KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The #21st-ranked Truman State Bulldogs will face another high potent offense on Saturday when the league's top defense welcomes McKendree University to Stokes Stadium for Senior Day. McKendree averages over 39 points and 481 yards per game while the Bulldogs hold opponents to just under 18 points and 307 yards per game.

Truman is riding a seven-game winning streak and entered the American Football Coaches Association Division II top 25 rankings this week for the first time this season. More importantly, the Bulldogs were ranked … in the first NCAA Division II Super Region 3 standings. 

The Bulldogs rolled to 500 yards of total offense with 381 on the ground while boasting two 150-yard rushers on the day in Shamar Griffith (177) and Denim Cook (154). Cook scored four rushing touchdowns and averaged 12.8 yards per carry, the second most by a Truman player with at least 10 rushes in a game. Truman turned a 19-14 deficit into a 59-32 triumph by scoring 32 consecutive points from late in the second quarter through the third. The Bulldog defense picked off QU starter Tionne Harris three times, returning one, by Jake Closser, for a touchdown during the 32-point scoring run.

McKendree fell at home to Southwest Baptist 49-31 in a game that featured over 1,100 yards of total offense. McKendree put up 540 yards with quarterback Turner Pullen going 29-of-40 for 287 yards and running back Jayden Mitchell scoring three times and running for 140 yards. However for McKendree, the SBU Bearcats' Abel Carter posted 243 yards on the ground and the Bolivar Bearcats rolled to 603 yards of total offense in the win.

The Bulldogs used the rushing attack to defeat McKendree last season in Illinois by a 44-13 score. Cody Schrader ran for 217 yards and the team posted 309 on the day in the win. Truman raced out to a 21-0 lead and converted on six of their seven trips into the redone. Nolan Hair was 11-of-17 for 165 yards while his counterpart, Pullen was 31-of-43 for 289 yards.

Truman has won the last four against McKendree, topping over 40 points in the last three meetings. 

National/Regional Polls:

The Bulldogs found themselves ranked sixth in the first Super Region 3 poll released by the NCAA on Monday afternoon. That significant ranking places the team inside the top seven with one more ranking before the selection of the tournament field with two weeks to play. 

Truman is 7-1, all regional games, and when looking at their opponents winning percentage (cumulative), the Bulldogs have the fifth toughest schedule in Division II. Current and future opponents are 47-32 (.595) on the season. The four non-conference opponents (Davenport, South Dakota Mines, Hillsdale and Tiffin) should all finish with .500 records or better. Davenport, the only loss of the season by one point, is currently 7-0 and ranked just ahead of the Bulldogs in fifth in the regional rankings. 

The top spots are held by Grand Valley State, Pittsburg State, Ferris State, Ouachita Baptist. Indianapolis, next week's opponent is seventh followed by Harding, Emporia State and Northwest Missouri.

Truman earned enough votes to crack the AFCA Division II top 25 and are ranked 21st in the nation. The team was last in the top 25 for the AFCA in 2021, peaking at number 18. This is the third straight season that Truman has garnered enough attention to be ranked.

Game Recap: Truman State 59, Quincy 32

The Bulldogs beat up their neighbor for the sixth straight time and scored over 40 points against the Hawks in their fourth straight game. Truman's last three wins over Quincy had 59, 49 and 63 on the Bulldog side of the scoreboard when the dust settled at the end of the game.

Denim Cook became the seventh Bulldog to score four or more touchdowns in a game when he scored from 44, 47, 9 and 2 yards out. Jarrett Anderson holds the school record for rushing TDs with six against Emporia State in 1996, Dale "Paley" Mills scored five in 1960 against Missouri S&T and most recently Andy Satulla (2016 vs. William Jewell), Jordan Salima (2019 vs. William Jewell) and Cody Schrader (2021 vs. Davenport). Eric Holm holds the school record with four receiving touchdowns coming against Lincoln in 1980 as the seventh Bulldog to score four or more TDs in a game.

Cook's 12.8 yards per rush (12-154) is the second highest per rush (minimum 10) total in school history. Cody Schrader set the record last season against William Jewell at 13.2 (13-172) and broke Dusty Burk's record of 12.3 (13-160) set against Drake in 2002. Garrett White has the highest rushing average with most rushing attempts with 229 yards on 22 carries (10.4) set in 2014 against Southwest Baptist.

