No. 23 TIU Football travels to No. 3 Grand View
Greg Gorham
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#23 TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (4-2, 1-1 MSFA Midwest) at #3 GRAND VIEW VIKINGS (6-0, 2-0 MSFA Midwest)
October 19, 2013 | 1:00 p.m.
Des Moines, Iowa | Williams Stadium
Game Notes: Trinity International | Streaming Audio
Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @VikingAthletics
Join the Conversation: #TIUFootball
Kickoff
• The 23rd-ranked Trinity International Trojans have another opportunity against a top ten program, as TIU travels west to take on the No. 3 Grand View Vikings. The Trojans wrap up a two-game road swing this week, following a tough 31-28 loss at No. 9 St. Ambrose last weekend. A win over the Vikings would secure Trinity International's place as one of the contenders for the MSFA Midwest League title. Saturday's game will be available online for fans not able to make the trip, with an audio webcast at TIUSportsNetwork.TIU.edu.
Quick Hits
• The Trojans will look for their fifth win of the season, the team's highest win total since 2004.
• Grand View is one of five undefeated programs in the NAIA at this point in the season, coming off a 48-17 win at Olivet Nazarene last weekend.
• TIU has never defeated Grand View, with the Vikings taking the only two meetings in program history (2011 & 2012).
• TIU currently ranks fourth in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 69.0 yards on the ground per game. The Trojans are 9th nationally in total defense, allowing 295.5 yards of offense to their opponents each week.
Series History
• Trinity International and Grand View first met in 2011, when the Vikings took a 28-3 win at Frazier Field.
• Grand View leads the all-time series over the Trojans, 2-0.
• Last season, the Trojans fell 27-15 on the road to the Vikings.
• The Vikings are one of nine programs to hold an unbeaten record over the Trojans through at least two meetings, and the only team in the MSFA Midwest.
Last Time vs Grand View
• Trinity International held a 9-7 lead in the closing minutes of the first half, but ultimately fell 27-15 to the Vikings on Sept. 15, 2012.
• Grand View scored 20 unanswered points from the end of the second quarter through the start of the fourth quarter to take a commanding lead.
• Stephen Anderson threw for 191 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions on 18-of-39 passing. Running back Chris Elliott was held to 69 yards on 17 carries in the loss.
• Elliott scored both touchdowns for TIU, with a 3-yard TD run in the second quarter, and a 4-yard TD reception in the fourth.
• Linebacker Ethan Ming led the defense with 12 tackles. Kyle Mowens and Tyler Karp each earned a sack.
About Grand View
• The Vikings are looking remain undefeated on the year, and pick up their third win over a nationally ranked opponent this season.
• Grand View earned a season-opening victory over NCAA Division I FCS Drake on Aug. 29, winning 21-16.
• GV has had only one home game all season, a 23-7 win over St. Francis (Ind.).
• The Vikings defense ranks second in the NAIA in stopping the run, giving up just 64.7 rushing yards a game.
• Linebacker Jason Gladfelder is second in the nation with an average of 1.3 sacks per game. Safety Lance Lewis has four interceptions on the year, fifth-most in the NAIA.
A Trojan Win Would...
• ... Set the record for most wins in a single season in the Kirk Wherritt era, with five.
• ... Be the first in program history over Grand View, who holds a 2-0 record all-time against the Trojans.
• ... Give the Trojans their first win over a Top 10 opponent since 2004 (Walsh [Ohio], Sept. 25).
• ... Give the Trojans a pair of wins over nationally-ranked opponents in the same season since 2004.
• ... Start the MSFA Midwest League season with a 1-1 record.
• ... Be the best start through seven games of a season since 2004, when the Trojans were 6-1 en route to a 8-3 season and an NAIA Fooball Championship Series berth.
A Trojan Loss Would...
• ... Drop TIU's MSFA Midwest League record to 1-2.
• ... Extend Trinity's road losing streak to three straight games.
• ... Be the first time TIU has lost back-to-back games since Oct. 27-Nov. 3 of last season.
• ... Be the third straight loss as a nationally-ranked team this year.
Trojan Ground Game
• Sophomore running back Chris Elliott has been essential to the TIU offense this season, averaging 134.5 yards per game, and 10 rushing TDs.
• Elliott is 197 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, with four games still on the schedule.
• The Miami, Fla. native posted a season-high 184 rushing yards last weekend at St. Ambrose. Elliott's career high came last season, with an MSFA-record 346 yards in the final game of the year over Waldorf.
• Last season, Elliott became the fourth Trojan ever to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. If he repeats the feat, he will become the first player in TIU history to reach that mark twice in his career.
• Elliott is just 62 yards away from 2,000 in his career, and is 343 away from moving into third in the TIU all-time rushing list (Isreal Diaz, 2,281, '98-'01).
