No. 21 Trojans suffer close loss at No. 9 St. Ambrose
Greg Gorham
Box Score Box Score | Season Stats
DAVENPORT, Iowa – The No. 21 Trinity International Trojans outgained their opponents in total offense, dominated time of possession, and scored on all five of their trips to the red zone, but the final score still didn't go the Trojans way, as TIU fell to the 9th-ranked St. Ambrose Fighting Bees, 31-28, Saturday afternoon at Brady Street Stadium.
Trojan running back Chris Elliott set a new season-high for the second straight game, collecting 184 rushing yards on 36 carries to lead the TIU attack. Stephen Anderson went 15-of-32 for 163 yards, the majority of which went to wideout Christian Robinson, who made 10 catches for 127 yards on the day.
Trinity's defense had a strong start, forcing the Bees into a 3-and-out following the opening kickoff. Starting with the ball on their own 24-yard line, the Trojans (4-2, 1-1 MSFA Midwest) drove 49 yards in 13 plays, eating over four minutes off the clock, but a missed field goal ended the drive with the game still scoreless.
St. Ambrose (4-1, 2-0 MSFA Midwest) took advantage, going 73 yards on the touchdown drive, as SAU quarterback Eric Williamson connected with Brad Connor for the 19-yard score. Elliott answered for the Trojans with his longest run of the day on the next drive, bringing TIU into the red zone with a 39-yard run. A sack on third down meant the drive would end on a 39-yard Jeremiah Carter field goal, closing the Fighting Bees' lead to 7-3.
Another three-and-out from the TIU defense forced a punt, giving Trinity the ball back deep in their own territory. A pair of Anderson-to-Robinson passes were the highlights of what turned out to be a 93-yard, 14-play touchdown drive, as Elliott ran for his lone score of the day from the 1-yard line, putting Trinity ahead 10-7 early in the second quarter.
After both sides traded punts, St. Ambrose reclaimed the lead with a 6-yard Williamson pass to Zachary Karys to go in front, 14-10. When the Trojan drive stalled early in the closing minutes of the first half, the Bees stung again, moving the ball 81 yards in just under two and a half minutes, with Connor making his second touchdown catch of the day. At the break, St. Ambrose held a 21-10 advantage, and had scored 14 unanswered.
The Trojans had the ball to start the second half, and was able to chip into the Bees' lead right away. A seven-play, 35-yard drive followed Stephen Lockhart's 43-yard kick return, which started the offense in great field position. Carter connected on his second field goal of the day, from 26 yards out, to make it a 21-13 game. The momentum continued to shift as the TIU defensive unit forced their third three-and-out of the day, leading to another punt. Head Coach Kirk Wherritt started the next drive with seven straight calls to run the ball; the combination of Elliott and Andrew Florivil moved the ball from the TIU 24 yard line, to the SAU 37, while eating a good chunk of time off the clock. TIU drove 76 yards for the score, capped off with Thomas Kenney's eight yard touchdown catch. When the Trojans' failed attempt at a two-point conversion was waived off due to a pass interference penalty, Elliott rushed up the middle to pick up the pair, tying the game at 21-21.
The Fighting Bees answered with a quick strike, moving the ball inside the Trinity 6-yard line in just five plays. Justin Hackley made a pair of big stops for TIU, as St. Ambrose was held to just a field goal, reclaiming a 24-21 advantage that they would hold going into the fourth quarter.
Trinity's final scoring drive would be the longest of the game, as the Trojans went 98 yards in 12 plays to take the 28-24 lead. Robinson caught an 18-yard touchdown from Anderson with 4:31 to play, before St. Ambrose made their final run.
Taking three minutes off an already-short clock, the Bees claimed the three-point lead with a 53-yard touchdown drive, as Williamson scored his lone rushing touchdown of the day with 1:21 remaining to put SAU ahead 31-28.
The Trojans needed a field goal to tie the game and likely go to overtime, but after moving the ball across midfield to the SAU 45, St. Ambrose cornerback Steve Thomas grabbed the game-clinching interception with 15 seconds to play.
The loss extends the Bees' win streak over the Trojans to ten straight games; SAU leads the all-time series with Trinity, 17-1, dating back to their first matchup in 1996. The three-point loss is the closest margin of victory over that stretch, and 28 points scored is the most the Trojans have put up in Davenport in the 18-year history of the series.
Trinity International will now turn around and prepare for the second nationally-ranked opponent in as many weeks, as the team travels to Des Moines, Iowa to take on No. 3 Grand View, on October 19. Kickoff against the Vikings is set for 1 p.m.
