PHOTO GALLERY
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH MIKE BABCOCK

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 24)—The McKendree University football team kicked off the Great Lakes Valley Conference portion of its 2016 schedule with a 28-14 victory Saturday afternoon at Leemon Field against William Jewell College.
 
Offensively, the Bearcats set a school record by running 97 plays and gained a season-high 440 yards in total offense to win its GLVC opener for the third time in four seasons. McKendree moves to 3-1 overall and will head west next Saturday (Oct. 1) for another league matchup against Southwest Baptist University. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in Bolivar, Mo.
 
On defense, McKendree had a pair of key interceptions – including one by senior linebacker A.J. Wentland (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) at the Cardinals' one-yard line as William Jewell was driving for a score – and held its opponents to 3-of-21 on third-down conversion attempts.
 
"At the end of the day the important thing is that we went 1-0 for the week," said McKendree head coach Mike Babcock. "I thought our defense really had another stellar effort today. Any time you can hold a team to 3-of-21 on third down it is indicative of a great performance. Offensively we had some big plays early that got us going, Any time you can get a win against a good, quality conference opponent it's a positive thing."
 
Freshman quarterback Brandon Wildman (Monticello, IL/Monticello) threw for 271 yards and three first-half touchdowns for McKendree. Wildman spread the wealth among his receivers as eight different Bearcats caught at least one pass in the victory. Junior wide receiver Dalton Balster (Springfield, IL/Springfield) led the way with five receptions, which included a 50-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter. Freshman wide receiver Matthew Cole (Chicago, IL/Curie) had a team-high 95 receiving yards, 68 of which came on a first-quarter TD catch that opened the scoring on the day.
 
On the Bearcats' second possession of the game, McKendree faced a third-and-14 play from their own 32-yard line. Wildman threw down the middle to Cole, who caught the pass in stride just past midfield and outraced the safety to the end zone to give the Bearcats an early lead. Senior kicker Steven O'Block (Libertyville, IL/Carmel Catholic) drilled the extra point to push McKendree out to a 7-0 advantage with 10:40 left in the first quarter.
 
The lead was short-lived as William Jewell's Demarcus Robinson took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 98 yards for a score. The point after tied the contest at 7-7 just 14 seconds after Cole's touchdown grab.
 
McKendree took the lead for good at the 4:38 mark of the opening period when Wildman connected with senior wide receiver Sean Dowling (Chatham, IL/Glenwood) on a 10-yard TD strike. O'Block split the uprights for a 14-7 Bearcat advantage. Balster provided the only scoring play of the second quarter as he hauled in a pass from Wildman and sprinted for the pylon on a 50-yard scoring reception. The extra point gave the Bearcats a 21-7 lead that they took into the locker room.
 
In the final minute of the third quarter, junior running back Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) broke loose for a two-yard touchdown run to extend the McKendree lead to 28-7. William Jewell (0-4, 0-2 GLVC) tried to rally, using a 30-yard TD burst from Ry'ell Dydell in the early stages of the fourth quarter to pull within 14 points with just over 12 minutes to play. William Jewell drove deep into McKendree territory on its next possession, but Wentland stepped in front of a pass by the Cardinals' Jared Hobby at the Bearcats' one-yard line and returned it 29 yards to end the scoring threat. From there, McKendree was able to hold off the visitors to improve to 3-0 on its home turf in 2016.

Junior quarterback Elcee Burke III (Chicago, IL/Simeon) led a balanced McKendree rushing attack with 56 yards on 14 carries. Edwards closed with 55 yards on the day, while junior running back Myles Hammonds (Lee's Summit, MO/Park Hill South) helped out with 57 yards on nine attempts.
 
Wentland finished the day with a team-leading 10 tackles while adding a forced fumble in the win. Senior defensive back Jabaree Winston (Chicago, IL/Simeon) added nine stops, including eight solos. Freshman defense back Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) also chipped with nine tackles and recovered a fumble for the Bearcats. Senior defensive lineman Tyler House (Los Angeles, CA/Glenelg) had two of the team's six quarterback sacks on the day.
 
The 97 plays run by McKendree in Saturday's win over William Jewell topped the previous mark of 93, which was set in a 2014 contest at Southwest Baptist.