UIndy Greyhounds (0-2) at Southwest Baptist Bearcats (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. ET, Bolivar, Mo.
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ON TAP
The Greyhounds start the defense of their GLVC crown this week when they open conference play at Southwest Baptist -- the first of three straight road games for UIndy.

#DriveFor5
With the conference schedule upon us, the Greyhounds officially begin their quest for a fifth consecutive GLVC title this weekend. Since the conference began sponsoring football in 2012, UIndy has compiled a gaudy 30-1 (.968) mark versus league opponents, including a perfect 15-0 conference mark on the road.

The current streak of four straight conference crowns broke the program record for most consecutive league championships, surpassing the three-year run of Hoosier College Conference titles from 1953-55.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST
Starting the season 2-0, the Bearcats are receiving votes in this week's Division II coaches poll (page 6) for just the third time in their history. They already have two region wins under their belts, defeating a pair of Lone Star Conference opponents in Eastern New Mexico and Tarleton State.

Last week, freshman kicker Jordan LeClair delivered a game-winning 23-yard field goal in the final seconds of the Bearcats' 31-28 win at Tarleton. Sophomore quarterback TJ Edwards accounted for all four SBU touchdowns, throwing for 360 yards and three TDs while also rushing for 75 yards and another score. He was later named GLVC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

Led by Edwards and junior running back Bubba Jenkins, the Bearcats top the GLVC and rank ninth in D-II in total offense at 550.0 yards per week. Jenkins leads the league with 144.0 rushing yards per game while Edwards ranks seventh at nearly 50 yards per. Edwards, last year's GLVC Freshman of the Year, paces the conference by averaging 310.5 passing yards per contest.

HOUNDS vs. BEARCATS
After cruising to a 34-point win at Southwest Baptist in the inaugural meeting in 2014, the Greyhounds fended off a late rally to earn a much-tighter 26-24 victory against the visiting Bearcats last fall. UIndy built a 16-point lead through three quarters, but a pair of late TDs from the Bearcats cut it to two. SBU's failed onside kick with two minutes to go all but sealed it for the Hounds. All-America receiver Reece Horn racked up 10 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown for UIndy, while running back Andrew Walker compiled 106 yards on the ground.

Playing in just his third collegiate game, Edwards threw for 235 yards for SBU while rushing for 132 in the loss.

LAST TIME OUT
The Hounds endured their second loss in as many weeks with a 38-16 defeat to crosstown Marian last Saturday. The NAIA's No. 1-ranked team and defending national champs, the Knights scored 28 unanswered points between the second and third quarters, a span that included the Greyhounds' first two turnovers of the season.

Meanwhile, first-year starting QB Jake Purichia notched his first career 300-yard game, throwing for 316 yards and a touchdown.

HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?
It was four years ago when UIndy last opened the season 0-2. But after road losses to Ashland and FCS Western Illinois, the 2012 Hounds were undeterred, running off nine consecutive regular-season wins on the way to their first-ever GLVC title and NCAA D-II playoff berth. They tacked on a school-record 10th consecutive "W" in the first-round meeting with No. 8 Midwestern State.

WITH A PURPOSE
Sophomore receiver/return man Malik Higgins had easily the biggest statistical night of his career last week. The Evansville, Ind., native amassed personal highs in receptions (10), receiving yards (198) and all-purpose yards (321). The latter number was good for the second-highest total in Division II this season, as well as highest all-purpose total by a Greyhound since Craig Cothron set the single-game program record at 364 yards in 1998.

Higgins also found the end zone with the longest scoring play by a Greyhound through two games -- a 47-yard catch in the second quarter.

QUADRUPLE DOUBLE
UIndy's linebacker trio of Rob Dury, Derrick Bryant and Aaron Bruning combined for a whopping 43 tackles last Saturday, with each reaching double figures in the category for the second straight week.  
Safety Aeneas White added 12 stops to the mix, giving the UIndy four players with 10 tackles or more for the first time since the four-overtime win versus Saint Joseph's in week nine in 2014.

On the season, both Dury and Bryant rank in the top in the nation in tackles per game, with Dury (14.5 tpg) in fifth and Bryant (14.0 tpg) in seventh.

WALKER 2K16
Junior running back Andrew Walker is on the verge of a major milestone. The Chicago product is 88 yards away from becoming just the 12th Greyhound to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.

A 1,000-yard back from last season, Walker is looking to overcome a slow start that has seen him average an uncharacteristic 35.0 yards over the first two games. The All-GLVC first teamer put up 96.5 yards per contest last season on the way to setting the single-season program record for rushing touchdowns (20).

NATIONAL EXPOSURE
Later this season, UIndy will play in front of a national audience when the Hounds host William Jewell Saturday, Oct. 29. As part of the 22-game NCAA Division II Football Showcase, the contest will be shown live on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app.

The last time the Greyhound played on national TV came in 2014 in the CBS Sports Network NCAA Division II Football Game of the Week. In a meeting of in-state rivals, UIndy pulled out a thrilling quadruple-overtime win versus Saint Joseph's when senior kicker Scott Miller delivered a game-winning 35-yard field goal in the 36-33 victory.