LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University Football will remain on the road for the second consecutive Saturday this week as the Bearcats travel to Quincy, Ill., for a match-up against Quincy University. Kickoff for the Great Lakes Valley Conference match-up is set for 3 p.m. at QU Stadium on the Quincy campus.

The Bearcats enter Saturday's game sporting a 2-4 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the GLVC after having its two-game win streak snapped last Saturday with a 57-28 setback on the road at the University of Indianapolis. Despite the setback to the Greyhounds, the Bearcats offense rushed for a season high 273 yards and totaled 462 yards of offense, which was its second highest total of the 2021 season.

Against UIndy, redshirt sophomore quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) paced the Bearcats offense as he accounted for 293 yards of total offense as he rushed for a team-high 104 yards on 10 carries, including scoring on a 68-yard touchdown run for McKendree's first score of the game and he was 18-for-28 passing for 189 yards and had one touchdown and one interception. Pullen had a hand in three of the Bearcats' four touchdowns as he scored twice on the ground and added a 22-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore receiver Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka). Pullen has now accounted for 48 touchdowns in his career, which is third in school history and 32nd among active NCAA Division II players.

Along with Pullen's effort on the ground, senior running back Jace Franklin IV (Springfield, Ill./Minnesota State) added 73 yards on five carries, including a run of 65 yards and the 73 yards pushed his McKendree career total to 1,870 yards, which is seventh on the school's all-time chart and is now 130 yards shy of becoming the sixth Bearcat to rush for 2,000 career yards, while second-year freshman running back Narkel Leflore (Chatham, Ill./Chatham) added 66 yards rushing and another 57 yards on four kickoff returns.

Bachman caught six of Pullen's 18 completed passes for 49 yards, while redshirt sophomore receiver Tyler Siever (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) caught three passes for a career-high 83 yards, including a 53-yard reception that led to the Bearcats second touchdown of the game in the first quarter.

Defensively, redshirt junior Kenneth Garrett, Jr. (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven) and senior linebacker Michael Tucker (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale College Prep) paced the way for the Bearcats as they each had eight tackles and a combined 1.5 tackles for loss, while Garrett returned a fumble 57 yards to set up the Bearcats' final touchdown in the fourth quarter. In addition to Garrett and Tucker, redshirt junior defensive back Devon Myles (Chicago, Ill./Westinghouse College Prep) recorded seven tackles, all of them solo stops, in his season debut after sitting out the first five games due to an injury suffered in preseason practice.

McKendree's special teams struggled against UIndy as sophomore kicker Ryan Kastl (Washington, Ill./Washington) had three of his extra-point attempts blocked, including UIndy returning one for a safety early in the game and he was 1-for-2 on field goals as made one from 35 yards and missed one from 32 yards. Bachman had two kickoff returns and one punt return for 52 yards and Leflore returned four kickoffs for 57 yards, while senior punter Andrew Anckle (Riverview, Fla./SIU-Carbondale) averaged 42.2 yards on five punts and had one downed inside the 20-yard line.

Meanwhile, Quincy comes into Saturday's GLVC home game with McKendree sporting a 3-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the league following a 33-28 loss last Saturday at Lindenwood University. The Hawks opened league play with a 31-28 home win over Missouri S&T on Oct. 2. Over the past four seasons, the Hawks have posted a 12-23 overall record and a 6-15 mark in the GLVC.

Following Saturday's game at Quincy, the Bearcats will return home to Leemon Field on Saturday, Oct. 23 for its annual Homecoming game as McKendree will host Missouri S&T at 1 p.m.

ABOUT QUINCY
The Hawks have opened the 2021 season by winning three of its first six games, including winning back-to-back non-conference games at home against Iowa Wesleyan (59-27) and Walsh (38-17) and opened GLVC play with an impressive 31-28 home victory over Missouri S&T. Quincy enters Saturday's game, though, having lost two of its last three contests as they concluded non-conference play on Sept. 25 with a 63-23 loss at Ashland and then fell 33-28 last weekend at Lindenwood. Lindenwood was tabbed to finish second in the Preseason GLVC Coaches Poll.

In its 33-28 setback last week at Lindenwood, each team turned the ball over 10 times as QU three interceptions and lost two fumbles, while LU lost four fumbles and threw an interception. The game was close throughout until the fourth quarter when the Lions scored twice to take 33-20 lead, before QU made things interesting on a 27-yard touchdown reception by sophomore receiver Eugene Witherspoon with 1:53 remaining in the game. Witherspoon's score and subsequent extra point made it 33-28, but on the ensuing onside kick off attempt, LU was able to recover the ball to seal the win.

The touchdown reception by Witherspoon was his second of the game and GLVC-leading 12th of the 2021 season. Those 12 touchdown receptions are tops in Division II and his 12.0 points per game is fourth-best in Division II. On the season, Witherspoon has caught 26 passes for 678 yards and is averaging 26.1 yards per reception and 113 receiving yards per game, which is seventh-best in Division II. In addition to Witherspoon, junior receivers Paul Sullivan and AJ Hardin have each caught 18 passes on the year for a combined 495 yards and Hardin has had four touchdown receptions.

Offensively, Quincy is third in the league in scoring as they are averaging 34.3 points per game and are also third in the league in total offense as they averaging 421.5 yards per game, including passing for nearly 269 yards per game.

Guiding the Hawks offense is junior quarterback Tionne Harris, who is 79-for-152 passing for 1,218 yards and he has thrown 13 touchdown passes and four interceptions and is averaging 261.6 yards of total offense per game. On the ground, the Hawks are paced by sophomore running back Tremayne Lee. Lee has gained 458 yards on 67 carries and is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 76.3 yards per game and he has score three times, while freshman Taylor Temple has gained 286 yards on 63 carries and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and has scored twice.

Defensively, the Hawks are allowing 505.2 yards of offense and 36 points per game and have forced 14 turnovers in six games as they have picked off five passes and recovered nine fumbles. In addition, the Hawks are second in the league in sacks with 19 and have recorded 39 tackles for loss.

Leading the way defensively for Quincy sophomore linebacker Trevon Rhodes as he has recorded 37 tackles, including 22 solo stops and has forced two fumbles, while freshman defensive lineman Dale Dambek has had 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks and freshman defensive tackle Collin Olla-Chatman is tied for the team lead in sacks with 3.5 and has a team-leading 5.5 tackles for loss. Freshman Kenshawn Bragg leads the team in interceptions with two.

McKendree holds an 18-4 lead in the all-time series against Quincy as has won each of the last eight meetings, including a 30-8 win this past spring at Leemon Field. The Bearcats are 8-1 against Quincy in GLVC action and since restarting football in 1996, McKendree has faced Quincy more times (22) than any other opponent.