LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University will make its 2021 season debut here Saturday afternoon as the Bearcats host Northern Michigan at 1 p.m. at Leemon Field in the first of 11 regular-season games. The game will be carried live and for free on the Bearcat Sports Network (www.glvcsn.com/mckendree), beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes prior to kickoff.

After a 2020 season that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to a two-game spring season, McKendree and the rest of the Great Lakes Valley Conference football schools return to a normal fall schedule this season.

In the adjusted 2020-21 spring season, McKendree went 1-1 as they collected a 30-8 home win over Quincy, before dropping a hard-fought 51-23 game at the University of Indianapolis in the spring finale. A third game scheduled with Lindenwood was cancelled. While McKendree played two games a season ago, Northern Michigan sat out the entire 2020 season and will be playing their first game since a road game on Nov. 16, 2019 at Ashland University.

The Bearcats, who were tabbed to finish fifth in the Preseason GLVC Coaches Poll, come into the 2021 season with an experienced and veteran group of players as the two games during the spring allowed the coaching staff to get game action for a lot of the program's younger players and McKendree head coach Mike Babcock says that experience those players gained will be beneficial this season.

"I think the spring season helped us get some game readiness out of our freshmen and I think we got that when we were able to play a decent amount of those twos and threes in some of our games and also to be able to go on the road and play a top team like the University of Indianapolis and be able to keep it fairly competitive for a little bit gave us a good indication of where we are at as a program," Babcock said about the 2021 spring season. "I think the spring gave us the possibility and I think our guys liked that possibility and are hungry for that possibility and I think they know they can succeed if they just keep that path and keep things going."

Along with that experience gained from a season ago for its younger players, McKendree returns 10 starters on both sides of the ball, along with two specialists. In addition to those 22 returning starters and 71 returning lettermen, the Bearcats have several players returning to play their fifth season of college football after the NCAA granted an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic from last season.

Among those players playing their sixth season this year is center Jake Stevenson (Ludlow, Ill./Paxton-Buckley-Loda), who enters Saturday's game having started 35 consecutive games under center over the past four years after redshirting as a freshman in 2016. Other sixth year seniors this season include linebacker Michael Tucker (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale Prep), tight end Jace Kennedy (Dwight, Ill./Dwight), redshirt junior offensive lineman Austin Huls (St. Charles, Mo./Pattonville).

In addition to the six year seniors, the Bearcats also boast several fifth-year seniors, including redshirt junior defensive back Kenneth Garrett, Jr. (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven), redshirt junior offensive lineman Dea'Veon Harden-Smith (Zion, Ill./Zion Benton Township), redshirt senior linebacker Iben King (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale Prep), redshirt junior defensive back Devon Myles (Chicago, Ill./Westinghouse College Prep), redshirt junior defensive back Tony Pisoni (Arnold, Mo./Fox), redshirt junior offensive lineman Kenny Thomason (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour), redshirt junior receiver Steven Towns, Jr. (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) and redshirt senior defensive lineman Isaiah Ward (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame).

"Those guys are older. They've been through the ringer, they've seen the stuff out there that only game day can truly teach you and the nice thing is that they bring that type of leadership to the young guys and create a great culture within the team and within practice," Babcock said when asked about his fifth and sixth-year players. "I think that COVID has given us the ability to be a little bit older and the ability to have a little bit better juice because we didn't have a ton of it last year."

Perhaps the greatest strength on the offensive side of the ball this season is the Bearcats offensive line that returns a lot of experienced players that have played a lot of football over the past few years.

"I think it all starts up front. When you look at the five linemen, I think this is probably the best depth we've had in a while with guys that have played from a first string and second string deal," Babcock said. "Kind of excited, especially older guys that for the most part have played."

The anchor of the offensive line is Stevenson, who is expected to start his 36th consecutive game on Saturday, at center. In addition, the two starting tackles are Thomason and Harden-Smith, while the projected starters at guard are expected to be redshirt freshman Nolan Puent (Washington, Mo./Washington) and second-year freshman Andrew Johnson (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), while the second stringers listed are redshirt sophomore Larry Davis III (Country Club, Hills,. Ill./Rich Central) and Huls.

"Our center, Jake (Stevenson) is a captain and the heart of the line and we have some really good tackles in seniors (Kenny) Thomason and (Dea'Veon) Harden-Smith and I think they are doing a great job," the coach added.

