LEBANON, Ill. - The McKendree University football team wrapped up spring football here Saturday afternoon with an Gray-White Spring Game in front of nearly 350 fans that braved windy and warm conditions at Leemon Field. 

Saturday's Gray-White Spring Game culminated five weeks of spring practice for the Bearcats to gauge where they are heading into summer workouts and fall camp. 

"I thought things went very well this spring. The object of the spring is to get better at every position. I think there were some guys that solidified some starting spots and there was some chemistry on both sides of the ball which was fun to see," McKendree head football coach Mike Babcock said following Saturday's spring scrimmage. "And to come out here today and end the spring on a high note was a positive."

The scrimmage game featured the Gray team (Offense) going up against the White team (Defense) as there were three 12-play segments separated by a halftime and two reps each on punting before and after halftime.

The offense had 10 possessions on the day and they scored on five of those 10 possession. Eight of the 10 possession began on the offense's 35-yard line, while the final two possession started on the defense's 25-yard line. 

For the day, the offense gained a total of 303 yards as the three quarterbacks that played went a combined 15-for-22 passing for 194 yards and tossed three touchdown passes and had one interception. On the ground, the Bearcats gained 109 yards on 18 carries. 

"I thought today, and all spring, we did a really good job in the run game. I think our running backs are playing good. Our offensive line is moving some guys," added Babcock, who is entering his 10th season as the Bearcats coach in 2022. "I see both sides of the ball getting better and that is the most important part of the spring football - to get better."

McKendree's first team directed by redshirt junior quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) wasted little time in their only possession of the game as they seven plays in 65 yards and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Narkel Leflore (Chatham, Ill./Chatham). On the drive, Pullen was 4-for-5 passing for 60 yards, including a 30-yard pass completion on the third play of the game to sophomore tight end Jordan Sprycha (Oak Lawn, Ill/Oak Lawn Community). 

In his only series of the day, Pullen, who has been the Bearcats starting quarterback the past two seasons, was 4-for-5 passing for 60 yards. 

The next offensive possession also ended in a score as redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Michael (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) connected with sophomore running back Avery Quigley (Beardstown, Ill./Beardstown) for a 37-yard touchdown pass. Quigley's touchdown capped a seven play drive that also had 15 yards rushing on three carries from sophomore running back Ronnie Hunsaker (Columbia, Ill./Columbia). 

Michael would finish the day 6-for-10 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown. 

The third and fourth offensive possessions yielded a total of 34 yards. 

On the fifth possession that featured redshirt freshman Jack Hogan (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) at quarterback, the Gray team drove 65 yards in six plays and capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Hogan to redshirt freshman receiver Adrian Forbes (St. Louis, Mo./St. Mary's). On the drive, Hogan was 2-for-2 passing for 26 yards. The big play on the drive was a 22-yard run by redshirt freshman running back Trevion Jenkins (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington). 

Following the fifth possession, the teams took a halftime break and following halftime, they did two reps of punting, before its sixth offensive possession of the day. 

On the sixth offensive possession, the defense made a stand as redshirt sophomore defensive back Anterio Allen (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) picked off a pass from Michael near midfield to stop that possession. 

The next two possessions resulted in a total of minus-2 yards as the seventh possession gained just two yards and the eighth possession recorded a 4-yard loss following a sack by redshirt sophomore defensive back Jake Pisoni (Arnold, Mo./Fox) on Hogan on a third-and-four play from the 41-yard line. 

The offense would add their fourth score on the ninth possession as redshirt sophomore running back Kriston Davis (Belleville, Ill./UTEP) ran into the end zone untouched from 25 yards out and then the Gray team capped the scrimmage by scoring on the final play of the 10th possession as Hogan connected with sophomore receiver Timothy Middleton II (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) for a 5-yard touchdown pass on a 4-and-goal play. 

David and Jenkins combined to rush for 74 yards on eight carries, while Forbes caught two passes for 42 yards, including a 25-yard reception on the first play of the fourth possession. 

Allen led the White team with four tackles, while redshirt junior defensive lineman Shaun Reid (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Connor Thomason (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) unofficially each had two tackles in the game. 

"A lot of guys got a lot of plays on defense, not just today, but the entire spring. I still think we need some work at certain positions, but we old in some and were young in some and we just have to find a way to mix that together," added Babcock when asked about his team's defensive effort during the spring.

The Bearcats will open the 2022 season on Thursday, Sept. 1 with a 7 p.m. ET game in Marquette, Mich., against Northern Michigan University. The home opener is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10 as the Bearcats host Delta State for a 1 p.m. contest at Leemon Field.

SCORING SUMMARY
GRAY - Leflore 2-yard run
GRAY - Michael 37-yard pass to Quigley
GRAY - Hogan 17-yard pass to Forbes
GRAY - Davis 25-yard run
GRAY - Hogan 5-yard pass to Middleton

STATISTICS (UNOFFICIAL):
RUSHING - Jenkins 4-43, Davis 4-31, Hunsaker 3-15, Hogan 3-(-4), Leflore 2-5, McAlpine 1-8, Feldmann 1-5, Middleton 1-4, Michael 1-2. Totals - 18-109.
PASSING - Michael 6-10 87 yards, Hogan 5-7 47 yards, Pullen 4-5 60 yards. Totals - 15-22 194 yards.
RECEIVING - Forbes 2-42, Bachman 2-19, Middleton 2-4, Quigley 1-37, Sprycha 1-30, Agnew 1-18, Perez 1-11, Griffin 1-10, Munoz 1-9, Serrano 1-9, Davis 1-7, McAlpine 1-2, Smith 1-(-2). Totals - 15-194.
TACKLES: Allen 4, Reid 2, Thomason 2, Amponsah 1, Boyd 1, Hicks 1, Ivy 1, M. Jones 1, T. Jones 1, J. Pisoni 1, L. Pisoni 1,  Scarbrough 1, Showers 1, Stoneburner 1.
ATT. - 300