(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 30)—The McKendree University football team notched its fourth consecutive victory Saturday thanks to a 28-7 triumph over Southwest Baptist University in a Homecoming contest at Leemon Field.
 
Junior quarterback Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) registered season-highs with 229 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air as McKendree won the Battle of the Bearcats for the third time in four meetings with Southwest Baptist. McKendree pushed its record to 4-1 overall and stayed perfect in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at 2-0.
 
McKendree added to its already-impressive Homecoming record since returning to the gridiron in 1996 with Saturday's win. The Bearcats are now 21-1 in front of the returning alumni at Leemon Field and have now won four straight Homecoming contests. McKendree will be at home next Saturday (Oct. 7) to host the University of Indianapolis – ranked No. 10 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II coaches poll – in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Leemon Field.
 
"I told the guys in the locker room (after the game) that I thought it was one of our best total team efforts of the season today," said McKendree head football coach Mike Babcock. "I felt like we were able to move the ball offensively and score points against a really good defense. I thought our defense really stepped up and held a good quarterback in (Southwest Baptist's T.J.) Edwards and his talented receivers in check. It was a great team win today, especially in front of a big crowd at Homecoming."
 
Senior running back Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) recorded his third 100-yard rushing effort in the last four games for McKendree, piling up a game-high 127 yards on 27 carries. Edwards also continued to climb up the Bearcats' career rushing list, jumping up to sixth place on the team's career chart. Edwards now has 1,849 yards in his four seasons at McKendree and moved ahead of Isaac Fisher (1,749 yards) and Jarrod Karnes (1,825 yards) during Saturday's win.
 
Sophomore linebacker Ricco Gipson (Godfrey, IL/Alton) tied his season-high with 14 tackles to lead all players on Saturday. Gipson registered nine solos, including one of the Bearcats' four quarterback sacks. Senior defensive end Darion Simmons (Peoria, IL/Peoria) broke loose for 2 ½ sacks against Southwest Baptist, while senior linebacker Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) contributed nine tackles in the win for McKendree.
 
McKendree put together three lengthy scoring drives to build a 21-0 halftime lead. After Southwest Baptist missed a 36-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game, the Bearcats took over and marched 80 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. Melcalf capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic). Freshman kicker Josh Lazaro (Bradley, IL/Bradley Bourbonnais) tacked on the extra point to give McKendree a seven-point advantage midway through the first quarter.
 
Early in the second quarter, McKendree put together its longest drive of the 2017 season – in terms of plays – to stretch the margin to 14-0. Junior tight end Zach Bobos (Lowell, IN/Lowell) caught his first touchdown pass of the season thanks to a two-yard strike from Metcalf, to finish off a 13-play, 75 yard drive. With just 90 seconds left in the first half, Edwards took a handoff and raced into the end zone from 10 yards out to give McKendree a 21-point lead heading into the intermission.
 
Southwest Baptist (2-3, 1-2 GLVC) scored its only points of the day in the later stages of the third quarter on a six-yard TD pass from Edwards to Kendrick Payne to trim the McKendree lead to 21-7. Metcalf finished off his three-touchdown performance early in the fourth quarter when he connected with junior wide receiver Josh Revay (Livermore, CAl) on a nine-yard TD strike to account for the final score.
 
Curry and Bobos each caught a team-high five passes for McKendree. Curry had a team-leading 59 receiving yards, while junior wide receiver Matt Cole (Chicago, IL/Curie) chipped in with four receptions for the Bearcats.
 
SBU's Edwards, who threw for 315 yards and five touchdowns in last season's 35-7 Southwest Baptist victory over McKendree in Bolivar, Mo., (and also had 443 passing yards and five TD's in a 55-6 win last week at home over Quincy) was held to 186 passing yards by the McKendree defense on Saturday.