GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. MICHIGAN TECH
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 -- 1 pm
Leemon Field -- Lebanon, IL

WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE GAME NOTES
McKENDREE STATISTICS
MICHIGAN TECH GAME NOTES
MICHIGAN TECH STATS

MICHIGAN TECH VIDEO PREVIEW WITH COACH MIKE BABCOCK

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 13)—McKendree University will begin the home portion of its 2019 schedule Saturday when Michigan Tech visits Leemon Field. Kickoff for the non-conference game is set for 1 p.m. The game will air live on the Bearcat Sports Network at www.glvcsn.com/mckendree, beginning with the pre-game show at approximately 12:45 p.m. Joe Zydlo returns to call the Bearcats' home contests once again in 2019.
 
Saturday's game will kick off a historic home stand for McKendree. The Bearcats have never hosted four consecutive home games since returning to the gridiron in 1996. Michigan Tech is the first opponent on the home stand. McKendree will then open Great Lakes Valley Conference play Sept. 21 in Lebanon against the University of Indianapolis before Chowan University comes to town for a non-conference tilt on Sept. 28. The Bearcats will wrap up four straight weeks of home games Oct. 5 when new GLVC member Lindenwood University travels to Leemon Field for the Bearcats' Homecoming tilt.
 
Last Saturday, McKendree opened the new season with a 30-9 loss at Northern Michigan University. The Bearcats jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead when freshman quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, IL/Shelbyville) connected with freshman wide receiver Jacob Bachman (Eureka, IL/Eureka) on a 28-yard touchdown pass with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter. The host Wildcats scored the next 10 points before junior Josh Lazaro (Bradley, IL/Bradley-Bourbonnais) booted a 20-yard field goal midway through the second quarter to help McKendree rally within 10-9. But Northern Michigan pulled away with a big second half to notch the win.
 
Senior linebacker Ricco Gipson, Jr. (Godfrey, IL/Alton), finished the day with a game-high 14 tackles and became just the 10^th player in program history to record at least 200 career tackles. Gipson – who also forced a fumble on the first drive of the game for Northern Michigan – enters Saturday's play with 202 career stops. Junior defensive lineman Brandon Purnell (Chicago, IL/Simeon) added nine tackles, including the lone sack of the afternoon for McKendree.
 
Pullen threw for 133 yards in his McKendree debut. Bachman caught a game-high five passes for 50 yards. Junior Jace Franklin paced the Bearcats' rushing attack with 45 yards.
 
Another freshman making an impressive debut for McKendree was punter Elliott Prott (Highland, IL/Highland). He averaged 41.2 yards on five punts, including a 54-yarder in the first half.
 
ABOUT MICHIGAN TECH
The Huskies put together an impressive outing in their 2019 season opener, a 29-14 win at then-No. 19 Hillsdale College. Michigan Tech exploded for 20 second-quarter points to build a 23-7 halftime lead it would not relinquish. The Huskies' defense rose to the occasion by allowing the host Chargers just 160 yards of total offense. Travis Tidwell led a balanced attack on the defensive side of the ball for Michigan Tech with five tackles along with an interception and forced fumble.
 
Quarterback Will Ark completed 21-of-36 pass attempts for 197 yards with two touchdowns. Ben Hartley caught both of Ark's TD tosses and finished the day with six receptions for 81 yards. Jared Smith rushed for a game-high 172 yards on 29 carries.
 
Saturday's game will mark the first meeting on the football field between McKendree and Michigan Tech, which is a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.