic Smith (131 yards), Kendrick Payne (129 yards) and Cassian Foreman (113 yards) -- all topped the 100-yard mark in receiving for SBU. Linebacker Brycen Gagnon, who was named the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, led the defensive charge with 10 tackles along with a 20-yard fumble return for a touchdown. 

Saturday's game will mark the fourth meeting all-time between McKendree and Southwest Baptist. McKendree holds a 2-1 edge in the series, although Southwest Baptist claimed last year's match-up by a score of 35-7 in Bolivar, Mo. Southwest Baptist went on to finish 7-1 in GLVC play, sharing the league regular-season crown with Truman State University.

This will mark the 22nd Homecoming game for McKendree since football was reintroduced to the campus back in 1996. McKendree has taken 20 of the previous 21 Homecoming games, with the lone setback in that span coming to the University of Findlay back in 2013. Last season, McKendree used a flair for the dramatic in sending the returning alumni home happy. A four-yard touchdown pass from Elcee Burke to Skylar Paulson (Lanark, IL/Eastland) with 42.3 seconds remaining capped a furious fourth-quarter comeback in a 20-16 victory over Saint Joseph's College. The winning score was set up in part thanks to a blocked punt by John Alvin III (Fairview Heights, IL /Belleville East). 

McKendree's two-game home stand will continue next Saturday when the University of Indianapolis, ranked No. 10 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll, visits Leemon Field on Oct. 7 for another 1 p.m. kickoff. 

McKENDREE-SOUTHWEST BAPTIST GAME NOTES
2017 Records --
McKENDREE: The McKendree University Bearcats are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST: The Southwest Baptist University Bearcats are 2-2 overall and 1-1 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 (28-18 at McKendree and overall).
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST: Robert Clardy is in his third season as the head coach of the Southwest Baptist Bearcats (16-10 at Southwest Baptist and overall).

The Series (Since 1996) --
McKendree holds a 2-1 edge in the series with Southwest Baptist, who won last year's meeting in Bolivar, Mo.
   2014 -- McKENDREE 53, Southwest Baptist 43 (at Bolivar, Mo.)
   2015 -- McKENDREE 38, Southwest Baptist 13 (at Leemon Field)
   2016 -- Southwest Baptist 35, McKENDREE 7 (at Bolivar, Mo.)

McKendree -- Last Time Out...
The Bearcats erupted for 35 first-quarter points on their way to a 54-28 victory at William Jewell last Saturday in the 2017 Great Lakes Valley Conference opener for both schools. McKendree registered season-highs with 54 points, 489 yards of total offense and two interception returns for touchdowns as the Bearcats notched their third consecutive win. Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) rushed for a game-high 96 yards on just nine carries, including an 18-yard touchdown burst. Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) threw for a season-best 196 yards, completing 18-of-25 pass attempts which included a pair of touchdowns. Metcalf also ran for a four-yard TD versus the Cardinals. Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) and Nate Powell (Chicago, IL/King College Prep) each had a pick-six in the contest, marking the first time in 19 years that the Bearcats had two INT returns for touchdowns in the same contest. Michael Tucker (Chicago, IL/North Lawndale College Prep) led a balanced defensive effort for McKendree with seven tackles, while Weston Brown (Murrieta, CA/Murrieta Valley) and Ricco Gipson (Godfrey, IL/Alton) each added six stops in the effort. As a team, McKendree tied a program record with four interceptions in the outing.

