TIU Football set for Homecoming matchup with Olivet Nazarene
Greg Gorham
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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (3-1, 0-0 MSFA Midwest) vs. OLIVET NAZARENE TIGERS (1-3, 0-0 MSFA Midwest)
Homecoming Weekend | October 5, 2013 | 12:00 p.m.
Deerfield, Ill. | Leslie Frazier Field
Game Notes: Trinity International | Streaming Video & Live Stats
Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @ONUAthletics
Join the Conversation: #TIUFootball | #TIUHomecoming
Kickoff
• The Trinity International Trojans look to bounce back from their first loss of the season last weekend, as the team prepares for the Homecoming matchup with the Olivet Nazarene Tigers. The matchup doubles as the MSFA Midwest League opener, as TIU will look to pick up a win in league play while also matching their win total from a year ago in just the first week of October. Fans unable to make it to Frazier Field for the Homecoming festivities can catch the game online, at www.StreamSports.TIU.edu
Quick Hits
• The Trojans will look to extend their home winning streak to four games, the longest home streak since 2003-05, when they won eight in a row at home.
• Trinity is coming back from a 33-26 loss on the road to Robert Morris.
• Olivet Nazarene is coming off a 14-0 defeat at home to Siena Heights.
• Saturday marks the 24th meeting between the Trojans and Tigers, making Olivet Nazarene TIU's most-played rival in program history. ONU leads the all-time series, 17-6.
• TIU currently ranks second in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 39.8 yards on the ground per game. The Trojans are 5th nationally in total defense, allowing 262 yards of offense to their opponents each week.
Series History
• Trinity International and Olivet Nazarene first met in 1990, when the Tigers earned the 54-47 win in Deerfield.
• The Trojans last won over Olivet in 2010, overcoming a 20-point halftime deficit to win 41-40 in Bourbonnais.
• TIU won three straight meetings between 1993-1995, but have not won back-to-back games over Olivet Nazarene since. The Tigers recently claimed five straight matchups from 2005-2009, and have won the last two games, dating back to 2011.
Last Time vs Olivet Nazarene
• Olivet Nazarene defeated the Trojans on a game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired, last season at ONU.
• Down 19 points entering the fourth quarter, quarterback Ruben Pena threw three touchdown passes to give the Trojans a brief lead, 39-38, before the last-second field goal.
• Pena threw for 219 yards off 6-for-7 passing, relieving the injured Stephen Anderson; Anderson finished with 108 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns before leaving the game.
• Wideout Danny Beals caught five passes for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
• Running back Chris Elliott picked up 91 yards on the ground on 22 carries.
About Olivet Nazarene
• The Tigers are looking for their second win of the season, after defeating Concordia, 24-7 two weeks ago. Last week, ONU lost to Siena Heights, 14-0.
• Junior David Payne is the Tigers' leading rusher, averaging 55.0 yards per game, good for 10th-most in the MSFA.
• Linebacker Brandon Ruemler leads the team with 9.0 tackles per game, and ranks 10th in the MSFA in tackles. Senior Mark Kosrow has 8.8 tackles per game.
• Quarterback Ryan Sample has completed 43.8% of his passes (42-96) for 424 yards and one touchdown.
Common Opponents
• Three of the four opponents the Trojans have faced have also played Olivet Nazarene at this point in the season.
• The Tigers have earned a win over Concordia, but dropped their matchups with St. Francis (Ill.) and Robert Morris.
• Olivet Nazarene has been outscored 64-57 in those three matchups. The Trojans have outscored those same opponents 124-45.
A Trojan Win Would...
• ... Snap the current one-game losing streak after falling to Robert Morris last weekend.
• ... Give the Trojans four victories in the first five games of the 2013 season, matching last season's win total.
• ... Start the MSFA Midwest League season with a 1-0 record.
• ... Be the best start through five games of a season since 2004, when the Trojans were 4-1 en route to a 8-3 season and an NAIA Fooball Championship Series berth.
• ... Improve Trinity's current home win streak to four games, dating back to last season's finale against Waldorf.
• ... Improve TIU's all-time record against Olivet Nazarene to 7-17, and and even 2-2 during the Kirk Wherritt era.
A Trojan Loss Would...
• ... Be the second straight loss of the year, the longest losing streak since last season's three-game slide from Oct. 13-Nov. 3.
• ... Be the first home loss since the Trojans fell to No. 11 William Penn on Oct. 27, 2012.
• ... Start MSFA Midwest League play with an 0-1 record.
• ... Be the third straight loss to the Tigers, and the eighth in the last nine years
Trojan Football History
• The Trinity International Trojan football program has an all-time record of 95-149-2, 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 6-11 at home in the Wherritt era, and are 47-68-1 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 three games at Frazier Field, their longest home win streak since earning eight straight wins from 2003-2005.
TIU in the Polls
• Trinity International fell out of the AFCA Coaches Poll top 25 this week, after suffering a 33-26 loss to then-unranked Robert Morris.
• The Trojans earned the No. 24 spot in the Poll two weeks ago after their upset win over then-No. 17 St. Francis (Ill.) on Saturday.
• TIU is still receiving votes, earning six points in this week's poll.
• Before this season, Trinity's last ranking came in 2005 (No. 24, Sept. 19).
• TIU has been ranked 16 times in the program's history, and hold a record of 14-10 as a nationally-ranked team.
• The MSFA has a total of seven teams in the top 25, and nine MSFA programs are at least receiving votes in the latest poll.
• With the 3-1 start, the Trojans are currently tied for third in the NCCAA Rankings, with Geneva (Pa.).
• 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 through the first four weeks of the season, ranking fifth in the NAIA in total defense, giving up just 262 yards per game. The Trojans also rank second nationally in rushing yards allowed (39.8 per game), 12th in sacks (3), and 13th in scoring defense (19.5 ppg).
• Offensively, the Trojans rank 7th in the NAIA with 43.0 points scored per game.
• Largely in part to Luciani Lubin's kick return for a touchdown last week against Robert Morris, the Trojans as a team rank second in the NAIA in average kickoff return yards, at 29.6.
• The Trojan offense ranks 6th in the NAIA in fourth-down conversions, going 6-for-7 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 is one of 12 kickers in the NAIA tied for the national lead with a 100% 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.).
• 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.
TIU Sports Network
• 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 www.StreamSports.TIU.edu
