FULL GAME NOTES: McKendree

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The 51st season of Cardinal football will feature five home games, two non-conference games, and three GLIAC contests. SVSU will meet two new opponents in non-conference matchups: McKendree at the season opener and Kentucky State in the final game before GLIAC play begins.

SVSU will look to begin a new era with a victory inside Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium against McKendree tonight, under new head coach Michael Engle.

The Cardinals welcome the Bearcats to Wickes Memorial Stadium for the 15th-Annual Red Feather Classic. This will be the first meeting between SVSU and the Bearcats in football. Led by head coach Jason Rejfek (3rd Season), McKendree finished 2025 with an overall record of 4-7 with a 4-4 mark in the GLVC.

SVSU finished the 2025 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in conference play, tying for second in the league standings.

Saginaw Valley State has won eight of the last 10 Red Feather Classic games. The Cardinals will look to bounce back from last season's defeat to Northeastern State in the 2025 season opener.

The Cardinals are 13-4 all-time in the Red Feather Classic and are 7-2 when that game is the season opening contest.

Saginaw Valley State football is 27-23 in season opening games and 33-17 in home opening contests. The Cardinals are 4-1 in the last five games where the Red Feather Classic was also the season opening game.

This is the first meeting between Saginaw Valley State and McKendree despite both being in the same region for many years.

RED FEATHER HISTORY
Saginaw Valley State first played in the Red Feather game in 1997 when the Cardinals defeated Michigan Tech 45-28 in week three of the season. 

SVSU played in the next two (1998 and 1999) defeating Fairmont State, 23-7, in '98 and falling to Ferris State, 56-14, in '99 to go 2-1 in the first three appearances.

The Red Feather Game was then moved to the high school level from 2000 through 2010 before Saginaw Valley State became the annual host of the game beginning in 2011. Since that time, the Cardinals are 11-3 in the Red Feather Game. 1ST-AND-10
•Saginaw Valley State football enters a new era with first-year head coach Michael Engle. Engle became the eighth coach of SVSU Football when he was hired in January. Engle spent four years at UIndy before he joined the Cardinals.

• The Cardinals were chosen fifth in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll. SVSU finished with 28 points, three points behind fourth-place Davenport. 

• Defensive Lineman Adom LeDuc (Sterling Heights, Mich., Adlai E. Stevenson HS) was named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List. LeDuc was named to the first team defense, naming one of the best 11 defensive players in all of the division II college football. 

• LeDuc enters enters his fourth season as a starter on the Cardinal defensive line. He is a two-time All-GLIAC selection with a first team nod last year. The Sterling Heights, Mich., native helped the SVSU defense top the conference last season in rushing defense, ranking 23rd nationally in that category. LeDuc highlighted Saginaw Valley State's pass rush as he led the team with 12 quarterback hurries, while finishing fourth on the team in total tackles (51), third in tackles for loss (7.5), and tied second in sacks (3.5). He enters 2026 with 133 career tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks (t-17th all-time), three pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.

• The Cardinals named wide receiver Braden Hill (Charlotte, Mich., Charlotte HS), offensive lineman Kaiden Bell (Fruitport, Mich., Fruitport HS, ), LeDuc, and linebacker James McDonald (Warren, Mich., De La Salle HS, ).

• SVSU finished the 2025 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in conference play, tying for second in the league standings.

• Saginaw Valley State has won eight of the last 10 Red Feather Classic games. The Cardinals will look to bounce back from last season's defeat to Northeastern State in the 2025 season opener.

• The Cardinals are 13-4 all-time in the Red Feather Classic and are 7-2 when that game is the season opening contest.

• Saginaw Valley State football is 27-23 in season opening games and 33-17 in home opening contests. The Cardinals are 4-1 in the last five games where the Red Feather Classic was also the season opening game.

• This is the first meeting between Saginaw Valley State and McKendree despite both being in the same region for many years.

ABOUT THE BEARCATS
McKendree enters its 66th season of Bearcat Football and is led by third-year head coach Jason Rejfek. 

McKendree has new faces on the offense at key positions including quarterback and running back. 

Kendrick Lyons, Charlie Blondin, and Colt Michael have competed for the starting spot under center all preseason camp with Lyons and Blondin coming out in the top two spots at the position. 

In the backfeld, Jerry Richardson and Philip Shaw are the front runners to fill the role of lead ball carrier for the Bearcats. 

McKendree returns its lead receiver in Daryle Jones Jr. along with Brylan Apholone, Quincy Hall Jr., and David Richards return after contributing to the team's pass yardage a year ago.

The offensive line has five guys returning after getting significant reps last season. Tight End Ian Lichtenberger also returns up front for the Bearcats. 

The defense is led by returners Nick Bova and Jayden Howard at linebacker. Cyris Davis, Darren Pennell, Johnnie Robinson, Mylan Nettles, and Aden Chase also return to the defensive backfield this year.

Six defensive lineman are back from a pass rush that was third best in the GLVC with 23 sacks in 2025.