Southwest Baptist -- Last Time Out...
The Bearcats built a 34-6 halftime lead on their way to a 55-6 GLVC triumph at home last Saturday against Quincy University. Southwest Baptist racked up 604 yards of total offense, including 455 through the air in rolling past the Hawks. T.J. Edwards led the air assualt for the Bearcats as he completed 21-of-29 pass attempts for 443 yards with five touchdowns. Three different SBU receivers had at least 100 yards on the day, with Jerminic Smith showing the way with eight grabs for 131 yards. Kendrick Payne added five catches for 129 yards, while Cassian Foreman posted two receptions for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 98-yarder in the first quarter. Brycen Gagnon led the SBU defense with 11 tackles along with a 20-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

LAST MEETING -- McKendree vs. Southwest Baptist
On Oct. 1, 2016 at Bolivar, Mo., host Southwest Baptist registered a 35-7 victory over McKendree in GLVC play. Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) led the McKendree offense with 100 rushing yards on 18 carries, while Tyler Brewer (Arnold, MO/Fox) accounted for the Bearcats' lone touchdown of the day on a 28-yard scoring reception late in the third quarter. A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) matched his program record with a game-high 22 tackles in the contest, which included 10 solos. Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) chipped in with 10 stops. For Southwest Baptist, quarterback T.J. Edwards had a big day with five touchdown passes as he went 24-of-35 for 315 yards.

Bearcat Tracks --
HAPPY HOMECOMINGS: Today's contest will mark the 22nd Homecoming game for McKendree since the revival of the football program in 1996. The Bearcats hold a 20-1 record on Homecoming at Leemon Field during that stretch, winning last year's game in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind, 20-16 win over Saint Joseph's College on a Skylar Paulson (Lanark, IL/Eastland) four-yard TD catch with 42.3 seconds to play.

BEARCATS vs. THE SHOW-ME STATE: McKendree has a record of 18-10 against teams from the state of MIssouri since 1996. The Bearcats are 10-4 at home against teams from the Show-Me State during that span. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, McKendree has won 13 of its last 16 contests against Missouri programs.

HOME PERFECTION: McKendree won all six of its home games during the 2016 season. That marked the first time since the 2010 campaign that the Bearcats closed a season with an unblemished record at home. With its win over Kentucky State on Sept. 9, McKendree has won nine straight games played at Leemon Field, dating back to the 2015 season. The program record for consecutive home victories is 11, which occurred from 2008-10.

EDWARDS CRACKS TOP 10 ON ALL-TIME RUSHING LIST: Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) has moved into the top 10 on the Bearcats' career rushing list. Edwards now has 1,722 yards at McKendree, which is good for eighth all-time:
   4) Drew Cofty -- 2,041 yards
   5) Louis Harden -- 1,874 yards
   6) Jarrod Karnes -- 1,825 yards
   7) Isaac Fisher -- 1,749 yards
   8) Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) -- 1,722 yards
   9) Allen Walter -- 1,692 yards
   10) Joe Beimfohr -- 1,652 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.

21 AND OVER: McKendree sports a 127-25 record (.836) 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: 0-0 (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.

1K FOR WALLS: Dustin Walls (Champaign, IL/Centennial) joined some elite company with his 58 receiving yards against William Jewell. Walls became just the sixth player in McKendree football history with 1,000 receiving yards. Walls currently had 1,019 yards and trails Cameron James (1,614), Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) (1,375), Dewayne Gatti (1,350), Myron Hicks (1,227) and Brett Gross (1,196) on the list.

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,,, --
Sept. 30, 2000
No. 5-ranked McKendree, one of the NAIA's top rushing programs that season, took to the air for the go-ahead score in a 31-21 home victory over Trinity International University. Billy Gray threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Murphy midway through the third quarter to break a 14-14 tie and spark the Bearcats to the win in their Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League opener for the year. Murphy rushed for a team-high 76 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Kyle Roach added a pair of rushing scores. Oku Satcher registered three of McKendree's four sacks against the Trojans, while Darius Green notched a team-best 10 tackles in the win.

Sept. 30, 2006
Dominique Jones rushed for a career-high 166 yards on 10 carries as McKendree registered its lone road victory of the 2006 season at the University of St. Francis (Ill.), 41-14. Jones ripped off the second-longest run in program history, an 83-yard touchdown jaunt early in the third quarter, as part of his career afternoon. As a team, McKendree rushed for a season-high 505 yards versus the Fighting Saints. Steve Moravec recorded a season-high 16 tackles for the Bearcats while Derrick Summerlin and Reece McCall each chipped in with nine tackles.