QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team returns to QU Stadium on Saturday, October 10, to host William Jewell College in the Battle of the Birds. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 PM.

Quincy enters the matchup with a 2-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Great Lakes Valley Conference play following a 46-43 overtime loss at McKendree.

William Jewell comes to Quincy at 3-1 overall and 2-1 in conference action under third-year head coach Jason Ambroson, who owns an 11-15 record with the Cardinals. The Cardinals opened the season with three straight victories over Kentucky Wesleyan, Southwest Baptist and McKendree before suffering a 45-10 loss to Indianapolis last weekend.

Saturday's matchup presents a significant contrast between a Quincy offense that has found another gear over the last three weeks and a William Jewell defense that ranks among the best in the GLVC.

Last Time Out

Quincy came up just short in a back-and-forth Battle for the Land of Lincoln, falling 46-43 in overtime at McKendree.

The Hawks generated a season-high 596 yards of total offense, including 429 through the air, and rallied multiple times after falling behind 21-7 during the opening quarter.

Bradyn Little delivered the best passing performance of his career, completing 33-of-49 attempts for a career-high 429 yards and four touchdowns. Little connected with Owen Hampton, Derrick Miller, Elijah Genenbacher and Collin Parsons for touchdowns.

Parsons continued his strong season on the ground, rushing 11 times for 128 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 71-yard scoring run. He also turned his lone reception into a 67-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Miller surpassed 100 receiving yards for the second consecutive week, finishing with five receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. Jackson Burnett added a career-high 92 receiving yards on eight catches, while Genenbacher matched his career high with eight receptions.

Quincy trailed 43-33 early in the fourth quarter before Parsons' 67-yard touchdown reception cut the deficit to three. Freshman kicker Joe Reif then connected on a 31-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining to force overtime.

McKendree opened overtime with a 39-yard field goal before the Bearcats' defense kept Quincy out of the end zone to secure the 46-43 victory.

Quincy Offense Continues to Surge

The Hawks have become one of the GLVC's most productive offensive teams over the last three weeks.

Quincy has scored 133 points over its last three games, putting up 34 against Lincoln, 56 against Wayne State and 43 at McKendree. The Hawks enter Saturday averaging 36.4 points and more than 400 yards of total offense per game.

Little has been at the center of that production.

The sophomore quarterback has completed 101-of-161 passes for 1,285 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. Little leads the GLVC in completion percentage, completions per game, passing yards per game, passing efficiency and touchdown passes.

His receiving corps has also continued to develop.

Miller leads the conference with 379 receiving yards and averages 75.8 yards per game while scoring three touchdowns. Genenbacher has caught a team-high four touchdown passes, while Tykell Hammers has three and Burnett has two.

Quincy will face one of its toughest defensive tests Saturday against a William Jewell unit that has consistently limited opponents throughout the first month of the season.

Parsons Meets GLVC's Top Run Defense

One of the most intriguing matchups Saturday will feature Parsons against William Jewell's rushing defense.

Parsons enters the weekend with 610 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on just 67 carries. His 9.1 yards per carry leads the GLVC and ranks among the best marks in Division II, while his 122 rushing yards per game also leads the conference.

Parsons has rushed for at least 100 yards in four of Quincy's five games and has scored in four consecutive contests.

William Jewell presents a significantly different challenge.

The Cardinals are allowing just 90.5 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the GLVC and one of the top rushing defenses in Division II.

That matchup could prove especially important for a Quincy offense that has become increasingly balanced between Little's passing attack and Parsons on the ground.

Strength Against Strength on Third Down

Saturday also features another major statistical contrast on third down.

Quincy converts 48.3 percent of its third-down opportunities, ranking second in the GLVC.

William Jewell's defense has allowed opponents to convert just 27.3 percent, the best mark in the conference and one of the top rates nationally.

The Hawks have consistently extended drives during their recent offensive surge, including a 6-of-13 performance at McKendree.

William Jewell's own offense has struggled in the same situation.

The Cardinals convert only 26.4 percent of their third downs, the lowest rate in the GLVC. Against Indianapolis, Jewell finished just 3-of-15 on third down.

Red-Zone Battle

Quincy's efficiency near the goal line has remained one of the offense's biggest strengths.

The Hawks are a perfect 17-for-17 in the red zone this season, with 16 of those trips ending in touchdowns. That perfect rate leads the GLVC and ranks among the best marks nationally.

William Jewell counters with the conference's top red-zone defense, allowing opponents to score on just 66.7 percent of their trips. The Cardinals have been much less efficient offensively, converting 71.4 percent of their own red-zone opportunities.

