Football | 11/18/2010 12:53:15 PM
Game 11: #6 McPherson College vs #12 McKendree University (Ill.)
2010 NAIA Football Championship Series - First Round
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 | 2:00 p.m. | McPherson Stadium | McPherson, Kan.
McPherson Game Notes (PDF)
McKendree Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats
Live Video
Live Audio
Tickets
The Matchup
For the second straight season and the second time in program history, the No. 6 McPherson College Bulldogs earned a berth into the 210 NAIA Football Championship Series. MC will play host to No. 12 McKendree University (Ill.) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20. The matchup marks the first ever meeting between the two sides and the first playoff contest ever held in McPherson Stadium. Media coverage of the event includes a live video stream by Victory Sports Network (www.victorysportsnetwork.com) and audio by 96.7 FM KBBE McPherson.
McPherson enters the contest with a 10-0 overall record and 9-0 mark in KCAC action, following a 52-35 shootout victory over Bethany College last week. The win gave the Bulldogs their first KCAC Championship since 1952 and earned them the automatic playoff bid.
The Bulldogs trailed at the end of three quarters against the Swedes, but battled back to score 24 unanswered points. Three of McPherson’s four fourth quarter scores were set up by Bethany turnovers, including a 19-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Ginikachi Ibe to seal the win. As a team, MC finished the afternoon with 563 yards of total offense, including 400 yards through the air. Quarterback Shane Mascarenas completed 27-of-40 attempts for 400 yards and three touchdowns.
McKendree comes into the first round with an 8-2 record and 6-1 mark in the Mid-States Football Association Midwest Conference action. The Bearcats enter the NAIA Football Championship Series for the ninth time in program history after earning a share of the MSFA Midwest League Championship following a home win against Grand View University (Iowa), 20-17.
On the season, McPherson is 3-0 against ranked opponents, while McKendree is 2-1.
NAIA Football Championship Series History
McPherson enters the NAIA Football Championship Series with an 0-1 mark after losing its lone appearance last season against MidAmerican Nazarene University (Kan.), 40-24
The Bearcats have made the playoffs nine times, including their most recent appearance in 2009. McKendree holds a 2-8 overall playoff record.
Scouting McKendree
McKendree (8-2, 6-1 MSFA Midwest) has rebounded from a midseason loss against the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) to win four straight and earn a share of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Championship with William Penn University (Iowa). The Bearcats held the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Statesmen, giving them the league’s automatic bid into the NAIA Football Championship Series. The appearance marks the ninth in program history and the second in consecutive seasons.
The Bearcats hold a 2-8 record in playoff appearances and in 2009 fell on the road at Saint Xavier University (Ill.) 52-28.
In their last game, a 20-17 win against Grand View University, the Bearcats presented a balanced attack of 161 rushing and 172 passing yards to outgain GVU 333 to 260. Quarterback Austin Fisher completed 16-of-24 passes for 172 yards and three touchdown passes to three different receivers in the effort.
Fisher, a second year starter from Washington, Ill., leads the MU aerial attack with 1,262 yards passing and 16 touchdowns. He set a season-high with 196 yards passing on Oct. 30 against Quincy University (Ill.).
Along with the efficient play of Fisher, the Bearcats possess the nations 10th ranked rushing offense at 234.9 yards per game. Seniors Jimmy Berezik, Marlone Chenault and Joe Beimfohr make up the bulk of McKendree’s physical run game. Berezik leads the team with 731 yards on 133 carries, while Chenault is second with 539 yards and Beimfohr rounds out the trio with 510.
Defensively, McKendree is led by linebackers Jason Rejfek and Brandon Nigro. Rejfek paces the Bearcats with 81 tackles, including 39 solo stops, 12 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the season, while Nigro ranks second at 68 tackles. As a team, MU ranks fourth nationally in total sacks (33), 15th in scoring defense (17.6) and 17th in rush defense per game (108.4). Sophomore defensive end Tim Weidenbacher leads the Bearcat pass rush with a team-leading 7.5 sacks on the season. As a unit, McKendree allows opponents an average of 292.7 yards per game.
Head coach Carl Poelker has been at the helm of the Bearcat football program since its reinstatement in 1995 and owns a 94-41 overall record during that span, including a run of five consecutive trips to the NAIA playoffs from 2001-2005. In 2002, Poelker was named the NAIA Football Coach of the Year after guiding the Bearcats to a school-record 11 wins and a trip to the NAIA national semifinals. Prior to McKendree, he coached at Millikin University.
NAIA National Rankings
MCPHERSON
TEAM (Top 25)
1st - Pass Offense per Game (362.000)
1st - Punt Yds per Att (43.700)
3rd - 3rd Down Conv. (52.100)
3rd - Total Pass Offense (3620)
3rd - First Downs per Game (25.500)
3rd - Total Offense Yds per Game (537.500)
3rd - Total Scoring Offense (505)
3rd - Scoring Offense per Game (50.500)
4th - Pass Efficiency (168.400)
6th - Total Sacks Against (7.000)
7th - Sacks Against (0.700)
10th - Opponent Penalties (469)
10th - Penalty Yds per Game (82.400)
11th - Opp 3rd Down Conv. (29.500)
15th - Pass Def Effiency (99.700)
19th - Punt Returns Yds per Att (12.100)
20th - Sacks By (2.300)
23rd - Total Sacks By (22.500)
24th - Pat Kicking (0.956)
25th - Scoring Defense per Game (20.100)
MCKENDREE
TEAM (Top 25)
4th - Sacks By (3.300)
4th - Total Sacks By (33.000)
6th - KickOff Returns Yds per Att (24.300)
8th - Total Sacks Against (8.000)
9th - Sacks Against (0.800)
9th - Rushing Offense per Game (234.900)
9th - Total Rushing Offense (2349)
11th - Pass Efficiency (149.800)
11th - 4th Down Conv. (57.100)
13th - Punt Yds per Att (39.000)
15th - Scoring Defense per Game (17.600)
17th - Rushing Defense per Game (108.400)
17th - Pass Def Effiency (101.900)
18th - Total Defense per Game (292.800)
19th - Opp 3rd Down Conv. (31.600)
21th - Punt Returns Yds per Att (11.700)
22nd - Scoring Offense per Game (33.800)
23rd - Penalty Yds per Game (73.600)
24th - Total Scoring Offense (338)
