QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team returns to Great Lakes Valley Conference action on Saturday, October 3, traveling to Lebanon, Illinois, to face McKendree University in the third edition of the Battle for the Land of Lincoln. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 PM at Leemon Field.

The rivalry, which began in 2024, features the two programs competing for a traveling Top Hat trophy. Quincy claimed the inaugural meeting before McKendree took the trophy back with a 24-21 victory at QU Stadium last season.

Quincy enters Saturday at 2-2 overall and 1-0 in GLVC play after winning consecutive games over Lincoln and Wayne State. The Hawks are led by third-year head coach Jason Killday, who owns a 14-11 record at Quincy.

McKendree enters at 1-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play under third-year head coach Jason Rejfek, who is 10-16 with the Bearcats. McKendree picked up a 35-31 conference win over Indianapolis before falling 28-21 at William Jewell last weekend.

Last Time Out

Quincy continued its turnaround Saturday with a 56-35 victory over Wayne State at QU Stadium.

The Hawks scored on each of their first eight possessions and built a 56-14 advantage through three quarters behind a balanced offensive performance.

Collin Parsons turned in a career day, rushing 19 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns. He broke free for a 63-yard score early in the second quarter before adding touchdown runs of nine and 15 yards.

Quarterback Bradyn Little accounted for four touchdowns, completing 18-of-26 passes for 286 yards and two scores while also rushing for a pair of touchdowns. Little connected with Elijah Genenbacher and Jackson Burnett for touchdown passes.

Derrick Miller delivered the best receiving performance of his Quincy career, hauling in seven passes for 138 yards, including a 41-yard reception.

The Hawks finished with 493 yards of total offense, including 286 through the air and 207 on the ground, while converting 9-of-12 third-down opportunities and scoring touchdowns on all six trips inside the red zone.

Quincy's defense continued its recent surge in the turnover department, intercepting three Wayne State passes. Brevin Jackson recorded the first two interceptions of his Quincy career, while Eddie Johnson picked off a pass for the second consecutive game.

After going without a takeaway in its first two contests, Quincy has now forced six turnovers during its two-game winning streak.

Offense Finding Its Stride

Quincy's offense has found another level over the last two weeks.

After averaging 24.5 points during its 0-2 start, the Hawks have scored 90 points over their last two games, posting 34 against Lincoln before erupting for 56 against Wayne State. Quincy now averages 34.8 points per game, ranking second in the GLVC.

Little has been at the center of the offensive improvement. The sophomore has completed 68-of-112 passes for 856 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions this season. His 10 touchdown passes are tied for the GLVC lead, while he has accounted for 72 total points, also leading the conference.

The receiving corps has also become increasingly productive.

Miller leads Quincy with 268 receiving yards on 16 receptions, while Tykell Hammers has 182 yards and three touchdowns. Genenbacher has added 149 yards and three scores, while Burnett has 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Parsons Faces Favorable Rushing Matchup

One of Saturday's biggest matchups will come on the ground.

Parsons enters the weekend as one of the most productive running backs in Division II, rushing for 482 yards and six touchdowns on only 56 carries.

His 120.5 rushing yards per game lead the GLVC and rank seventh nationally, while his 8.61 yards per carry also lead the conference and rank fourth in Division II. His 482 total rushing yards rank 10th nationally.

Parsons has eclipsed 100 yards in three of Quincy's four games this season.

That success could be significant against a McKendree defense allowing a GLVC-high 236 rushing yards per game, a mark that ranks near the bottom of Division II.

Quincy has also historically benefited from establishing the run under Killday. The Hawks are 10-2 under Killday when producing a 100-yard rusher.

The matchup provides a major contrast from last year's meeting.

McKendree held Quincy to just 22 rushing yards on 19 attempts in its 24-21 victory. Parsons received only two carries in that contest, gaining two yards and scoring a touchdown.

Bearcats Air It Out

While Quincy will look to establish Parsons and its ground game, McKendree has built its offense through the air.

The Bearcats average a GLVC-best 267.3 passing yards per game, while their rushing offense ranks last in the conference at 89.8 yards per contest.

Sophomore quarterback Kendrick Lyons has completed 86-of-142 passes for 1,069 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions. His 1,069 passing yards and 267.3 yards per game both lead the GLVC. Lyons ranks 12th nationally in passing yards per game and 13th in completions per game at 21.5.

Lyons has also been capable of creating plays with his legs, adding two rushing touchdowns.

Freshman wide receiver Kendric Johnson has emerged as his top big-play option.

Johnson leads the GLVC with 324 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions on 19 catches. He recorded a breakout performance against Indianapolis with 10 receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns before William Jewell held him to one catch last weekend.

Junior Quincy Hall Jr. provides another reliable target, leading the conference with 5.25 receptions per game while totaling 21 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

Stopping that passing attack will be a major test for a Quincy defense allowing 216.5 passing yards per game.

The Hawks have surrendered more than 200 passing yards in each of their two losses but have also become increasingly opportunistic in the secondary.

Turnovers Trending in Quincy's Direction

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

The Hawks failed to force a takeaway during their 0-2 start but have produced six over their last two games. Quincy intercepted Lincoln twice before adding three interceptions and a fumble recovery against Wayne State.

Jackson and Johnson have been at the center of that improvement. Both now have two interceptions this season, with Johnson recording one in each of Quincy's last two games.

