CANTON, Ohio – The McKendree University picked the right time to play its most complete game of the 2021 season here Saturday afternoon as the Bearcats snapped a four-game losing streak dating to last season en route to picking up a 24-10 victory in its non-conference finale against Walsh University in Bob Commings Field at GlenOak High School.

With the victory, McKendree improves to 1-3 overall on the season, while Walsh also falls to 1-3 on the year.

Saturday's win was a complete team effort as the Bearcats offense scored a season high 24 points, gained 355 yards and had a season high 25 first downs, while its defense held the Cavaliers to just 10 points and just 242 yards of offense, including limiting them to 34 yards rushing on 24 carries.

While its offense and defense was strong on Saturday, the Bearcats also played a disciplined game as they were whistled for just six penalties for 49 yards in the game. McKendree came into the game averaging a little over 10 penalties per game. In their 17-10 home loss last Saturday, the Bearcats were called for a season-high 14 penalties for 145 yards.

A majority of McKendree's offensive yards came on the ground as they rushed for 212 yards on 48 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns, including a 3-yard scoring run by redshirt sophomore receiver Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) with 4:07 left in the game to give the Bearcats an insurmountable 24-10 lead.

Senior running back Jace Franklin IV (Springfield, Ill./Minnesota State) paced the Bearcats ground attack with 84 yards on 21 carries and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. His 86 yards pushed him into 10th place on the school's all-time rushing list with 1,694 yards. In addition, redshirt freshman running back Brady Feldmann (Highland, Ill./Highland) added 68 yards and 12 carries.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) returned to the line-up after sitting last week's game and was 15-for-28 passing for 135 yards and one touchdown and gained 36 yards rushing on 10 carries and scored a touchdown on a 7-yard 6 run in the fourth quarter to give the Bearcats a 17-7 lead. For the game, Pullen accounted for 171 yards of total offense to push his career total to 3,443 and has been now been responsible for 41 touchdowns in McKendree career.

Bachman caught six passes for 72 yards and also gained 19 yards rushing on two carries and returned three kickoffs for 99 yards, including a McKendree season-long 47-yard return midway through the fourth quarter. He finished with game with 181 all-purpose yards. In addition to Bachman, redshirt junior receiver Steven Towns, Jr. (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) caught five passes for 47 yards and scored the game's first touchdown on a 27-yard reception from Pullen just three-plus minutes into the game.

Towns' score on the Bearcats first possession capped a seven-play, 67-yard drive that also featured a 30-yard kickoff return by Bachman and a 26-yard pass from Pullen to Bachman on a third-and-six play that kept the drive alive.

The Cavaliers would tie the game on its second possession of the game as they drove 81 yards in 10 plays and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown reception from Jeremy Hodge to Tyre Gray.

McKendree had the only scoring in the second quarter as sophomore kicker Ryan Kastl (Washington, Ill./Washington) capped a nine-play, 57-yard drive with a 40-yard field goal to give the Bearcats 10-7 lead. The big play on the drive was a 29-yard run by Feldmann.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Bearcat defense limited the Cavaliers to just 47 yards and two first downs in the quarter.

Pullen's 7-yard run just 69 seconds into the fourth quarter gave the Bearcats a 17-7 lead. The drive began in Walsh territory after senior punter Andrew Anckle (Riverview, Fla./SIU-Carbondale) pinned Walsh deep in their own side of the field following a 37 yard punt.

Walsh would respond on their next possession to cut McKendree's lead to 17-10 as the Cavaliers drove 68 yards in 10 plays and had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Mason Brown after the drive stalled on McKendree's 8-yard line.

On the next possession, the Bearcats were forced to punt after three plays, but on the punt, Walsh was flagged for roughing the kicker and that penalty gave the Bearcats a first down and seven plays later, Bachman would score on an end-around from three yards out to make the score 24-10. The drive began with a 16-yard run by Bachman and was capped by his 3-yard scoring run.

The Bearcats would then seal the win on Walsh's next possession as Cavaliers' quarterback Tom Vatter would have his pass in the end zone picked off by redshirt junior defensive back Tony Pisoni (Arnold, Mo./Fox).

Vatter played quarterback for Walsh in the second half after their starting signal caller Hodge left the game with an injury late in the first half. Hodge was 5-for-7 passing for 78 yards before leaving the game. Vatter finished the game 14-for-22 passing for 114 yards and the one interception.

Thomas Wilks paced the ground game for Walsh as he finished with 39 yards on 14 carries, while Jaden Gresham and Delonte Hall combined to catch 12 passes for 147 yards.

Defensively, the Bearcats recorded five sacks, seven tackles for loss and picked off a pass in the win. Leading the way for the Bearcat defense were sophomore defensive back Drew Crooks (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) and redshirt sophomore linebacker KeShon Spraggins (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) each had five tackles, while senior linebacker Michael Tucker (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale Prep) and sophomore defensive lineman Sidney Houston (Cahokia, Ill./East St. Louis) combined for three sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss on the day as each player had 1.5 sacks and Tucker recorded a tackle for a loss and Houston had 1.5 tackles for a loss.

While McKendree defense picked off a pass, the Bearcat offense did not commit a turnover in the game.

The Bearcats will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 2 as they open Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a 1 p.m. home game at Leemon Field against William Jewell College. The Cardinals fell to 0-4 on the season following its 41-21 loss Saturday at Kentucky Wesleyan College.