QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team returns to QU Stadium for the first time in 2026 on Saturday as the Hawks welcome Roosevelt University for their home opener and Military Appreciation Night.

Originally scheduled for a 1 PM kickoff, Saturday's game has been moved to 6:30 PM due to the expected extreme heat.

Quincy enters the matchup 0-1 after falling 38-21 on the road to Concordia University, St. Paul in its season opener. Roosevelt comes to Quincy at 1-0 after earning a 44-28 victory over Division I FCS opponent Chicago State in the Cougars' first game as a football program.

The matchup also gives the Hawks an opportunity to avenge a narrow 23-21 road loss to Roosevelt last season.

Hawks Look to Bounce Back at Home

Quincy opened its season last Thursday at Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Concordia-St. Paul pulled away for a 38-21 victory.

The Hawks finished with 301 yards of total offense, including 149 on the ground, but turnovers and pressure on quarterback Bradyn Little proved costly.

Little completed 17-of-33 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown but threw three interceptions after throwing just six across the entire 2025 season. He was also sacked five times for 30 yards.

Quincy will look for a cleaner performance from its passing game and offensive line Saturday.

Despite the loss, the Hawks found success on the ground behind Collin Parsons.

Parsons carried the ball 11 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 10.8 yards per attempt. His biggest play came in the opening quarter when he broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run, giving Quincy an early 7-3 lead. He later added a 16-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Quincy also received a touchdown reception from Derrick Miller, while Tykell Hammers led the Hawks with 33 receiving yards in his Quincy debut.

Defense Shows Early Positives

While the Hawks allowed 38 points, there were several encouraging performances from a defensive unit featuring plenty of new faces.

Senior linebacker Brock Wiley picked up where he left off last season, recording a game-high 16 tackles with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

Taylin Scott added 11 tackles and a tackle for loss, while transfer Jordan Elmore recorded 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack in his first game as a Hawk. Eddie Johnson finished with nine tackles and shared Quincy's lone sack with Elmore.

The Hawks were also effective getting off the field on third down, holding Concordia-St. Paul to just 3-of-14 conversions. A big difference came on fourth down, where CSP converted all three of its attempts. Quincy, meanwhile, went 0-for-2 on fourth down.

Discipline Continues Under Killday

One area that carried over from last season was Quincy's ability to avoid costly penalties.

The Hawks were flagged just twice for 15 yards in the opener, compared to seven penalties for 75 yards by Concordia-St. Paul.

That continues a trend under third-year head coach Jason Killday, whose teams have consistently ranked among the GLVC and national leaders in limiting penalty yardage.

Quincy also finished a perfect 2-for-2 in the red zone against CSP, scoring touchdowns on both opportunities.

Back at QU Stadium

Saturday's matchup brings the Hawks back to a venue where they have found success during Killday's first two seasons. Quincy is 6-4 at home under Killday and has won both of its previous home openers.

The Hawks opened their 2024 home schedule with a 46-5 victory over Lincoln before defeating Concordia-St. Paul 38-7 in last year's home opener.

That gives Quincy an 84-12 combined scoring advantage in home openers under Killday. The Hawks will look to make it three straight Saturday night.

A Chance to Flip Last Year's Result

Quincy and Roosevelt met last September for the first time in Arlington Heights, Illinois, with the Lakers escaping with a 23-21 victory.

The game remained tight throughout before turning into a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Quincy entered the final period trailing 13-7 before Little connected with Aaron Baker for a 38-yard touchdown, giving the Hawks a 14-13 advantage.

Roosevelt answered less than three minutes later with a 57-yard touchdown run from Cam Davis to retake the lead. The Hawks responded again when Ayden Bowe returned a blocked field goal 82 yards for a touchdown, putting Quincy back in front 21-20. Roosevelt eventually regained the lead on a 36-yard field goal with 4:22 remaining.

Quincy received one final opportunity and moved into position for a potential game-winning field goal, but a 35-yard attempt with just over a minute remaining missed, allowing Roosevelt to hold on.

Little finished the game 26-of-39 for 232 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception, but the Hawks were outgained 357-309.

Saturday gives Quincy an opportunity to flip the result in the first meeting between the programs at QU Stadium.

Roosevelt Opens With Statement Win

Roosevelt enters Saturday with momentum after earning one of the more notable victories of the opening week.

The Lakers defeated Chicago State 44-28 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, spoiling the Cougars' first game as a football program.

Roosevelt exploded for 24 points in the second quarter, receiving two touchdown passes, an interception return for a score and a field goal as the Lakers turned a 7-3 deficit into a 27-14 halftime advantage.