Trojan Football History
• The Trinity International Trojan football program has an all-time record of 96-150-2, dating back to their first season as a varsity program in 1990.
• TIU's head coach for the inaugural season in 1989 through 1996 was Leslie Frazier. Frazier is currently the head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, and had a record of 38-37-3.
• The Trojans have won three MSFA Midwest League titles in school history, in 1994, 1995, and 2003.
• Trinity International has earned two NAIA Football Championship Series berths, in 1994 and 2004. TIU is still searching for their first NAIA playoff victory, falling to Northwestern (Iowa) and Georgetown (Ky.), respectively.
• TIU has one appearance in the NCCAA Victory Bowl, where they fell to Garner-Webb (N.C.), 54-14, in 2001.
Leslie Frazier Field
• TIU is 7-11 at home in the Wherritt era, and are 48-68-1 all-time at Frazier Field.
• Including the win over Concordia this season, the Trojans are 14-9-1 all-time in home openers, and have won the first game of the year at Frazier Field the past three seasons.
• The Trojans have won their last four games at Frazier Field, their longest home win streak since earning eight straight wins from 2003-2005.
TIU in the Polls
• Trinity International fell two spots in this week's NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll, from No. 21 to No. 23, after their 31-28 loss at No. 9 St. Ambrose last Saturday.
• The Trojans earned their first rank of the year (No. 24) after their upset win over then-No. 17 St. Francis (Ill.) on Sept. 21.
• The Trojans fell out of the poll, after suffering a 33-26 loss to then-unranked Robert Morris on Sept. 28, but bounced back with their win over Olivet Nazarene, reappearing at No. 21.
• Before this season, Trinity's last ranking came in 2005 (No. 24, Sept. 19).
• TIU has been ranked 18 weeks in the program's history, and hold an all-time record of 14-11 (.560) as a nationally-ranked team.
• The MSFA has a total of six teams in the top 25, and seven MSFA programs are at least receiving votes in the latest poll. The MSFA Midwest League is tied with the Heart of America Conference with four ranked teams apiece.
• The Trojans are 7-39 (.152) all-time against ranked opponents, and 48-61 (.440) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 44-99 (.308) since the poll's debut in 1999.
• With the 4-2 start, the Trojans are currently tied for second in the NCCAA Rankings, with North Greenville (N.C.) and Azusa Pacific (Calif.). Greenville (Ill.) sit atop the rankings at 6-0.
• The top two teams in the NCCAA Rankings at the end of the regular season will meet for the 2013 Victory Bowl, taking place Nov. 23 in Rome, Ga.
National Leaders
• The TIU defense has statistically been one of the best in the NAIA this season, ranking fourth in the NAIA in rushing defense, giving up just 69.0 yards on the ground per game. The Trojans also rank ninth nationally in total defense (295.5 per game), 10th in opponent 4th down conversions (26.7%), 18th in scoring defense (21.0 ppg), and 20th in sacks (15).
• Offensively, the Trojans rank 12th in the NAIA with 36.7 points scored per game.
• The Tojan offensive line has been one of the best in the country, leading the NAIA with just 0.8 sacks allowed per game. The unit has helped the TIU offense to 226.8 rushing yards per game, 15th-most in the NAIA.
• The Trojan offense ranks 3rd in the NAIA in fourth-down conversions, going 10-for-12 (83.3%) on fourth down this season.
Carter on Mitchell Award List
• Freshman kicker Jeremiah Carter earned a spot on the September Monthy Recognition List for the Fred Mitchell Award, given to the top placekicker in NCAA FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA college football.
• Carter ranks 2nd in the NAIA with nine field goals this season, 3rd in FG per game (1.5), and 4th nationally in scoring among kickers (48 pts).
• The freshman is 19th in the NAIA with a .750 field goal percentage. Carter went 3-for-3 in the season-opener at Trinity Bible, with a long of 44 yards, and then went 2-for-2 including the game-winner against St. Francis (Ill.).
• In his last two games, Carter is 4-for-7 (57.1%), with a long of 39 yards against St. Ambrose.
• The Irvine, Calif. native is the only freshman to make the list, and is one of only four kickers from the NAIA. The Olivet Nazarene kicker, Andrew Muzljatovich, is also on the Monthly Recognition List.
TIUSportsNetwork.TIU.edu
• All TIU Football home games will be broadcast live, and on-demand, with Brian Snow of Arena Sports Network on the call.
• A live and on-demand audio broadcast will be available for each road game in 2013.
• Selected TIU Athletics home events are also broadcast online, including Trojan volleyball, and men's and women's soccer matches during the fall season.
• Broadcasts are available through the 'Watch Now' link on the homepage at
www.TIUtrojans.com, or at TIUSportsNetwork.TIU.edu