While the offensive line appears to be one of the strengths this season thanks to its depth and experience, the offense will be led by the return of redshirt sophomore quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville), who was named the GLVC Freshman of the Year after accounting for 2,708 yards of total offense and throwing 24 touchdowns in his first year as a starter in 2019. In 2019, Pullen was 169-for-280 passing for 2,407 yards and accounted for 32 touchdowns as along with passing for 24, he led the team with eight rushing scores.

"Turner had a great 2019 season as a freshman and it's hard to think that this is only second true full season and yet he's a fourth year player in the classroom. I think he is playing well, especially late in camp," added Babcock.

Pullen will have an array of receivers to target this season and some of the key receivers are Towns, Jr., redshirt sophomore Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka), redshirt sophomore Tyler Siever (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) and second-year freshman Timothy Middleton II (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah).

Towns, who did not play last season, caught 37 passes for 564 yards and averaged 15.2 yards per catch as he earned Honorable Mention All-GLVC honors in 2019, while Bachman led the team with 19 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns this past spring and Siever has caught 28 passes for 248 yards over the past two seasons.

Another player returning this fall after sitting out all of last season is senior running back Jace Franklin IV (Springfield, Ill./Minnesota State). As a junior in 2019, Franklin led the Bearcats in rushing with 774 yards and scored seven touchdowns and averaged 66.5 yards per game.

"Jace was a starter for us in 2019, but he did not play in the spring, but we are excited to bring him back this year," Babcock stated.

At the tight end position, the starter is expected to be Kennedy, who sat out last season, but led the tight ends in 2019 with eight receptions for 74 yards.

"We have a lot off older guys on the offensive side of the ball returning and have a lot of guys that have through it. It's been nice seeing them all back, making some plays and moving the ball," added Babcock.

Babcock hopes his offense this season can get back to the 2018 season when the Bearcats offense was ranked in the Top 10 in Division II. In 2018, the Bearcats offense gained a school record 4,890 yards and averaged 444.5 yards per game and tied a single-season school record with 51 touchdowns.

"Our goal is always to be one of the best offenses in the country and I think we have a lot of good guys, a lot of good athletes, but I'm still trying to pinpoint who that playmaker is, but honestly, I think we have a lot of playmakers at the wide receiver corps, running back position and even our quarterback as the trigger man," said Babcock, who is 44-33 as McKendree's coach. "I think there is a lot of good talent, but there is just one ball and who's going to get it."

The Bearcats defense, which is led by defensive coordinator and former Bearcat Jason Rejfek, is expected to play with a lot of energy and juice this season, according to Babcock and this is something he loves to see. Rejfek, who played linebacker for McKendree from 2007-11, took over as the defensive coordinator prior to the start of the 2020 spring season.

"I want guys flying to the ball, so that's why you see some really good older guys, great leadership, and probably the best right now is in the back half in the defensive back position," Babcock said.

Some of the key players in the defensive backfield include Myles, Garrett Jr., sophomore Drew Crooks (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) and redshirt sophomore Kenneth Scarbrough II (East St. Louis, Mo./East St. Louis) and Pisoni.

"Those guys have played a lot of reps back there, have a lot confidence, fly to the ball. I really like our defensive back position right now," Babcock said.

The linebackers will be led by King and Tucker and redshirt sophomore KeShon Spraggins (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) and all three of them have done a lot of things and they also can fly to the ball, according to Babcock.

"All three of those guys have done it all on defense and special teams in their time at McKendree," the coach added.

Meanwhile, up front on the defensive line, Babcock likes how those guys also fly around and get after things and he expects them to continue that this coming season.

Some of the key defensive linemen this season include second-year freshman Samuel Amponsah (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East), redshirt senior Isaish Ward (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame), redshirt junior Jamari Johnson (Chicago, Ill./Goode STEM Academy) and sophomore Sidney Houston (Cahokia, Ill./East St. Louis).

"We have a lot of guys that have moved around trying new positions up front, including some newcomers that are really starting to step up," said Babcock. "I like where our defense is at, guys are flying around and doing some good things."