Truman's 381 team rushing yards is the fifth most since 1998 with 443 against SBU in 2019 holding the top spot.

Ben Thomas picked off career interception number 11 to now tie for sixth in Truman lore. It was one of three interceptions on the day for Truman with Jake Closser scoring on his second straight week with a "Pick-Six" and Ryan Olivas tying Thomas with his fourth INT of the season. 

Truman Tidbits:

The current seven-game winning streak is the longest in Coach Gregg Nesbitt's tenure at Truman with two others of six games. 

Truman's prior longest winning streak was eight straight games in 1994 under then Head Coach and current radio analyst Eric Holm. The longest winning streak in school history is 36 games that started in 1931 and lasted until 1935 and was led by Head Coach Don Faurot.

Truman went 13-4 in 17 games played during the 2021 calendar year and 9-3 during the traditional fall season. The Bulldogs had the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year in Cody Schrader, who led Division II in rushing yards with 2,075 and touchdowns with 25 before entering the transfer portal and signing with the University of Missouri-Columbia. Robert Greco and Ben Watson, both defensive players are returning 2021 first-team all-GLVC members. In total, the Bulldogs had 178 players selected to the all-league list and will return 60 letter winners and 23 starters from 2021.

The Bulldogs were picked second in the GLVC Preseason Coaches poll behind perennial champion Indianapolis and ahead of McKendree, Southwest Baptist, Missouri S&T, Quincy and William Jewell.

Head Coach Gregg Nesbitt is in his 13th season on the sidelines of Truman State, the second most by any previous coach in school history. The team has gone 35-9 in there last 44 games (.790) with two America's Crossroads Bowl championships.

Truman leads Division II with fewest flags against them with 32 this season. They are fifth in fouls per game at 4.0 and in penalty yardage at 324. In the last five full seasons, the Bulldogs have averaged just under 50 flags in a season with a low of 39 in 2018.

Punter Taylor Cornish is second in the GLVC in punting average at 38.2 this season. He is currently sixth on the career punt yardage charts at Truman with 5,690 yards and seventh in average at 39.2.  His longest punt this season is 56 yards and longest career boot is 65.

Defensive backs Ryan Olivas and Ben Thomas are tied for the league lead in interceptions with four each. UINDY's Kivonte Houston also had four picks. Thomas has 11 career picks and Olivas has nine.

The Bulldogs are 11th in Division II in interceptions this season with 13.

Thomas is second in punt return yards with a 16.7 per return average (11 returns). He is in the top 10 at Truman in career return yards with 360 (9th).

The Bulldogs are 13th in Division II and first in the GLVC in redzone offense at 90% scoring rate. They have 22 touchdowns and five field goals in their 30 trips inside the opponents' 20 yardline. 

In 24 games as a starter, Nolan Hair has completed 61.9% of his passes for 4,201 yards and 41 touchdowns. He became the 14th Truman signal caller to throw for 4,000 career yards and currently ranks first in career pass completions percentage. He is sixth alone on the career touchdown passes list at Truman and three back of fifth place Chris Hegg.

Running back Shamar Griffith is third in the league in rushing yards per game at 85.6. Griffith has posted consecutive 100-yard rushing games this season.

Defensive back Ben Watson reached the 200 career tackle plateau on Saturday against Quincy and is the first Bulldogs since Jordan Brown (231 from 2014-17) to reach that milestone. 

Next on the active leader list is Isaiah Estes with 190 in 34 games.

Robert Greco is just two tackles for loss from cracking the top 10. Greco has 26 TFLs, two behind Ernie Myerson, Derek Kent, Eliah Lockart and Devin Gillespie.

Since 2018, Truman has returned seven kickoffs for touchdowns and three punts for scores. The last opponent to score on a kickoff was 2016 by William Jewell. 

Up Next:

A showdown with the University of Indianapolis looms ahead for the Bulldogs next Saturday in Indiana. The Greyhounds have foiled a lot of Bulldog seasons since the two schools began their rivalry in 2013. Indy had won eight of nine meetings including last year's 13-10 victory in Stokes Stadium. Indianapolis will be at William Jewell on Saturday.