The victory comes as Roosevelt begins its first season as a full NCAA Division II member after going 2-8 overall in 2025 and 0-5 on the road.

The Lakers were picked seventh out of eight teams in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Head coach Billy McKeon enters his second season leading the program with a 3-8 record.

Chahino Takes Over the Offense

Sophomore quarterback Tony Chahino entered the season as Roosevelt's lone returning quarterback after appearing in six games last year. Chahino completed 115-of-208 passes for 1,408 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions during the 2025 season.

He opened 2026 with one of the strongest performances of his career.

Chahino completed 20-of-32 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against Chicago State.

Roosevelt lost three of its top four receivers from last season but still brings back several experienced targets

CJ Hood returns after catching 19 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. He opened the season with four catches for 56 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Chicago State.

Michael Prokos is also back after leading Roosevelt's returning receivers with 37 catches for 376 yards last season.

Bossie Makes Immediate Impact

While Roosevelt had to replace each of its top five rushers from last year's roster, the Lakers appear to have found an immediate answer in senior transfer Jaden Bossie.

The Central State transfer accounted for more than 200 yards from scrimmage in his Roosevelt debut.

Bossie carried the ball 20 times for 142 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.1 yards per carry, while adding three receptions for 61 yards and another score. His 54-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter helped Roosevelt extend its advantage to 34-14. Bossie accounted for 142 of the Lakers' 153 rushing yards and 203 of their 389 total yards.

That sets up an intriguing matchup between two running backs coming off 100-yard performances. Parsons enters Saturday after rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns for Quincy, while Bossie comes off a 142-yard performance with two total scores for Roosevelt.

Turnovers Could Be Key

One of the sharpest contrasts from opening week came in the turnover battle.

Quincy's three interceptions contributed to a minus-three turnover margin, including an interception returned for a touchdown late in the first half against CSP. Roosevelt, meanwhile, forced three turnovers against Chicago State while committing only one.

Defensive back Keron Pryor provided the biggest play, returning an interception 28 yards for a touchdown during the Lakers' 24-point second quarter. Derek Whaley added another interception and also recovered a fumble that he returned 38 yards.

Pryor already had a history of creating turnovers after recording two of Roosevelt's five interceptions last season.

For Quincy, protecting the football against an opportunistic Roosevelt defense will be one of the biggest keys Saturday.

New Faces Make an Impact Defensively

Roosevelt returns its leading tackler from last season in linebacker Brandon Harvey, who recorded 72 tackles in 2025. Defensive back Khalil Nichols also returns after finishing with 44 tackles and a team-high five pass breakups.

But several newcomers made an immediate impact against Chicago State.

Upper Iowa transfer Stacey Terry led the Lakers with 12 tackles, including a tackle for loss, and forced a fumble in his Roosevelt debut. Nichols added seven tackles, Whaley finished with six and Harvey recorded five.

Capitalizing on Opportunities

The Lakers' 44-point opener was as much about taking advantage of opportunities as piling up offensive yardage.

Roosevelt finished with 389 total yards, just two more than Chicago State's 387, while possessing the ball for only 25:42.

The Lakers converted all five of their red-zone opportunities into points, went 2-for-2 on fourth down and received three made field goals from Sean Sample

That efficiency, combined with the three takeaways, helped Roosevelt create separation despite the nearly even yardage totals. Like Quincy, the Lakers also performed well defensively on third down, holding Chicago State to just 3-of-13 conversions.

Home Opener Under the Lights

Saturday provides Quincy with an opportunity to erase some of the frustration from its season-opening loss while returning to a stadium where the Hawks have played well under Killday.

The matchup features two offenses with running backs coming off 100-yard performances, a Roosevelt defense that created three takeaways in its opener and a Quincy offense looking to protect Little better after allowing five sacks and throwing three interceptions.

It also gives the Hawks another opportunity against a Roosevelt program that escaped with a two-point victory in last year's first meeting.

Quincy will look to remain unbeaten in home openers under Killday and earn its first victory of the 2026 season.

Kickoff between the Hawks and Lakers is scheduled for 6:30 PM Saturday, September 5, at QU Stadium.

Saturday will also serve as Military Appreciation Night at QU Stadium. Military veterans will receive free admission with a valid military ID.

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Live Stats
Quincy Game Notes
Roosevelt Game Notes
Quincy vs. Concordia-St. Paul Box Score
Roosevelt vs. Chicago State Box Score