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Opponent: McKendree
Time: Saturday, October 30; 1:00 PM
Location: Bolivar, MO | Plaster Stadium
 
Bolivar, Mo. - The Bearcats return home after falling 48-24 to GLVC-leading Lindenwood last week. Saturday's matchup will feature the purple Bearcats of McKendree University. 

Scouting The Southwest Baptist Bearcats
Robert Clardy will be entering his seventh season (2021-22) as the Head Football Coach and his 14th season overall on the Bearcats Football coaching staff. In 2016, Coach Clardy earned GLVC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bearcats to their first ever conference title and NCAA National Playoff appearance after finishing the season 10-2 (7-1 GLVC). Clardy's Bearcats were ranked as high as 17th in the NCAA Division II AFCA poll, finishing 22nd in the final NCAA Division II AFCA poll, while earning their first ever regional and national rankings. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the 2020-21 football season took place in the spring of 2021. The spring season was a shortened, three game, conference opponents only, season. Truman State visited Bolivar, taking the first game after a very tight first half. SBU nearly defeated Missouri S&T on the road the next week, but fell short late in the game. The final game finished with a high scoring victory over William Jewell.

Southwest Baptist enters Saturday's contest with a 3-5 (2-2 GLVC) record. Texas Permian Basin's strong defense held off the potent Bearcat offense, taking the week one matchup 24-16. Week two saw the Bearcats take on the defending national champions and #1 ranked West Florida on their turf. The Argonauts took the game 63-14. The Oilers of Findlay won a shootout in week three, 62-41. Bouncing back, the Bearcats defeated Lake Erie 28-20 on the road in week four, holding the Storm scoreless in the second half. UINDY won week five, 77-10. SBU responded with a pair of wins, defeating William Jewell 55-10 on the road, and upsetting Truman State 27-21 at home. Most recently, the Bearcats fell to Lindenwood on the road, 48-24. The spring's GLVC Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Callis has set several single game records this season, and has been named GLVC Player of the Week. He leads the GLVC in all passing categories, ranks 2nd in the nation in passing yards (2617), 4th in completions per game (26.9), 7th in completion percentage (68.0), and 9th in passing TD (23). Preston Carson, Jordan Kent, and Cassian Foreman have all been big targets. Carson has the third most receptions per game in the GLVC at 5.6, Kent at 5th (5.0) and Foreman at 6th (4.6). Kent also ranks 3rd in receiving yards per game, Carson is 4th and Foreman is 6th. SBU's group of linebackers is strong, led by upperclassmen in Aaron Harris, Taylor Jones-Morgan, and three-time GLVC Defensive Player of the Week, Coleton Smith. He recorded 20 tackles week one, 19 in week four, and 21 in week seven. He leads the nation with 114 total tackles, 15 more than any other NCAA DII player. Aaron Harris has the second most on the team with 46. Logan Turner has had a near perfect leg this year, going 6-6 on field goals including a 51-yarder, and 25-26 on PAT's.

Scouting The McKendree Bearcats
The McKendree Bearcats have an identical record to SBU at 3-5 (2-2 GLVC). They began the year 0-3, falling to Northern Michigan 27-20, Delta State 45-17, and Lake Erie 17-10. Their first win came against Walsh 24-10, followed by a 52-10 win over William Jewell. Indianapolis handed them a 57-28 loss, but they made a massive comeback to beat Quincy 51-48, scoring 30 points in the 4th quarter. Most recently, McKendree fell in the last minutes to Missouri S&T, 37-31. Turner Pullen has quarterbacked in 7 games, completing 119-225 passes for 1638 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air, along with 8 scores on the ground. He was named GLVC Player of the Week in week 7, where he threw 4 touchdowns and ran for 2 also. Jace Franklin IV does most of the running, totaling 491 yards and 4 scores this year. Steven Towns Jr. has caught 32 passes for 530 yards and 8 touchdowns, and Jacob Bachman has made 49 receptions for 563 yards and 2 scores. The defense is led by Michael Tucker totaling 62 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 4.0 sacks this year. Sidney Houston also has 41 tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Kenneth Garrett Jr. has been a leader in the secondary with 2 interceptions and 2 pass break ups, Tony Pisoni also with 2 int's.

SBU trails the all-time series with McKendree 5-1. The last meeting between the teams was in 2019, where SBU fell 24-14 on the road. Tied at 14-14 with just under 5 minutes left, McKendree made a field goal, then scored a touchdown in the final two minutes. Bryce Cabrera had 84 yards on the ground and 20 through the air in that game. Taylor Jones-Morgan led the team with 10 tackles.