Trojans prepare for Top-25 test at #14 St. Francis
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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (2-0) at #14 ST. FRANCIS (Ill.) SAINTS (2-0)
Saturday, September 20 | 4:00 p.m.
Joliet Memorial Stadium | Joliet, Ill.
Live Video ($6.99 pay-per-view)
Game Notes | Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @USFSaints
Season Stats: Trinity International | St. Francis
Kickoff
• A battle of unbeatens is set for this weekend, when the 2-0 Trinity International Trojans hit the road to take on the 2-0 and 14th-ranked St. Francis Saints in Joliet, Ill. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 20, as the Trojans will look to make it two straight seasons with a win over USF. A live webcast will be available through the St. Francis athletic site, GoFightingSaints.com.
Quick Hits
• Trinity International won its second game in a row last weekend, defeating Wisconsin Lutheran 49-22.
• Quarterback Stephen Anderson threw for a school-record seven touchdowns, and finished with 413 passing yards, the second-highest single-game total in TIU history.
• St. Francis is coming off of a 40-7 home victory over Lindenwood-Belleville last Saturday.
• Early into the season, the Trojans lead the NAIA in two categories; sacks allowed (1), and extra-point kicking (100.0%).
• The Trojans rank 2nd in the MSFA in passing offense this year, averaging 292.0 yards per game. On the other side of the ball, St. Francis is 2nd in the league in pass defense, allowing 98.5 yards per game
• TIU has the second-best run defense in the MSFA so far this year, allowing just 79.0 yards per game. The Saints average 250.0 yards on the ground each week, the second-highest total in the conference.
Series History
• Trinity International and St. Francis first met in 2000, when the Saints shut out the Trojans by a 16-0 margin in Deerfield.
• The Trojans lead the all-time series, 7-5 over the Saints.
• Overall, TIU has outscored St. Francis 253-216 in the all-time series.
• Last season, the Trojans snapped a four-game losing streak to St. Francis, dating back to 2007. TIU had previously won six straight over the Saints from 2001-2006.Â
Last Time vs St. Francis
• Freshman Jeremiah Carter connected on a 28-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining, giving Trinity International an upset win over No. 17 St. Francis, on Sept. 21 last season.
• Running back Chris Elliott collected 144 yards on the ground with two TDs for the Trojans. Quarterback Stephen Anderson went 17-for-28 passing, with 258 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
• For the Saints, quarterback E.J. White threw for 365 yards and all six USF touchdowns, while also finishing as the team's rushing leader with 55 yards.
• The Trojans held a narrow lead at halftime, and were ahead 38-20 early in the fourth quarter, before 21 unanswered points gave the Saints a 39-38 edge with 1:38 to play.
• Anderson went 3-for-3 on the Trojans' game-winning drive, and had a 26-yard scramble to push into field goal range for Carter's final kick.
About St. Francis
• The Saints are looking to go 3-0 for the second time in program history with a win over TIU on Saturday.
• A year ago St. Francis posted a 7-4 record, including a 4-2 mark in the MSFA Mideast League, to finish in a tie for second.
• USF holds their opponents to the third-lowest scoring average in the NAIA this season, at 8.5 points per game. In two games this year, the Saints' defense has generaged eight turnovers and a pair of defensive touchdowns.
• Junior quarterback Trace Wanless is the team's leading rusher, with 155 yards on the year and an average of 9.7 yards per carry. He also averages 151 yards in the air each week.
• Defensively, Mike Passo has a team-high 20 tackles, while Albert Cruse has collected 3.0 sacks.
A Trojan Win Would...
• ... Give the Trojans a 3-0 start for the second year in a row, the longest such streak since 2003-04.
• ... Be the first win over a ranked opponent since the Trojans upset then-No. 17 St. Francis last season
• ... Give the Trojans back-to-back wins on the road for the first time since 2011-12; TIU finished the '11 season with a win at Waldorf, then defeated Concordia in their first road trip of '12.
• ... Be the fourth win in their last six games, stretching back to last season.
• ... Improve the team's all-time record over St. Francis to 8-5.
• ... Be the first back-to-back wins over St. Francis since 2005-06.
A Trojan Loss Would...
• ... Drop their overall record to 2-1 and snap their current two-game win streak.
• ... Mark the fifth loss in the last six meetings with St. Francis.
• ... Be the fifth loss in the last six road games for Trinity, stretching back to last season.
• ... Be the fifth straight loss to a nationally-ranked opponent, with all five losses coming on the road.
Leslie Frazier Field
• TIU is 9-13 at home in the Wherritt era, and are 50-69-1 all-time at Frazier Field.
• Including the win Wisconsin Lutheran last week, the Trojans are 15-9-1 all-time in home openers, and have won the first game of the year at Frazier Field the past five 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 100-153-2 (.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 Attack
• Through two games, the Trojans rank fifth in the MSFA in total offense, averaging 412.5 yards per game. They are the 2nd-ranked passing offense in the league, with 292 yards per game in the air.
• Against Wisconsin Lutheran last weekend, junior running back Chris Elliott moved into third place on the all-time TIU rushing list, with 2,314 career yards.
• 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.
• Quarterback Stephen Anderson set a new single-game school record last weekend, throwing for seven touchdowns in the win over Wisconsin Lutheran. His 413 passing yards in the game is the second-highest total in school history, and is just the second time a Trojan QB has surpassed the 400-yard mark.
TIU in the Polls
• The Trojans start the season as an unranked program, as the MSFA Midwest, Heart of America Conference, and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference are tied for the most teams in the poll, with four apiece.
• In 2013, Trinity International spent some time in the NAIA-AFCA Coaches Poll, earning a national ranking for three weeks of the season,Â
• The Trojans were ranked 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.
• The Trojans are 7-41 (.149) all-time against ranked opponents, and 51-62 (.451) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 47-102 (.315) 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.
• The Trojans are currently one of three unbeaten programs in the NCCAA, along with Shorter (Ga.), and Northwestern (Minn.)
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.
•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.