McKendree enters Saturday looking to clean up its own turnover issues after mistakes proved costly against William Jewell.

The Bearcats outgained the Cardinals 424-289, including a 255-156 advantage through the air, but committed four turnovers in the 28-21 loss.

Lyons threw two interceptions, while McKendree lost two of its three fumbles.

The Bearcats enter Saturday with seven giveaways and a minus-0.75 turnover margin per game, while Quincy has seven giveaways and a minus-0.25 margin.

Third Down Could Play a Major Role

Saturday features the two most efficient third-down offenses in the GLVC.

McKendree leads the conference by converting 50 percent of its third-down opportunities, while Quincy sits directly behind at 48.9 percent. Both marks also rank among the top 25 in Division II.

Quincy was especially effective against Wayne State, converting 9-of-12 opportunities. McKendree continued its own success despite last week's loss, converting 9-of-16 third downs against William Jewell.

Both offenses have also been effective when reaching scoring territory. Quincy remains perfect in the red zone at 14-for-14, with all 14 possessions ending in touchdowns. McKendree has scored on 91.7 percent of its red-zone opportunities, ranking second in the GLVC behind the Hawks.

Discipline Remains a Quincy Strength

The Hawks continue to rank among the most disciplined teams in Division II.

Quincy averages just 3.25 penalties and 33.25 penalty yards per game, ranking third and fourth nationally, respectively.

McKendree has also avoided excessive penalties for much of the season, averaging six penalties and 50.5 yards per game.

However, the Bearcats struggled in that area against William Jewell, committing 13 penalties for 106 yards in addition to their four turnovers.

Avoiding those self-inflicted mistakes could become especially important in a rivalry that was decided by only three points last season.

Last Year's Battle

McKendree regained the traveling trophy last season with a 24-21 victory at QU Stadium.

The Bearcats struck first before Parsons answered with a one-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

After McKendree regained a 14-7 advantage, Quincy responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Little to Burnett.

Little then scored on a 17-yard run just 38 seconds later, giving the Hawks a 21-14 halftime lead.

Quincy was unable to score again.

McKendree tied the game on a 19-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter before the Bearcats connected on a 44-yard field goal with 5:44 remaining to provide the winning points.

The Bearcats controlled much of the statistical battle, outgaining Quincy 382-261 while running 80 offensive plays compared to 53 for the Hawks.

McKendree also held the ball for 34:36 and limited Quincy to just 22 rushing yards.

Little completed 23-of-34 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Battle for the Land of Lincoln

Saturday marks the third edition of the Battle for the Land of Lincoln.

The rivalry trophy was introduced in 2024, with the winner taking possession of a traveling Top Hat.

Quincy captured the inaugural trophy with a road victory at Leemon Field before McKendree responded by winning at QU Stadium last season.

The broader series has favored McKendree.

Since 1997, the Bearcats hold a 21-6 advantage against the Hawks and are 12-2 against Quincy at Leemon Field.

Recent trips to Lebanon have gone differently, however, as Quincy has won its last two meetings at Leemon Field in 2022 and 2024.

The Hawks enter Saturday searching for their first road victory of the 2026 season after going 6-6 away from home through Killday's first two seasons.

Scouting McKendree

McKendree enters Saturday 1-3 overall and 1-1 in GLVC play.

The Bearcats opened the season with road losses to Saginaw Valley State and Hillsdale before returning home to defeat Indianapolis 35-31 in their conference opener.

McKendree then fell 28-21 at William Jewell last weekend despite controlling the yardage battle.

The Bearcats have averaged 357 yards of total offense and 26 points per game.

Their passing attack has carried the offense, but McKendree has struggled defensively, allowing 450.5 total yards and 40.5 points per contest, both ranking last in the GLVC.

Lyons directs the offense and has established himself as one of the GLVC's most productive passers.

Johnson has provided the primary big-play threat on the outside, while Hall has consistently moved the chains from the receiver position.

The Bearcats also saw junior running back Jerry Richardson turn in his best performance of the season against William Jewell.

Richardson rushed 20 times for a career-high 129 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 65-yard score. He also caught three passes for 26 yards and another touchdown.

Before Saturday's breakout performance, Richardson had totaled just 86 yards on 26 carries through the first three games.

Defensively, senior linebacker Nick Bova leads the Bearcats with 31 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

Bova recently hit 200 career tackles and enters Saturday with 21.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles across 37 games in a McKendree uniform.

Matchup Outlook

Saturday's rivalry matchup brings together two offenses capable of putting points on the board and two defenses looking for greater consistency.

Quincy enters with momentum after consecutive wins and has scored 90 points during its two-game streak.

The Hawks will look to exploit a McKendree run defense allowing 236 yards per game behind Parsons, while Little and the passing game have also continued to become more productive.

McKendree presents a very different offensive challenge.

The Bearcats own the GLVC's top passing attack behind Lyons and a talented receiving group led by Johnson and Hall, while Quincy's secondary enters after forcing five interceptions over the last two weeks.

Third-down efficiency, turnovers and the ability to establish the run could ultimately separate the teams.

For Quincy, Saturday also provides an opportunity to remain unbeaten in GLVC play, earn its first road victory of the season and bring the Top Hat back to Quincy.

Kickoff between the Hawks and Bearcats is scheduled for 3 PM Saturday, October 3, at Leemon Field in Lebanon, Illinois.

GLVCSN
Live Stats
Quincy Game Notes
Box Score vs. Wayne State