Trojans travel to St. Xavier for late-season MSFA showdown
Greg Gorham
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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (5-3, 2-2 MSFA Midwest) at ST. XAVIER COUGARS (5-4, 2-2 MSFA Midwest)
November 9, 2013 | 1:00 p.m.
Chicago, Ill. | Bob Tatum Field
Game Notes: Trinity International | Streaming Audio | Video & Live Stats (SXU Broadcast)
Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @GoSXUCougars
Join the Conversation: #TIUFootball
Kickoff
• After enjoying a week off, the Trinity International Trojans are back at it, as they prepare for the final two games of the regular season. This week, the Trojans will face off against the fourth nationally-ranked opponent of the season, when they travel to Chicago and take on the St. Xavier Cougars. TIU has already enjoyed what will go down as the most succesful season in a decade, but have a chance to pick up a sixth win this season, for the first time since 2004. TIU can also earn its third win in the Midwest League, the most conference victories since 2006. Saturday's game will be available online for fans unable to get to the game, as Brian Snow will call the action at http://TIUSportsNetwork.TIU.edu.
Quick Hits
• The Trojans will look for their sixth win of the season, the team's highest win total since 2004.
• TIU is coming off a 32-12 win over Waldorf two weeks ago. The Trojans collected more than 450 yards of total offense for the third time this year in the win.
• St. Xavier had a two-game win streak snapped last week, falling at St. Ambrose, 65-30.
• TIU currently ranks third in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 91.5 yards on the ground per game. The Trojans are 15th nationally in total defense, allowing 323.8 yards of offense to their opponents each week.
Series History
• Trinity International and St. Xavier first met in 1993, when the Trojans took a 14-6 win on the road.
• The Cougars lead the all-time series, 14-6 over the Warriors.
• SXU have claimed the last eight meetings over Trinity International. The Trojans last beat the Cougars in 2004, 28-21.
• Four of the Trojans six wins over St. Xavier have happened on the road, most recently in 2004.
Last Time vs St. Xavier
• St. Xavier jumped out to a 36-12 lead at the half, holding on for a 36-26 win at Frazier Field on Sept. 22 last season.
• The Trojans shut out SXU in the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points before running out of time on the potential comeback.
• Freshman running back Chris Elliott rushed for 114 yards, one of his four 100-yard rushing performances on the season. Elliott also collected two TDs on the day, matching a then-career high.
• Defensively, Tyler Karp made a game-high 13 tackles. Kyle Mowens had the Trojans' lone sack on the day.
About St. Xavier
• After a 3-1 start to the season, the Cougars have dropped three of their last five games.
• Three of St. Xavier's four losses have come against teams ranked among the top eight in the NAIA Coaches Poll. The lone other defeat was on the road against NCAA Division II opponent Indianapolis.
• The Cougars rank 16th in the NAIA, and 4th in the MSFA, in passing offense, throwing for 2,301 yards to date.
• Senior defensive back Jacob Ghinazzi leads the NAIA with 0.5 forced fumbles per game.
• Kicker Spencer Nolan is second nationally, with 12 made field goals on the year.
A Trojan Win Would...
• ... Set the record for most wins in a single season in the Kirk Wherritt era, with six.
• ... Be the first win over St. Xavier since 2004, snapping an eight-game losing streak.
• ... Improve Trinity's MSFA Midwest League record to 3-2, marking the most conference wins in a season since 2006.
• ... Be the best start through eight games of a season since 2004, when the Trojans were 8-1 en route to a 8-3 season and an NAIA Fooball Championship Series berth.
• ... Be the second win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
A Trojan Loss Would...
• ... Drop TIU's MSFA Midwest League record to 2-3.
• ... Extend Trinity's road losing streak to four straight games.
• ... Extend St. Xavier's win streak over the Trojans to nine straight games.
• ... Be the third loss in the last four games for Trinity.
• ... Be the third straight loss to a nationally-ranked opponent.
Trojan Ground Game
• The Trojans rank 3rd in the MSFA, and 20th in the NAIA, with 201.0 rushing yards per game.
• Sophomore running back Chris Elliott has been essential to the TIU offense this season, averaging 117.0 yards per game, and 10 rushing TDs. Elliott ranks 2nd in the MSFA in rushing offense, and 17th in the NAIA.
• Elliott is 185 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, with two games still on the schedule.
• The Miami, Fla. native posted a season-high 184 rushing yards 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 50 yards away from 2,000 in his career, and is 331 away from moving into third in the TIU all-time rushing list (Isreal Diaz, 2,281, '98-'01).
• Freshman Andrew Florivil earned his first career start last week against Waldorf, as Elliott was out due to injury. Florivil rushed for 98 yards on 21 carries in the win.
Trojan Football History
• The Trinity International Trojan football program has an all-time record of 98-151-2 (.396), 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 8-12 at home in the Wherritt era, and are 49-68-1 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 five games at Frazier Field, their longest home win streak since earning eight straight wins from 2003-2005.
• Trinity has one final home game on the 2013 schedule, and with a victory over William Penn on Nov. 16, can record the first perfect home record since 2004.
TIU in the Polls
• Trinity International fell out of the NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll two weeks ago, after suffering a 47-14 loss at No. 3 Grand View last Saturday.
• This week, the Trjoans are reciving votes in the poll, collecting 10 points to place 26th overall.
• 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 Heart of America Conference and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference are tied for the most teams in the poll, with four apiece.
• The Trojans are 7-40 (.149) all-time against ranked opponents, and 49-61 (.445) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 45-100 (.310) since the poll's debut in 1999.
• With the 5-3 record, the Trojans are currently tied for third in the NCCAA Rankings, with Geneva (Pa.). Greenville (Ill.) sit atop the rankings at 9-0, while Azusa Pacific (Calif.) are second with a 7-2 mark.
• 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 third in the NAIA in rushing defense, giving up just 91.5 yards on the ground per game. The Trojans also rank 12th in opponent 4th down conversions (33.3%), 15th nationally in total defense (323.8 per game), 23rd in scoring defense (23.1 ppg), and 25th in sacks (20).
• Offensively, the Trojans rank 18th in the NAIA with 33.4 points scored per game.
• The Tojan offensive line has been one of the best in the country, ranking 15th in the NAIA with just 10 sacks allowed on the year. The unit has helped the TIU offense to 201.0 rushing yards per game, 20th-most in the NAIA.
• The Trojan offense leads the nation in fourth-down conversions, going 13-for-15 (86.7%) on fourth down this season.
Carter on Mitchell Award List
• Freshman kicker Jeremiah Carter earned a spot on the October 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 10th in the NAIA with nine field goals this season, 8th in FG per game (1.1), and 21st nationally in scoring among kickers (51 pts).
• The freshman is 28th in the NAIA with a .692 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.
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.
• Broadcasts are available through the 'Watch Now' link on the homepage at www.TIUtrojans.com, or at TIUSportsNetwork.TIU.edu
