KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The McKendree Bearcats' football team hit the road for the first time in the month of October as they battled the Truman State University Bulldogs at Stokes Stadium on Saturday, October 26th. For the first-time since 2016, the Bearcats were victorious over the Bulldogs, this time by the score of 28-21.
McKendree received the opening kickoff and used a methodical drive. Facing two third downs and a fourth down during the drive, the Bearcats were successful. The six-plus minute drive was capped by an Eddie Clark 16-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. The Bulldogs scored on their next two drives to go up 14-7 in the second quarter.
The ensuing McKendree drive was another methodical and thought out drive with 15 plays over six-and-a-half minutes. Clark found the end zone for the second time with a 2-yard run to tie the game at 14. After the Bearcats forced Truman State to punt, McKendree started the next drive in Bulldog territory. This drive only took five plays as Ty Michael found Jaylen Ford in the corner of the end zone with a toe-tapping touchdown catch to give McKendree the 21-14 lead at the half.
Truman State got the ball to start the second half and were piecing together a drive, until the Bearcats' defensive line got involved. Jack Barnhart picked off the Dylan Hair pass and returned it 13 yards to the McKendree 45. They proceeded to go 55 yards in 11 plays that took six more minutes off the clock with Michael finding Ford in the corner of the end zone again to give McKendree the two score lead. TSU scored one more time early in the fourth quarter.
With under two minutes to go, the Bulldogs just outside of the red zone, Keshawn Lyons picked off the Bulldog pass in the end zone to secure the win.
