GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Hawks, Bulldogs Under National Spotlight

Truman State University Bulldogs (4-4, 3-2 GLVC) at Quincy University Hawks (2-5, 2-3 GLVC)
Oct. 31, 2015 | 11 a.m.
Quincy, IL | QU Stadium

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The Quincy University football team and the newly-renovated QU Stadium will be in the national spotlight on Saturday when Truman State pays a visit on Halloween morning. The contest is the Division II Game of the Week and will air on the American Sports Network. Locally, KHQA-CBS will carry the game, while fans around the country can tune in on NESN, various Sinclair-owned local affiliates, and online at NCAA.com and the NCAA mobile app.

HOME FINALE: Saturday's game will also serve as Quincy's last at QU Stadium in their inaugural season in the renovated space. After four games, the Hawks have seen 9,595 fans come through the gates, an average of 2,399 per game. QU drew a season-high 3,117 fans on Homecoming on Oct. 3. The Hawks are 2-2 in their new digs.

SERIES WITH THE BULLDOGS: The Bulldogs have won the last four matchups between the schools, including the last two when both have been members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. In 2013, the Bulldogs defeated the Hawks, 33-0, at Flinn Stadium in Quincy. Last season, the Hawks trekked to Kirksville, Mo., but the Bulldogs snapped QU's four-game winning streak in a defensive struggle, 17-14. The teams were tied entering the fourth quarter, but Roger Howard's 23-yard field goal with five minutes left provided the winning margin..

THE TSU PROFILE: After scuffling to a 1-4 start against a decidedly tough schedule, the Bulldogs have reeled off three straight wins, including a 40-28 win at William Jewell last week. The 'Dogs are Quincy's second straight opponent playing in its third straight road game. TSU plays just two of its first nine games at home. Truman enters the game with the top defense in the GLVC in scoring (18.4 points allowed per game) and yardage (330.4). Offensively, the 'Dogs are eighth in the league in scoring (22.8) and offensive yardage (348.2). They have a run-heavy attack, led by Andy Satulla, who averages 59.2 yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry. Randy Schroeder completes 57 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and six picks.

DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES: Last week, the Hawks fell to Ohio Dominican, 73-28, surrendering 582 offensive yards. The Panthers scored touchdowns on their first nine possessions as the QU defense could not get off the field, allowing 9-of-13 third down conversions. The Hawks rank last in the country in opponent third down conversions (55.7).

OFFENSIVE RESPONSE: After an interception and two punts on their first two possessions, the Hawks responded to each Ohio Dominican touchdown in the first half, getting a 44-yard touchdown rush just before the end of the first half from Dante Flowers. Chris Harris would add a second rushing touchdown with a 33-yard scamper in the second quarter, followed by Nick Lonergan tossing a 25-yard touchdown pass to a wide open De'Carlos Poole in the back of the end zone that cut ODU's lead to 35-21. The Panthers added a score to take a 42-21 lead into halftime.

HARRIS STREAKING: With his touchdown last week, Harris continued a streak of eight games in which he has scored a rushing touchdown. That streak dates back to the last two games of last season when Harris was the GLVC Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, Harris is already tied for third on QU's all-time rushing touchdown list (23). Harris has scored in 15 of the 17 games in which he has played. This season, the Springfield, Ill. native leads the Hawks with 460 yards on 100 carries.

LONERGAN'S CAREER: Lonergan ranks ninth in Division II in passing yardage among active quarterbacks with 7,752 yards. He is QU's all-time leader in every passing category, including completions (581), attempts (1,029), touchdowns (56) and completion percentage (56.5). This season, the fourth-year starter ranks 23rd in Division II in passing efficiency. On Saturday, Lonergan will make his 37th consecutive start in a streak that began Sept. 29, 2012 against Saint Joseph's (see note on front page).

LEAD THE 'D': Redshirt-freshman linebacker T.J. Daniels leads a young defense with 65 tackles on the season, ranking seventh in the GLVC in tackles per game (9.1). He also has three tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble on the season. Seven of the 11 starters on this week's two-deep are freshmen or sophomores.

PICKING PASSES: The Hawks rank fifth in the GLVC with seven interceptions, six of which have come in the last four games. True freshman cornerback Christopher Parker and redshirt-sophomore corner Adehkeem Brown lead the Hawks with two picks each. All seven interceptions have been made by underclassmen.

POINDEXTER'S TDs: Last week marked the first time in six games that junior wide receiver Eric Poindexter did not record a receiving touchdown. He ranks 23rd in the country in receiving yards per game (90.7) and 18th in touchdowns (eight). In just one-plus season in a QU uniform, Poindexter ranks sixth in program history in receiving touchdowns (14). He has 84 catches and 1,431 yards.

MURRAY GLVC POTW: QU sophomore punter Mason Murray was named the GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 5. In an 18-16 win over Saint Joseph's, Murray punted five times, pinning the Pumas inside the 12-yard line on four occasions. SJC's average drive start on Murray's punts was its own 11-yard line. For the season, Murray averages 34.1 yards per punt with 12 of his 27 punts landing inside the 20.

GLVCSN: The athletic communications office is pleased to announce that each home game (except Halloween) will be broadcast live on the GLVC Sports Network at QUHawks.com/watch.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Dante Flowers: RB; 5' 7"; Junior

#4 Adehkeem Brown: CB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore

#54 T.J. Daniels: LB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

#28 Chris Harris: RB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#5 Nick Lonergan: QB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior

#16 Mason Murray: QB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#13 Eric Poindexter: WR; 5' 11"; Junior

#22 Christopher Parker: DB; 5' 8"; Freshman

#19 De'Carlos Poole: WR; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#15 Dante Flowers
: 5' 7"; Junior
: RB

#4 Adehkeem Brown
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore
: CB

#54 T.J. Daniels
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman
: LB

#28 Chris Harris
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: RB

#5 Nick Lonergan
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior
: QB

#16 Mason Murray
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: QB

#13 Eric Poindexter
: 5' 11"; Junior
: WR

#22 Christopher Parker
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: DB

#19 De'Carlos Poole
: Redshirt Junior
: WR