TIU Football hosts Wisconsin Lutheran in home opener
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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (1-0) vs. WISCONSIN LUTHERAN WARRIORS (0-1)
Saturday, September 13Â | 1:00 p.m.
Frazier Field | Deerfield, Ill.
Live Video
Game Notes | Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @WLCsports
Season Stats: Trinity International | Wisconsin Lutheran
Kickoff
• Trinity International Football will go for its second win in as many games this weekend, as the Trojans welcome Wisconsin Lutheran to Frazier Field. Kickoff between the Trojans and Warriors at Frazier Field is set for Saturday, September 13, at 1:00 p.m. A live video webcast will be available for fans not able to catch the Trojans in person, at TIUTrojans.com/TIUSportsNetwork.
Quick Hits
• Trinity International won its third straight season-opener last week, with a 49-3 road win at Concordia.
• TIU is coming off a 5-5 season a year ago, marking the highest win total in the Kirk Wherritt era, and the most wins since 2004.
• Although it's just one week into the season, the Trojans lead the NAIA in three categories; sacks (7), sacks against (1), and extra-point kicking (100.0%).
• Wisconsin Lutheran suffered a 20-14 loss to fellow NCAA Division III member Lake Forest last weekend.
• The Trojans ranked 3rd in the MSFA in rushing offense last year, averaging 201.1 yards per game. On Saturday, TIU collected 177 yards rushing, along with three TDs.
• The Trojans defense currently allows the fewest rushing yards per game in the MSFA, of teams who have played at least one game this year. TIU gave up just 42 yards on the ground to Concordia last week.
Series History
• Trinity International and Wisconsin Lutheran first met in 2000, when the Trojans took a 42-0 win in Milwaukee
• The Trojans lead the all-time series, 2-0 over the Warriors.
• Overall, TIU has outscored Wisconsin-Lutheran 83-0 over their two previous meetings.
• Wisconsin Lutheran is one of seven programs that Trinity International holds a perfect record against, with at least two previous meetings.Â
Last Time vs Wisconsin Lutheran
• The Trojans rushed for 434 yards and five TDs, defeating the Warriors 41-0, back on Sept. 8, 2001.
• Three players finished with over 100 rushing yards for TIU, led by Josh Moore's 122. Israel Diaz collected 110 yards and a pair of TDs, while Tu Price recorded 109 yards on the day.
• Kyle Schenk had a game-high 14 tackles in the win, including two sacks and a forced fumble.
• Josh Hoesch gave TIU the early lead with a 10-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play of the game.
About Wisconsin Lutheran
• The Warriors dropped their season opener last week, falling at home to Lake Forest (Ill.), 20-14.
• A year ago Wisconsin Lutheran posted a 4-6 record, including a 3-3 mark in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, finishing fourth in the league.
• Quarterback Anthony Hernandez threw for 307 yards last Saturday, going 22-for-42 with a pair of touchdown passes and a pair of interceptions.
• Wideout Eli Campbell made seven catches for 174 yards, and had a pair of touchdowns in the loss.
• On the ground, Mike Reeves saw most of the touches, carrying the ball 12 times for 52 yards.
• Defensively, senior linebacker Jestin Heimbruch had a team-high seven tackles, including one and a half sacks.
A Trojan Win Would...
• ... Give the Trojans a 2-0 start for the second year in a row, the longest such streak since 2004-05.
• ... Be the sixth home win in their last seven games at Frazier Field.
• ... Be the third win in their last five games, stretching back to last season.
• ... Keep their unbeaten record over Wisconsin Lutheran, and give TIU a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series.
• ... Be the first win over a program from the state of Wisconsin since the last meeting with the Warriors, in 2001.
•... Be the 100th win in Trinity International Football history, and the 50th all-time win at Frazier Field.
A Trojan Loss Would...
• ... Drop their overall record to 1-1.
• ... Mark the fourth time in the last five seasons that TIU has started the year with a 1-1 record.
• ... Be the first ever loss to Wisconsin Lutheran, in their third-ever meeting.
• ... Be the fifth loss in the last seven games for Trinity, stretching back to last season.
Leslie Frazier Field
• TIU is 8-13 at home in the Wherritt era, and are 49-69-1 all-time at Frazier Field.
• Including the win over Concordia last 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 held a five-game win streak at Frazier Field last season before falling in the finale to William Penn. The run was their longest home win streak since earning eight straight wins from 2003-2005.
Trojan Football History
• The Trinity International Trojan football program has an all-time record of 99-153-2 (.392), 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 was a member of the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears, and is currently the defensive coordinator of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and had a record of 38-37-3 while at TIU.
• 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.
Trojan Ground Game
• Last season, the Trojans ranked 3rd in the MSFA, and 22nd in the NAIA, with 201.1 rushing yards per game.
• The Trojans collected 177 rushing yards in the win over Concordia last week, along with three TDs in the fourth quarter to close out the win.
• At Concordia last weekend, junior running back Chris Elliott moved into second place on the all-time TIU rushing attempts list, with 440 rushes in his career. (Todd Johnson, 1990-94, 554)
• Elliott recorded his second career 1,000-yard season in 2013, becoming the first Trojan to ever reach the 1K mark twice in his TIU career.
• The Miami, Fla. native's career high came as a freshman in 2012, with an MSFA-record 346 yards in the final game of the year over Waldorf.
• Elliott surpassed the 2,000-yard mark for his career last season at St. Xavier, and is fourth on TIU's all-time rushing list, with 2,241 yards. With 40 yards against the Warriors this weekend, the junior will move into a tie for third with Israel Diaz (1998-01)
TIU in the Polls
• In 2013, Trinity International spent some time in the NAIA-AFCA Coaches Poll, earning a national ranking for three weeks of the season, reaching as high as No. 21 on Oct. 7, following their win over Olivet Nazarene.
• Before last 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.
• This season, the Trojans start the season as an unranked program, as the MSFA earned five spots in the Preseason 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 7-41 (.149) all-time against ranked opponents, and 50-62 (.446) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 46-102 (.311) since the poll's debut in 1999.
NCCAA Victory Bowl
• The top two teams in the NCCAA based on winning percentage will meet at the end of the season in Rome, Ga., for the 2014 Victory Bowl. Kickoff for the NCCAA's national championship game is set for Nov. 22.
• Trinity International has made one previous appearance at the Victory Bowl, in 2001. The Trojans fell to current NCAA Division I foe Gardner-Webb (N.C.), 54-14.
Carter on Mitchell Award List
• Sophomore kicker Jeremiah Carter earned a spot on the Watch List for the Fred Mitchell Award, given to the top placekicker in NCAA FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA college football.
• Carter has earned a spot on the list for the second career time, after earning a spot as a freshman in 2013.
• Last season, Carter finished 8th in the NAIA with an average of 1.1 made field goals per game. He also ranked 16th nationally among kickers with 6.4 points per game.
• Against Concordia last week, Carter was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra points, only missing on a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter.
•The Irvine, Calif. native currently leads the NAIA in extra-point percentage, with a perfect 100.0%.
• Carter is also one of just nine sophomores on the list, with the other 27 players listed as upperclassmen. He is also one of 13 players to reappear on the Watch List from last season.
TIU Sports Network
• All Trinity International Football home games will be broadcast live, and on-demand, with Brian Snow on the call.
• Broadcasts are available online at TIUTrojans.com/TIUSportsNetwork.