The Bearcats have two kickers and a punter listed on their depth chart entering the season opener. The top kicker entering the season is sophomore Ryan Kastl (Washington, Ill./Washington), while his back-up is redshirt freshman Kaleb Barry (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood). The punter is senior Andrew Anckle (Riverview, Fla./SIU-Carbondale), with Barry serving as his backup.

"Ryan split time in the spring and did a lot in the 2019 as far as both kickoffs, field goals and extra points and I'm excited to bring him back and at punter, we have a transfer in Andrew (Anckle), who came to us from Southern Illinois. He has got a great leg and really does some great things," said Babcock.

The one position that will have a new player starting on Saturday is at long snapper as freshman Wyatt Hall (Maynardville, Tenn./Union County) sit atop the depth chart.

"Wyatt has taken over the long snapper position and has done a nice job during the preseason," Babcock added.

Despite having a veteran team in 2021, Babcock says that he has several newcomers that have a chance to play this season.

"We've got a couple of freshmen linebackers that I think have a chance to play. We've got three of them right now starting to get reps with the twos and getting some reps on special teams," stated Babcock. "We've got two defensive linemen right now that I think are doing a spectacular job in pushing to get on the bus."

One of the biggest goals Babcock has for his team this season is to concentrate on the culture of the program and that is something he is preaching this season.

"As a coaching staff, we really want to get the guys focused on their craft, really get the guys focused on being better people, a better teammate and a better position player and that'll affect the rest of the group and the team as well," the coach stated. "We want the players to work on the details, work on the little things."

Babcock said one of his team's best goals is to strive for greatness daily as it is just not about showing up on Saturday, but get better at everything you do – from the weight room, practice, watching film.

One thing that Babcock likes about this year's team is his leadership group and he's excited to see how their leadership ability translates on game days. 

"Even though I've had great leaders and great athletes in the past, I really like it as a core, as a whole this year and I think this is probably one of the best groups I've had as far as leadership ability," added Babcock.

While Babcock says he like the leadership of his team this season, he also thinks another big strength of his team this season is his team's togetherness as a group and he is excited to see that in action on Saturday.  

"I think our guys have bought into it's not offense vs. defense, it's not you vs. me, but it's us, it's we and that's hopefully what you'll see on Saturday's is the offense getting excited for the defense and the defense getting pumped up for moving the ball and points," said Babcock, who is entering is ninth season with the Bearcats.

Saturday's game will mark the first of 11 games this season for the Bearcats as they will play five of them at home at Leemon Field.

Following Saturday's season opener with Northern Michigan, McKendree will hit the road for a 6 p.m. non-conference match-up on Saturday, Sept. 11 in Cleveland, Miss., against Division II powerhouse Delta State University from the Gulf South Conference. 
 
ABOUT NORTHERN MICHIGAN
The Wildcats are playing their first football game since Nov. 16, 2019, as they sat out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time NMU played a football game, the Wildcats fell 31-10 at Ashland to conclude the season with a 1-10 overall record and an 0-8 record in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Fifth-year coach Kyle Nystrom returns five All-GLIAC performers from 2019, including junior receiver Tyquan Cox, who was a Second-Team All-GLIAC performer after leading NMU in returns and all-purpose yards, including retuning a kickoff 99 yards for a score.

Other key returners for the Wildcats, who opened the 2019 season with a 30-9 win at home over McKendree, are senior defensive back Brady Hanson, senior offensive lineman Jay Young, sophomore defensive back Antonio Howard, Jr. and sophomore running back Tyshon King.

Hanson led the team in pass break-ups (8), interceptions (3) and forced fumbles (3), while Young started all 10 games at center. Howard Jr's seven tackles for loss for second on the team in 2019 and he also recorded 78 tackles and a sack as a freshman and King led the Wildcats in rushing with 647 yards on 143 carries.

"They are a talented football team. The GLIAC always has some of the top-notch teams in the nation," Babcock said. "We've played them twice in 2018 and 2019 and if a lot of those guys are coming back from 2019, I expect downhill physical running offensively. They sometimes line up with two or three tight ends and try to smash mouth you, but they'll also play action you and go up top for the big-type play. I'm expecting a version of that. Defensively, you get a lot of guys flying to the ball and are physical."

In the preseason GLIAC poll, Northern Michigan was picked to finish seventh as they earned 15 points in the poll. The Wildcats were five points in front of Northwood (Mich.), who was tabbed eighth.