LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University football team will remain at home for the second straight Saturday this weekend as the Bearcats play host to Quincy University for a 3 p.m. Great Lakes Valley Conference match-up at Leemon Field.
 
Saturday's game will feature the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the return to intercollegiate football for McKendree University as McKendree will celebrate the accomplishments of the program, along with honoring the program's 25th Anniversary Football team, since its return to play in 1996 at halftime of the game.
 
McKendree University began playing football as an intercollegiate sport in 1916, but the sport was dropped following the conclusion of the 1950 season. The school did not field an intercollegiate football team from 1951-1995. In November of 1995, Carl Poelker was hired by then President Dr. James Dennis to be the school's new head football coach.
 
Dr. Dennis, who previously had worked as the University of Southern California, was one the main forces behind the return of football as an intercollegiate sport at McKendree University. On August 12, 1996, 129 players reported to campus to begin preparations for the 1996 season, which would be the first football season for McKendree in nearly a half-a-century.

The first game in the return to football by McKendree was played at then Lindenwood College (now known as Lindenwood University) on Sept. 7 in St. Charles, Mo. The Bearcats lost that first game, 35-27 to Lindenwood and would proceed to lose it first four games of the 1996 season before picking up the program's first win against Westminster (Mo.) College at home on Oct. 12, 1996. McKendree won that game, 27-14. The 1996 team would close the season by winning three of its last four games and finished with a 3-5 overall record in its first season of playing football since 1950.
 
Since its return to football in 1996, the program has won a total of 169 games and has posted an overall record of 169-103 and has an all-time record of 263-224-14 on the gridiron. Poelker coached from 1996-2012 and Mike Babcock has been the Bearcats football coach since 2013.
 
The Bearcats enter Saturday's game sporting a 4-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the GLVC after having its three-game win streak last Saturday with a 38-23 setback at home to eighth-ranked Indianapolis.
 
Despite the setback to the Greyhounds, the Bearcats set five records in the game as redshirt junior receiver Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) set two of those records as he became the school's all-time leader in pass receptions as he caught a school record 18 passes for 145 yards to push his career pass reception mark to 167, which bettered the old mark of 150 set by Cameron James from 2012-15. The 18 receptions are the most in a game this season by an NCAA player at any level, while the previous school record for receptions in a game was 13 set by Tyler Brewer against Saint Joseph's (Ind.) on Sept. 27, 2014.
 
In addition to Bachman's two records, redshirt junior quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) set new single game records for both pass attempts (59) and  pass completions (42) and became the school's all-time leader in touchdowns responsible for with 90 to better the old record of 87 set by Isaac Fisher from 2012-15. Against UIndy, Pullen was 42-for-59 passing for 362 yards with one interception and two touchdowns and added a touchdown on the ground.
 
The 59 pass attempts bettered the old mark of 58 set by Fisher against Saint Joseph's (Ind.) in 2014, while the 42 completions bettered Pullen's old record of 41 set earlier this season against Delta State.
 
With his 362 passing yards, Pullen pushed his career total to 7,292 yards and pushed his career total offense mark to 8,045 yards, which is now just 2,212 yards shy of Fisher's all-time school mark of 10,257 yards. Pullen's 90 career touchdowns responsible for are fourth among active Division II players and 18th among all active NCAA players.
 
On the season, McKendree leads Division II football in completion percentage (73.3 percent) and is third in passing offense as they are averaging 346.7 yards per game and is 17th in scoring at 36.2 points per game and 20th in total offense as the Bearcats are averaging 444.5 yards per game.
 
Pullen comes into Saturday's game with Quincy leading Division II football in completion percentage (73.3 percent), completions per game (30.2), passing touchdowns (20), passing yards (2,080), passing yards per game (346.7) and points responsible for (138) and is second in total offense as he averages 361.7 yards per game and is fifth in passing efficiency (167.5). On the season, Pullen is completing 73 percent of his passes as he is 181-for-247 passing with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions and has added 90 yards rushing on 54 carries and has scored three times on the ground and has had a hand in 23 of McKendree's 29 touchdowns on the year. Pullen is now the only quarterback in school history to record three seasons of throwing 2,000 or more yards.
 
