GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Hawks Meet Rival Truman Saturday

Quincy University Hawks (5-3, 3-2 GLVC) at Truman State (6-2, 5-0 GLVC)
Stokes Stadium | Kirksville, Mo.
Saturday, Hawktober 29, 2016 | 6 p.m.

RIVALRY TILT: The Quincy University football team will play its final road game of the 2016 season on Saturday when it travels west of the Mississippi River to square off with rival Truman State. The schools are separated by 78 miles, the shortest distance among any of QU's GLVC opponents.

LAST TIME: Since Truman joined the GLVC in 2013, the two teams have shared the field three times. The Hawks earned their first GLVC win over the Bulldogs last Halloween when Quincy scored the final 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to turn a 19-6 deficit into a 23-19 win. That game was broadcast live to a national TV audience on the American Sports Network and NCAA.com. In 2014, the Bulldogs kicked a field goal with five minutes remaining to beat QU at Stokes Stadium, 17-14. Truman also won the previous season by a 33-0 tally.

LAST WEEK: The Hawks played their third and final nonconference game of the season last Saturday and lost to future Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member Davenport, 14-10, in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Hawks outgained the Panthers by 66 yards, 333-267, but failed to score on two out of four red zone chances. The QU defense put up a solid performance, allowing just one touchdown by the DU offense, but the Hawks gave up 178 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Quincy could not establish its own running game, picking up just 47 yards on 33 carries.

WORST TO FIRST: The Hawks boast the top defense in the GLVC in terms of yardage as they allow just 314.8 total yards per game. Quincy has allowed just two opponents to gain 400 yards of offense and none over 467 yards. Last season was a different story when the Hawks were last in the league in total defense, giving up 457 yards per game. They allowed six teams to gain 400 yards, including two that gained more than 600.

RECORD SETTER: Senior wide receiver Eric Poindexter (Newport News, Va./Warwick/Monroe College) became Quincy's all-time leader in receiving yards two weeks ago and now is in the top two in all three of the program's receiving statistical lists. Poindexter, who has 49 catches for 907 yards and eight touchdowns this season, is the NCAA Division II active career leader in receiving yards per game with 90.8. Poindexter leads the GLVC and is sixth nationally in all-purpose yards per game (184.0). He also leads the conference and is 11th in the country in receiving yards per game (113.4). Poindexter sits in a tie for third in the GLVC with eight total touchdowns.

GROUND & POUND: Despite the struggles last week in the QU running game, the Hawks still rank second in the GLVC in rushing offense, averaging 178.5 yards per game on the ground. They are led by redshirt-freshman Jaylan James (St. Louis, Mo./Miller Career Academy), who ranks third in the GLVC, averaging 82.1 yards per game. He is tied with Southwest Baptist's Bubba Jenkins for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with nine. He scored the Hawks' lone touchdown last week on a two-yard dive that tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter. James has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the last three games and has four 100-yard rushing games on the year. Redshirt-freshman Dominique Bobo (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade/Valparaiso) and redshirt-junior Chris Harris (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) have also combined for 409 rushing yards on the year.

TICK, TOCK, TICK...: With their success in the running game, and their ability to extend drives on third down (45 percent conversion) and stopping opponents on third down (31 percent), the Hawks have earned a nine-minute per game advantage in time of possession (34:40 to 25:20). That figure leads the GLVC and is sixth in the country. QU's third down offense and defense are third in the league.

TURNOVER BATTLE: Quincy and Truman State enter Saturday's game tied for second in the GLVC with a plus-five turnover margin. In their last three games, the Hawks sit at plus-eight with five tunovers forced at William Jewell on Oct. 8 and four against Indianapolis on Oct. 15. QU and Davenport each committed one turnover last week. QU is tied for second in the GLVC with 10 interceptions, led by redshirt-junior cornerback Adehkeem Brown (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) who has three picks.

EFFICIENT ROBBIE: Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Robbie Kelley (Rochester, Ill.) ranks second in the GLVC in pass efficiency and third in the conference in passing yards per game (229.0). He was 20-for-32 for 286 yards last week. It was the first time this season he did not have a touchdown pass.

UP NEXT: The Hawks return to QU Stadium for their final two games of the season, beginning next Saturday (Nov. 5) at 1 p.m. against in-state foe McKendree.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Adehkeem Brown: CB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#28 Chris Harris: RB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#30 Jaylan James: RB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

#3 Robbie Kelley: QB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

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

#18 Dominique Bobo: RB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Adehkeem Brown
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: CB

#28 Chris Harris
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: RB

#30 Jaylan James
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB

#3 Robbie Kelley
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: QB

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

#18 Dominique Bobo
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB