MARQUETTE, Mich. – McKendree University will make its 2022 season debut here Thursday evening as the Bearcats play the first of 11 regular season games against Northern Michigan University. Kickoff for Thursday's opener is set for 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT at the Superior Dome.
Thursday's opener will mark the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Bearcats have opened the season against Northern Michigan and the second time they have played on NMU's home field. In last season's season opener at Leemon Field, the Bearcats suffered a 27-20 setback to the Wildcats.
Since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2012, the Bearcats are 5-5 in season openers, including being 5-4 in openers under 10th-year head coach Mike Babcock. In addition, Thursday's game will be the fourth time in program history that the Bearcats have begun the season on a Thursday night and are 1-2 in those previous three Thursday night openers with the lone win being a 33-19 victory at home against Angelo State in 2016.
Babcock says that his team has been progressing well in the preseason and he's excited to see how his team performs under the lights in Thursday's opener.
"I think preseason practice has been going well. I think the coaches in fall camp look at two things: 1) Is our team getting better? and 2) Are we staying healthy? I think we are doing a little bit of both," the Bearcat coach. said "I think that both sides of the ball, plus the special teamers are doing well, so we just need to keep progressing and improving every day."
A total of 10 starters return from last year's 4-7 McKendree squad that went 3-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Five of those starters return on offense, while three return on defense and two others are back on special teams. In addition to the 10 returning starters, 59 lettermen also return from a season ago.
Among the key returning starters on offense are four-year starting redshirt junior quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) and redshirt junior receiver Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka). Last season, Pullen earned Honorable Mention All-GLVC honors after throwing for 2,483 yards, accounting for 2,833 yards of total offense and having a hand in 32 of the team's 41 touchdowns and leading the way with 11 rushing touchdowns and 21 passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, Bachman was a First-Team All-GLVC selection a season ago after catching a single-season school record 80 passes for 854 yards and averaged 7.3 receptions per game.
Pullen, who was the GLVC Freshman of the Year in 2019, enters the 2022 season sitting second in the school's record book for both total offense yards (5,868) and passing yards (5,212) and is one of just three players since the program's return to action in 1996 to amass over 5,000 career yards of total offense. Former quarterback Isaac Fisher holds the school's record for both total offense yards (10,257) and passing yards (8,508).
"I always feel like every quarterback is their own guy and Turner is his own guy," added Babcock. "I don't think [Turner] cares about the individual accolades; all he wants to do is win. He is extremely competitive and gets upset when things don't go well because he wants to win. I can't say enough good things about him."
Along with the return of Pullen and Bachman, the other key offensive starters returning are sophomore running back/return specialist Narkel Leflore (Chatham, Ill./Chatham) and three offensive linemen – sixth-year senior right tackle Kenny Thomason (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour), redshirt sophomore right guard Nolan Puent (Washington, Ill./Washington) and sophomore left guard Andrew Johnson (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West). Thomason has been a three-year starter on the offensive line, while Puent and Johnson have each been two-year starters on the line for the Bearcats.
"Well, I think that any offense always starts with your play caller and having your quarterback being a four-year starter I think is very important. Turner has had a great camp and knows what to do," Babcock said when asked about his offense this season. "One of our other captains, (Jacob) Bachman, who is a First-Team All-Conference receiver…I think those two leading the charge from a skill position standpoint is a good place to start. Then up front, we've got some guys that have experience, including a sixth-year senior in Kenny Thomason and a bunch of other guys that are hard working up front."
The Bearcats will need to find several new starters along the offensive line, including a center as Jake Stephenson, who lettered for six seasons, exhausted his eligibility at the end of last season. Stephenson closed his career making a school record 46 consecutive starts at center.
Redshirt sophomore Jake Rich (Paxton, Ill./Paxton-Buckley-Loda) is listed as the No. 1 center on the depth chart, while the other offensive line starter at left tackle for Thursday's opener is expected to be sophomore Billy Doyle VI (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township).
"Jake (Rich) has been here for a couple of years, so he's not new to our program. He's had a great offseason and has really solidified that starting center position," added Babcock. "Some of our other guys like Billy (Doyle), who we've moved to left tackle after he played the guard position last year, is another one that has come into his own, while our two guards – Johnson and Puent – have had a great camp and I'm excited to see what they can do."