The receiving corps this season has been led by Bachman and sophomore Yogi Flager, Jr. (Belleville, Ill./Butler University). Bachman has caught a league-leading 51 passes for 512 yards and five touchdowns and is averaging 85.3 receiving yards per game and is fourth nationally in receptions per game at 8.5 per game, while Flager, Jr., leads the league in receiving yards with 635 and touchdowns with seven as he has caught 41 passes and is averaging 105.8 yards per game and 6.8 receptions per game. Bachman is currently fourth amongst active Division II players in receptions per game as he averages 5.8 per game in his career.
 
On the ground, the Bearcats are averaging 97.8 yards per game as they have gained 587 yards on 181 carries with sophomore Narkel Leflore (Chatham, Ill./Glenwood) leading the way with 325 yards rushing on 72 carries and has scored one time and is averaging 139.5 all-purpose yards per game, which is fourth-best in the GLVC. In addition, Leflore has caught 28 passes for 229 yards and has had one touchdown catch. One other Bearcats has gained over 100 yards on the season as redshirt sophomore Jayden Mitchell (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway Central) has rushed 30 times for 111 yards and has scored two touchdowns.
 
On defense, the Bearcats are third in the league and 21st nationally in turnover margin (+6) as they have forced 11 turnovers, including picking off seven passes, which is second in the league. In addition, the Bearcats have recorded seven sacks, 28 tackles for a loss and 10 quarterback hurries.  
 
Leading the way for the Bearcats defense is redshirt sophomore defensive back Andrew Sherry (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West), who has had 32 total tackles, including 28 solo stops and has had one tackle for loss, had picked off one pass, which he returned 34 yards for a touchdown against Walsh. Along with Sherry, sophomore defensive back Brandon Wilson, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence) is next with 24 tackles, including 18 solo stops and has one interception, while redshirt junior linebacker Luca Gualdoni (Johnston City, Ill./Johnston City) is third with 21 tackles and has forced a fumble and has had one pass break-up.
 
Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Josh Bleich (Melvin, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) and freshman defensive lineman Tanner Hollerich (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) are first and second in sacks as Bleich leads with four sacks, while Hollerich has had three sacks and tackles for a loss. Sophomore defensive back Ethan Young (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) leads the way with two interceptions.
 
Three Bearcats have taken home GLVC Defensive Player of the Week accolades this season as Gualdoni was honored on Sept. 5, while Sherry earned the honor on Sept. 24 and freshman linebacker Logan Turbyfill (Cottage Hills, Ill./Civic Memorial) was honored on Oct. 3.

Junior kicker Ryan Kastl (Washington, Ill./Washington) is tied for the GLVC lead in made field goals with six as he is 6-for-10 on the season and 23-for-27 on extra point attempts and is second in kick scoring as he is averaging 6.8 points per game. He has scored 41 points, which is second on the team and is 28th among active Division II players in career field goal percentage at 66.7 percent.
 
Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore punter Kaleb Barry (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) is sixth in the league in punting as he is averaging 35.3 yards per punt and has put six punts inside the 20-yard line and has had two 50-plus yard punts.
 
Leflore leads the team and is sixth in the league in kickoff returns as he is averaging 21.8 yards per return, while sophomore Timothy Middleton II (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) is averaging 13.7 yards per kickoff return on the year.
 
Saturday's game with Quincy will mark the 24th all-time meeting between the two Illinois Division II football playing schools. The Bearcats hold a 19-4 advantage all-time in the series and they have won nine straight games in the series, including a 9-1 mark against Quincy in GLVC action and since restarting football in 1996, McKendree has faced Quincy more times (23) than any other opponent. In last year's match-up with Quincy, the Bearcats picked up a come-from-behind 51-50 win last season at Quincy following a 35-yard field goal by Kastl with 25 seconds left in regulation. In the game, the Bearcats rallied to score 44 second half points, including scoring 30 fourth quarter points.
 