Quincy's ability to maintain its perfect red-zone record against Jewell's defense could become one of the deciding factors Saturday.

Turnovers Could Decide the Battle

The turnover battle has closely followed Quincy's results this season.

The Hawks are 2-0 when winning the turnover margin and 0-3 when losing it. Quincy has also failed to force a takeaway in each of its three losses.

William Jewell's defense has made creating turnovers a major part of its success. The Cardinals have forced 11 turnovers, including seven interceptions.

At the same time, protecting the football has been one of Jewell's biggest offensive issues. The Cardinals have committed 12 turnovers through four games, including eight interceptions. That problem was especially costly last Saturday against Indianapolis.

Quarterback Charlie Loose threw three interceptions as William Jewell was held to 265 yards of total offense in the 45-10 loss.

Creating takeaways could be especially important for a Quincy defense looking to respond after allowing 454 yards and 46 points against McKendree.

Scouting William Jewell

William Jewell started the season with three consecutive victories before suffering its first loss last weekend. The Cardinals opened with a 35-14 road win over Kentucky Wesleyan before defeating Southwest Baptist 27-17 and McKendree 28-21.

Indianapolis halted the unbeaten start with a 45-10 victory in Liberty. The Greyhounds outgained William Jewell 413-265, including a 298-155 advantage through the air.

Loose completed 16-of-37 passes for 155 yards and threw three interceptions.

Through four games, the sophomore quarterback has completed 55-of-103 passes for 717 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Junior running back Hunter Bailey has been the most consistent part of the Cardinals' offense. Bailey has rushed for 345 yards while averaging 86.3 yards per game and has also contributed as a receiver. He rushed 16 times for 77 yards against Indianapolis and added two receptions for 38 yards.

William Jewell has spread the ball around in the passing game, with 12 different players recording a reception. Michael Clark leads the team with 221 receiving yards on 12 catches.

Defensively, linebacker Jonny Williams leads the Cardinals with 23 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore defensive back Caden McGhee has added 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception.

The Cardinals' defense has been their biggest strength through four games, ranking first in the GLVC in total defense at 318.8 yards allowed per game and rushing defense at 90.5. William Jewell also leads the conference in third-down defense and red-zone defense.

Last Year's Overtime Thriller

Quincy extended its winning streak against William Jewell with a dramatic 34-33 overtime victory in Liberty last season.

The Cardinals led 21-14 at halftime before the Hawks rallied in the fourth quarter.

A 44-yard field goal pulled Quincy within four before Damian Wilson intercepted a pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Hawks a 24-21 lead.

William Jewell tied the game with a 41-yard field goal before Quincy moved back ahead on a 45-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining. The Cardinals responded with a 49-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime.

William Jewell scored on the first play of overtime with a 25-yard touchdown pass, but the ensuing extra point was blocked.

Quincy answered with a five-play possession capped by a two-yard touchdown run. The Hawks converted the extra point to escape Liberty with the 34-33 victory.

Little completed 20-of-38 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, while Quincy finished with 339 yards of total offense.

Battle of the Birds

Saturday continues a series that has produced several competitive meetings since the programs first met in 2012.

Quincy holds a 9-4 advantage in the series and has won each of the last three meetings.

The location has produced an unusual trend.

The Hawks are a perfect 7-0 at William Jewell, but just 2-4 against the Cardinals at QU Stadium.

Quincy will look to reverse that home trend Saturday while extending its overall winning streak in the series to four games.

Matchup Outlook

Saturday's Battle of the Birds features two teams with very different strengths.

Quincy enters with one of the GLVC's most productive offenses, led by Little, Parsons and an increasingly dangerous group of receivers. William Jewell counters with one of the conference's top defenses, particularly against the run, on third down and in the red zone.

The matchup between Parsons and Jewell's rushing defense will be critical, but Quincy's ability to attack through the air could prevent the Cardinals from focusing exclusively on the run.

On the other side, Quincy will look to force William Jewell's offense into difficult third-down situations and capitalize on a Cardinals team that has already committed 12 turnovers.

With Quincy looking to respond from an overtime loss and William Jewell trying to bounce back from its first defeat of the season, the turnover margin, third-down efficiency and red-zone execution could ultimately determine who takes the Battle of the Birds.

Kickoff between Quincy and William Jewell is scheduled for 3 PM Saturday, October 10, at QU Stadium.

GLVCSN
Live Stats
Quincy Game Notes
Box Score vs. McKendree