Last season, Leflore carried the ball 82 times for 518 yards and scored two touchdowns and led the team with 1,251 all-purpose yards and averaged 125.1 yards per game.
"We've always had good depth as far as sheer numbers at the running back position, but I think this is the first year that we have a lot of good-quality running backs," said Babcock. "We have a lot of hard runners, some great pass blockers and guys that can run the ball…I'm really happy where we are at running back-wise."
When Pullen steps back to throw the ball this season, he not only will have Bachman out there catching passes, but will have a bevy of other receivers to target, including sophomore tight end Jordan Sprycha (Oak Lawn, Ill./Oak Lawn Community), redshirt junior receiver Tyler Siever (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle), sophomore receiver Diontay Griffin (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) and sophomore Butler University transfer Yogi Flager, Jr. (Belleville, Ill./Butler University), who was named a Hero Sports Freshman All-American at Butler after averaging 16.1 yards per catch and 64.5 yards per game.
"Yogi has had a great camp and has done a lot of good things and I expect him to play an important role in our passing game," said Babcock.
Babcock says he is excited where his offense is coming into Thursday's season opener. Last season, the Bearcats scored 41 touchdowns, averaged 29.2 points per game and averaged 419.4 yard per game a season ago.
"I like where we are at offensively; we've got some weapons, and the biggest key will be if we can stay healthy and move the ball. I think we've got a shot to have a really good season," the coach added.
The Bearcats tuned up for Thursday's season opener with Northern Michigan by conducting a scrimmage on Sunday, Aug. 21 and Babcock thought that he saw some good things on both sides of the ball.
"Defensively, I thought we ran to the ball well and I thought our No. 1's tackled well. I think we need to continue to work on communication and continue to bring up our depth defensively. Offensively, I would have liked to have seen the No. 1's get into a groove a little bit better earlier in the scrimmage, but I thought we had a couple of players do some good things," Babcock said about the scrimmage that featured nearly 90 plays.
One of the biggest changes to the Bearcats this season has come on the coaching staff as Babcock added three new offensive coaches this season, along with a new offensive coordinator and a linebackers coach. The new assistant coaches are Peter Gonzalez, Jr. (running backs), Nick Holeton (offensive line), DeAndre Hollier (tight ends) and Sean Kelly (linebackers). Additionally, quarterbacks coach Nick Miller was promoted to offensive coordinator, along with continuing to coach the quarterbacks.
The change of coaches on the offensive side has gone well, according to Babcock, but he stressed that the Bearcats offense won't change much despite having a new play caller this season and the three new assistants.
"We've got three out of five new coaches offensively, a new play caller in Coach (Nick) Miller and I think they gelled well together. We have some new nuances here and there offensively, but for the most part, it will remain a lot like last year's offense," the coach added.
The Bearcats defense, which is led by defensive coordinator and former Bearcat Jason Rejfek, is expected to be improved from a season ago as injuries really hurt the Bearcats last season, according to Babcock. Rejfek, who played linebacker at McKendree from 2007-11 and was recently named an Honorable Mention selection at linebacker on the school's 25th Anniversary Football Team, is entering his third season as the defensive coordinator.
Rejfek's group will be bolstered by the return of three starters and several other players that saw a lot of playing experience last season due to injuries that cut into the depth at almost every position.
"When you look at it, we were really, really hurt last year defensively, especially as we were finishing out the year," Babcock said.
Among the returning starters on defense are sophomore defensive lineman Samuel Amponsah (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East), junior defensive back Drew Crooks (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) and redshirt junior defensive back Kenneth Scarbrough III (East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis). Amponsah was an Honorable Mention All-GLVC selection after recording 37 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, while Crooks also earned Honorable Mention All-GLVC accolades after recording 38 tackles and breaking up five passes. Scarbrough was also an Honorable Mention All-GLVC honoree after posting 16 tackles, one sack, one interception and broke up a team-best eight passes.
Two other key defensive starters returning after either missing the entire season or most of last season are redshirt sophomore linebacker Luca Gualdoni (Johnston City, Ill./Johnston City) and graduate student linebacker Iben King (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice). Gualdoni missed the 2021 season due to injury, while King played in four games last season before suffering a season-ending injury.
Another key returner coming back from injury suffered a season ago is redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Josh Bleich (Melvin, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley). Bleich is listed atop the depth chart at defensive end.
Amponsah, who is the other starter at defensive end, is the lone returning starter up front for the Bearcats this season, but Babcock is excited where this group is at heading into the season.
"Up front, we will be led by Josh (Bleich) and Kevin (Memminger). Those two are the best leaders and are both difference makers," Babcock said. "Arman (Oshana) and Sam (Amponsah) have each had great camps this fall. We're a little bit of old and a little bit of young up front this season."
Babcock says he has really liked the incoming freshman group of defensive linemen and several of them are expected to play a role this season.
Among the key freshman up front listed on the preseason two-deep are defensive end Tanner Hollerich (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township), defensive tackle Jireh Mays (Fairview Heights, Ill./East St. Louis) and defensive tackle Connor Murphy (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard South).
"I think the freshmen group has done a great job in the middle. Jireh (Mays) is a big guy who can move guys, I love the intensity and play-calling of Conner (Murphy) and Tanner (Hollerich) is a local kid who has done some really nice things at defensive end," the coach added.
The linebackers, who are coached by Sean Kelly, who spent the past 11 years as an assistant at Quincy and lettered at McKendree from 2007-10, are expected to be much improved this season thanks to the return of Gualdoni and King from injury, according to Babcock.
"It's nice having Luca and Iben back. Those two have been running around which is good to see," Babcock said. "I think we have some quality depth, but we need to keep progressing at the linebacking corps."
Other key linebackers this season are expected to be sophomore Clark Dilger (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East), who played in all 11 games a season ago, and redshirt sophomore Denzel Stephens (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood).
Perhaps the biggest strength entering the season for the Bearcats defense is its secondary as four of their top seven tacklers returning from last year are defensive backs. Among the key returners in the secondary are junior cornerback Drew Crooks (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington), redshirt junior cornerback Darrwin Perkins (Crete, Ill./Marian Catholic) and redshirt junior cornerback Kenneth Scarbrough II (East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis).
"I really like our corners. We've got three seniors back there and all three of those have played quite a bit at corner and have a lot of experience," Babcock said.
The cornerback position is experienced and senior-laden, and the team's safeties have talent, but aren't as experienced as the cornerbacks, according to Babcock.
On the preseason depth chart, the top four safeties are sophomore Brandon Wilson, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence), redshirt sophomore Andrew Sherry (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West), redshirt freshman Rayshun Buckner (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) and senior Arnell Anderson (Chicago, Ill./Davenport University). In addition to those two, sophomore Ethan Young (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) and freshman Symondrea Brown (Cahokia, Ill./Cahokia) are expected to see a lot of action at safety positions this season.
On special teams, the Bearcats welcome back its top two kickers from a season ago in junior Ryan Kastl (Washington, Ill./Washington) and redshirt sophomore Kaleb Barry (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood), along with its top three return specialists - Leflore and sophomore Timothy Middleton II (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) at kick returner and Bachman at punt returner.
Kastl will handle both the field goal and kickoff duties this season, while Barry will be the punter. Last season, Kastl and Barry combined to make 13-of-19 field goals and make 34 of their 40 extra point attempts.
"It's nice to have Ryan (Kastl) back as the kicker. He got hurt during the Quincy game, so we're excited to see how he comes back from his injury this year," stated Babcock. "Kaleb (Barry), as a punter, is solid and has been here for a few years. He was our back-up punter and our second-string kicker last year and then he ended up being the first-string kicker following Kastl's injury. He has done a nice job as the punter and had great consistency in fall camp."
Last season, McKendree's kickoff returners set a new single-season school record for kick return yards with 1,216 as they averaged 22.9 yards per return on 53 returns. Leflore led the way with 27 returns for 678 yards, while Middleton returned 11 kicks for 261 yards. Bachman had six kickoff returns for 146 yards and added seven punt returns for 70 yards. Leflore's 678 return yards are the second-most in a season in school history.
"I think we had one of our best specialist-return game last year kick-off return wise, so I am excited to see what they can do and get them going again this season," added Babcock. "Even at punt return with a guy like Jake (Bachman), who has been here for a while, can do some nice things."
