GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE at KENTUCKY STATE -- Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, 4 p.m. ET
Alumni Stadium -- Frankfort, Ky.
LISTEN LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
GAME NOTES
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
KENTUCKY STATE SEASON STATISTICS
KENTUCKY STATE VIDEO PREVIEW WITH COACH MIKE BABCOCK
(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 6)--The McKendree University football team hits the road for the first time this season when the Bearcats travel to Frankfort, Ky., to take on Kentucky State University in a non-conference contest. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT). The game can be heard live on the Bearcat Sports Network at
www.glvcsn.com/mckendree, beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. CT). The McKendree broadcast is the only live media available for Saturday's contest.
McKendree is 1-0 on the young season following a 34-28 victory over Northern Michigan University this past Saturday in the Bearcats' 2018 season opener at Leemon Field. McKendree scored on its final five possessions, posting 27 points over the final 22 minutes of play to collect the win.
Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns on the day to help the Bearcats win their fifth season opener in the last six years. Metcalf completed 17-of-25 pass attempts against the Wildcats, connecting with eight different receivers in the process.
Jace Franklin (Sprinfield, IL/Williamsville) led the rushing attack for McKendree with 89 yards on 13 carries, while
Preston Thompson (Hazel Crest, IL/Tinley Park) had a rushing and receiving touchdown on the day.
Defensively,
Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) had a career-best 11 tackles and added a fourth-quarter interception that led to the Bearcats' final points of the contest. Ricco Gipson added eight tackles for McKendree, while
Brandon Purnell (Chicago, IL/Simeon) and
Iben King (Chicago, IL/Brother Rice) each chipped in with six stops.
Josh Lazaro (Bradley, IL/Bradley-Bourbonnais) kicked a pair of second-half field goals, including a 36-yarder in the third quarter that put the Bearcats in front for good.
Saturday's game at Kentucky State marks the first of six road contests for McKendree in 2018. The Bearcats were 3-3 away from Leemon Field a year ago. This will also be the first of three visits into the Eastern Time Zone for McKendree this year. The Bearcats will head to North Carolina in two weeks for their first-ever meeting against Chowan University before visiting the University of Indianapolis in mid-October.
After the trip to Kentucky State, McKendree will return to Leemon Field next Saturday for its third straight non-conference game of 2018. The Bearcats will entertain Bowie State University next Saturday -- Sept. 15 -- with kickoff slated for 1 p.m.
ABOUT KENTUCKY STATE
The Thorobreds are 0-1 this season following a 38-31 setback last Saturday at Slippery Rock University. Quarterback Jules St. Ge proved to be a dual threat for the Thorobreds, throwing for two touchdowns while running for two more. St. Ge was 10-of-12 through the air for 118 yards while rushing for 126 yards on 11 attempts. Brett Sylve led the Kentucky State ground game with 146 yards on 20 attempts with two more scores. Defensively, Myrthel Stewart paced Kentucky State with eight tackles, while Antowoine Lloyd, Zuriel Rudolph and Keonte Reynolds each posted seven stops. David Daniels added two fumble recoveries.
Back on Sept. 9, 2017, McKendree and Kentucky State met for the first time on the gridiron at Leemon Field. The Bearcats rolled up 29 points in the second quarter and never looked back in posting a 50-0 victory over the Thorobreds. McKendree registered four scoring plays of at least 47 yards -- including two on special teams -- along with a safety on the way to its largest margin of victory of the year.
