LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University football team will put its three-game winning streak on the line this Saturday, Oct. 8 as the Bearcats play host to eighth-ranked University of Indianapolis for a 1 p.m. Great Lakes Valley Conference game on Pink Out and Parent's Day at Leemon Field.
 
McKendree enters Saturday's first home GLVC game of the 2022 season sporting a 4-1 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the GLVC following its come-from-behind 45-34 win last Saturday at William Jewell College in the league opener for both teams. The win over William Jewell was the third straight for the Bearcats as they began its win streak with a 38-37 win at Lake Erie on Sept. 17, before collecting a 46-10 home win on Sept. 24 against Walsh University.
 
During its current three game winning streak, the Bearcats are averaging 43.0 points, 106.3 yards rushing, 342.3 yards passing and 448.7 yards of offense and are allowing 27 points and 451.3 yards of offense per game. In addition, they have forced six turnovers, including picking off five passes and averaging 23 first downs per game.
 
In last Saturday's 45-34 win over William Jewell, the Bearcats trailed 17-3 just four minutes into the second quarter, before the Bearcats scored 14 straight points to tie the game at 17 at the half and then they outscored the Bearcats, 28-17, in the second half to post the come-from-behind win. In the fourth quarter, the Bearcats outscored the Cardinals, 21-14.
 
In the game, the Bearcats gained 478 yards of offense as they rushed for 135 yards on 35 carries and passed for 343 yards as redshirt junior quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) was 25-for-35 passing for 343 yard and tossed a career-high five touchdown passes. With those five touchdowns, Pullen became McKendree's career leader in touchdown passes with 65. He bettered the old mark of 64 touchdowns, which was set by Isaac Fisher from 2012-15. Pullen started the game 5-for-11 passing for 39 yards in the opening quarter, before going 20-for-24 passing for 304 yards and five touchdown receptions.
 
For his play against William Jewell, Pullen was named this week's GLVC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time this season and third time in his Bearcat career.
 
Pullen connected with six different receivers in the game as sophomore Yogi Flager, Jr. (Belleville, Ill./Butler University) caught seven passes for 117 yard and a touchdown. Flager, Jr., has now recorded four straight 100-plus yard receiving games. In addition to Flager, Jr., redshirt junior Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) added six receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore running back Narkel Leflore (Chatham, Ill./Glenwood) also caught six passes for 46 yards and added 54 yards rushing on 16 carries and gained 129 all-purpose yards.
 
On the season, McKendree leads Division II football in completion percentage at 73.9 percent and is fifth nationally in passing as they are averaging 343.6 yards per game and is 12th nationally in scoring at 38.8 points per game and 17th in total offense as the Bearcats are averaging 451.4 yards per game.
 
Pullen comes into Saturday's game with UIndy leading Division II football in completion percentage (73.9 percent), passing touchdowns (18) and points responsible for (120 points). In addition, he also ranks in the Top 8 nationally in completions per game (27.8, 2nd), passing yards (1,718 yards, 2nd), passing yards per game (343.6, 2nd), total offense (362.2, 2nd), passing efficiency (179.1, 5th) and yards per passing attempt (9.14, 7th). On the season, he is completing nearly 74 percent of his passes as he is 139-for-189 passing with 18 touchdowns and three interceptions and has added 100 yards rushing on 46 carries and has scored two touchdowns and has had a hand in 20 of McKendree's 26 touchdowns on the year. Pullen currently is tied for the school's career record for touchdowns responsible for with 87 and that is currently fourth amongst active Division II players.
 
The receiving corps has been led by Flager, Jr. as he leads the GLVC in receptions (35), receiving yards (577), receiving yards per game (115.4) and is tied for second in touchdowns with six. In addition to Flager, Jr., Bachman has caught 33 passes for 367 yards and has had five touchdown receptions and is averaging 73.4 yards per game and is second in league in receptions per game 6.6 per game and is currently fifth among active Division II players in career receptions per game at 5.4 and Leflore has caught 20 passes for 182 yards and has had one touchdown reception.
 
On the ground, Leflore leads the way with 261 yards rushing and is averaging 52.2 yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry, while sophomore running back Jayden Mitchell (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway Central) has gained 119 yards on 28 carries and has scored two times and is averaging 4.2 yards per carry.
 
On defense, the Bearcats have forced 10 turnovers on the season and have recorded seven sacks, 24 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries and is second in the league in both turnover margin (+6) and interceptions (6).
 
Leading the way for the Bearcats is redshirt sophomore defensive back Andrew Sherry (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West), who has had 23 tackles, including 21 solo stops, one tackle for a loss, one pass break-up and one interception, which was returned 34 yards for a touchdown against Walsh. Along with Sherry, sophomore defensive back Brandon Wilson, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence) is next with 22 tackles, including 16 solo stops, while redshirt junior linebacker Luca Gualdoni (Johnston City, Ill./Johnston City) has had 20 tackles, including 11 solo stops and freshman defensive lineman Tanner Hollerich (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) has had 14 tackles, three tackles for a loss and two sacks.
 