Babcock is excited about his team's leadership this year especially from his team's four captains this season. The four captains are Pullen and Bachman on offense, while Scarbrough and King are the defensive captains. Bachman is serving as a captain for the second consecutive season, while Pullen, Scarbrough and King are first-year captains.
"I think all four of those captains have done a great job and I expect their leadership to be strong this year," the coach added. "I think Jake is probably one of the hardest workers I've ever coached since I've been here, and I think he just naturally exudes leadership…every single person follows him, and he does things right and that is the starting point for any great leader. Scoodie (Scarbrough) says all the right things all the time and he is competitive and continues to work hard and he really wants the team to succeed as opposed to him succeeding, so he is extremely selfless. Turner just does things right, competes his tail off in everything he does, and I think guys follow him because of that and that is the same thing with Iben (King). [Iben] does talk on defense to motivate the guys, but I think he is more the emotional leader."
One of the biggest keys to this season for Babcock is for his team to create depth because injuries are going to happen.
"At the Division II level, and even at a small private school like we are, we have to create depth because injuries will occur and we have to be prepared for that," added Babcock. "We have several young guys on defense that are true freshmen, and they are close to being starters. Can I get those guys up and running?"
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 stressed that this year's team is one of the hardest working teams he's been around and that stokes his excitement for the coming season.
"This team is very hard working, probably one of the hardest working I have been a part of at McKendree. There are a lot of guys that really go hard all the time and it's been a while since I've loved every single kid," said Babcock. "I really love this team and I'm excited to get things going."
Thursday's game will be the first of 11 games this season, including six games in the GLVC. Five of those 11 games will be played at home at Leemon Field.
Following Thursday's season opener at Northern Michigan, McKendree will return home to host Division II powerhouse Delta State University for a 1 p.m. non-conference match-up on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Leemon Field.
"I think our non-conference slate of games before conference play will present us with different challenges and all four games will be battles and that should help prepare us for what kind of games, we'll play every week in GLVC," Babcock said about his team's non-conference schedule.
ABOUT NORTHERN MICHIGAN
The Wildcats will take the field in 2022 fresh off a 4-7 season in 2021 and those four wins were the most for the program since the 2015 team posted a 5-6 record. In fact, the four wins were just four less than the program had won the previous four seasons combined. Along with a 4-7 overall record, the Wildcats posted a 2-5 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
Sixth year coach Kyle Nystrom returns six All-GLIAC performers from last year, including sophomore linebacker Will Brochert, who was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year after amassing 38 solo stops and a total of 112 tackles, which led the GLIAC and was sixth nationally in Division II. His 74 assisted tackles were second best among all Division II players. In addition to Brochert, senior defensive lineman John McMullen and sophomore receiver Wyatt Davis were Second-Team All-GLIAC performers, while senior kicker Daniel Riser, junior quarterback Drake Davis and senior running back Tyquan Cox were Honorable Mention All-GLIAC honorees.
McMullen recorded eight sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and had 50 tackles and a team-best 12 quarterback hurries, while Davis caught 28 passes for 446 yards and had five touchdown receptions, which led the team. Riser was 10-for-14 on field goal, including going 6-for-9 on field goals of 40 or more yards and he was 23-for-25 on extra point attempts and led the team in scoring with 53 points.
Davis made 10 starts at quarterback and he was 150-for-251 passing for 1,580 yards and he had 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions and also carried the ball 110 times for 315 yards and scored five times on the ground and averaged 189.5 yards of total offense. Cox carried the ball 79 times for 391 yards, had three rushing scores, while also returning 24 kickoffs for 586 yards, and averaged 24.4 yards per return.
"I expect a hard fought battle on Thursday night. They've always been physical, they always want to run the ball and also want to play sound, hard defense and make us drive the length of the field," Babcock said when asked about Northern Michigan. "When you look at their kick-off return and punt return, they have some difference makers and if you're not ready for them, it's going to be a long game."
In last season's opener against the two teams at Leemon Field, Cox returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown, but the Wildcats drew a holding penalty on the return that negated the score. In the game, NMU returned four kickoffs for 94 yards and averaged 23.5 yards per return, including Cox returning two kicks for 72 yards.
NMU was tabbed to finish fifth in the Preseason GLIAC Coaches Poll as the Wildcats earned 14 points to be picked ahead of both Wayne State (Mich.) and Davenport.