Following Saturday's game with Quincy, the Bearcats will return to the road as they travel to Rolla, Mo., for a 1 p.m. GLVC game on Saturday, Oct. 24 against Missouri S&T.

ABOUT QUINCY
The Hawks comes into Saturday's action sporting a 3-3 overall record and an 0-1 record in the GLVC following a 45-9 non-conference win last Saturday at home against Kentucky Wesleyan. The win over Kentucky Wesleyan snapped a two-game losing skid for the Hawks as prior to the win over KWC, QU suffered losses at sixth-ranked Ashland (34-14) and at Missouri S&T (31-24) in its GLVC opener on Oct. 1.
 
In its win last weekend over Kentucky Wesleyan, the Hawks allowed a season low nine points defensively and scored twice on defense as they recorded a safety and junior linebacker Jackson Connell returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown. Against KWC, QU scored 37 of their 45 points in the second half after leading 9-0 at the half.
 
On offense, Quincy gained 456 yards of offense as they rushed for 185 yards and passed for 271 yards. Junior quarterback Tionne Harris was 19-for-32 passing for 271 yards with two touchdowns and added 31 yards rushing in the win. Junior running back Tremayne Lee gained 112 yards rushing with a touchdown, while senior receiver AJ Hardin paced the receivers with six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
 
Defensively, Quincy allowed 191 yards and recorded two sacks and six tackles for a loss as senior linebacker Peyten Chappel led the way with nine tackles in the win.
 
Offensively, Quincy is fourth in league in total offense as they are averaging 393.7 per game and scoring 29.8 points per game and is third in the league in passing offense as they are averaging 230.2 passing yards per game.
 
Guiding the Hawks offense is Harris as he is 92-for-167 passing for 1,374 yards with six interceptions and 14 touchdowns, which is second in the GLVC. In addition, he is averaging 263.0 yards of total offense per game. On the ground, the Hawks are paced by Lee as he has gained 385 yards on 77 carries and is averaging 77.0 yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry and has scored three times. Harris is second in rushing as he is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and 34.0 yards per game and had scored twice on the ground.
 
Three Hawks have caught 14 or more passes on the year as Hardin has caught 25 passes for 438 yards and is averaging 17.5 yards per catch and 73 yards per game and has had five touchdown catches. Senior Jalen Lawrence has caught 16 passes for 247 yards and is averaging 15.4 yards per catch and 41.2 yards per game and has had four touchdown catches and sophomore Marlin Washington has caught 14 passes for 179 yards and is averaging 12.8 yards per catch and has had two touchdown receptions.
 
Defensively, the Hawks are fourth in the league in total defense as they are allowing 364.5 yards per game and are third in scoring defense as they are allowing just 24.2 points per game. In addition, they have forced nine turnovers, including five interceptions and are third in the league in sacks with 15 and has recorded 40 tackles for loss.
 
Leading the way defensively for Quincy is Chappel as he has recorded 61 tackles, including 42 solo stops and has had 6.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and has forced three fumbles and has broken-up four passes. Chappel is third on the school's all-time list in tackles with 344 tackles and is second in career solo stops with 197.

In addition to Chappel, sophomore safety Joseph Webb is second in tackles with 28, including 18 solo stops and has had 2.5 tackles for loss and one interception, while Connell has had 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, an interception and junior linebacker Peyton Plunkett had had 24 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and three forced fumbles.
 
On special teams, freshman kicker Drew Lenzen is 5-for-7 on field goals and 14-for-19 on extra point attempts and has scored 29 points. In addition, junior punter Bryce Broussard is fifth in the league in punting as he averages 35.7 yards per punt and has put five punts inside the 20-yard line and has had two 50-plus yard punts and senior safety Sa'hron Cunningham is averaging 20.2 yards per kickoff return and 23.0 yards per punt return.