Sophomore defensive back Ethan Young (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) leads the way with two interceptions, while redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Josh Bleich (Melvin, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) leads in tackles for loss with four and has had 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries.
 
Three Bearcats have taken home GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season as Gualdoni was honored on Sept. 5, while Sherry earned last week's honor and freshman linebacker Logan Turbyfill (Cottage Hills, Ill./Civic Memorial) earned this week's honor.
 
UIndy has won all 10 previous meetings in the series against the Bearcats, including a 57-28 win last season in Indianapolis. McKendree is playing UIndy at home for the first time since the 2019 season and is 0-4 against the Greyhounds at Leemon Field. In the 10 games in the series, UIndy has outscored the Bearcats, 457 to 169.
 
Following Saturday's game with UIndy, the Bearcats will remain at home next Saturday, Oct. 15 with a 3 p.m. game against Quincy University at Leemon Field. The Bearcats will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its return to intercollegiate football at halftime of the game, along with also honoring the program's 25th-Anniversary McKendree Football Team.
 
ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS
Indianapolis comes into Saturday's GLVC contest at McKendree sporting a 4-0 overall record and a 1-0 record in the GLVC following a 44-17 home win last Saturday over Southwest Baptist to open league play. The Greyhounds, who were tabbed as the preseason favorite in the GLVC Coaches' Poll, are currently ranked eighth in this week's latest AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll and 19th in the latest D2Football.com poll.
 
The Greyhounds come into this week's action with the top offense and top defenses in the league as UIndy is averaging 459.8 yards per game and 43.0 points per game on offense and are allowing 306 yards per game on defense, are second in the league in scoring as they are allowing 18.8 points per game and leads the GLVC and is second nationally in rushing defense as they are allowing 50.5 yards per game and have allowed only one team to rush for more than 37 yards as Tiffin gained 149 yards rushing in a 27-20 loss to the Greyhounds.
 
UIndy boasts the No. 5 rushing attack in Division II football as they are averaging 266.8 yards per game and are also passing for 193.0 yards per game, which is fourth in the GLVC. The 'Hounds have rushed for over 200 yards in all four games this season, including gaining a season high 373 yards last week against Southwest Baptist.
 
In the win last Saturday against UIndy, senior running back Toriano Clinton played a big role in the win as he gained 207 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns as he run for two scores and had another touchdown on a 16-yard pass reception. With those three scores, Clinton became the program's career leader in both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns. Additionally, it was Clinton's school record sixth 200-plus yard rushing game.
 
On the season, Clinton, who is currently the Division II active leader in rushing yards with 4,153 yards, leads the GLVC and is ninth nationally in rushing with 618 yards and is third nationally in rushing yards per game as he is averaging 154.5 yards per game and has scored six touchdowns and is averaging 7.3 yards per game. In addition to Clinton, sophomore quarterback Connor Kinnett is second on the team in rushing with 246 yards on 32 carries and is averaging 61.5 yards per game, 7.7 yards per carry and has scored two times on the ground.
 
Along with his rushing, Kinnett is also averaging 188.8 passing yards per game as he is 55-for-111 passing with 1 interception and nine touchdowns and has thrown for 755 yards. Additionally, Kinnett is also averaging 250.3 yards of total offense on the season and has had a hand in 11 of UIndy's 22 touchdowns.
 
Sophomore Alonzo Derrick leads the 'Hounds receiving corps as he has caught 18 passes for 255 yards and is averaging 63.8 yards per game and 14.2 yards per reception and has had one receiving touchdown. Sophomore Jeremiah Lee is second in receiving with nine receptions for 86 yards and has had two receiving touchdowns, while freshman Kamau Ransom leads the receivers with three touchdown passes as he has caught six passes for 66 yards.
 
On special teams, freshman Colin Seymour is 5-for-8 on field goals and a perfect 21-for-21 on extra-points and is second in scoring with 36 points, while freshman Ryan Zoeller is fourth in the league in punting as he averages 37.9 yards per punt and has downed six punts inside the 20-yard line. Lee is second in the league in kickoff returns as he has returned five kicks for 238 yards and is averaging 26.4 yards per return and has taken one kickoff back for a score and is averaging 80.8 all-purpose yards per game.
 
Defensively, the 'Hounds have recorded 11 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and leads the GLVC with seven interceptions and has forced five fumbles and broken up 21 passes.
 
Leading the way on defense for UIndy is sophomore safety Kivonte Houston, who has had 25 tackles, including 19 solo stops, one interception, four pass break-ups and one fumble recovery, while redshirt sophomore defensive end Aaron Bennett had recorded 23 tackles, five tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and three pass break-ups and freshman safety Michael Brown has had 21 tackles, one interception and two pass break-ups.
 
Redshirt junior defensive back Khoreice Crawford leads the GLVC in interceptions with three and has had three pass-breakups, while redshirt freshman Brandon Thomas has blocked a kick and has broken up two passes.