TIU Football opens 2014 season at Concordia (Mich.)
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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-0) at CONCORDIA (Mich.) CARDINALS (0-0)
Saturday, September 6 | 12:00 p.m. CDT / 1:00 p.m. EDT
CUAA Football Field | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Live Video
Game Notes | Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @CUAACardinals
2013 Season Stats: Trinity International | Concordia
Kickoff
• The 2014 football season is finally here for the Trinity International Trojans, who will open the new campaign with a trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., and a matchup against the Concordia Cardinals. Kickoff for the season-opener is set for Saturday, September 6, at 12:00 p.m. Central / 1:00 p.m. Eastern. For fans not able to make the trip, Concordia will have a live video webcast available at their athletic site, ConcordiaCardinals.com.
Quick Hits
• The Trojans will go for their fourth season-opening victory in the past five years.
• 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.
• This game will be the fourth-ever meeting between the Trojans and Cardinals; TIU has earned a win over Concordia in each season since 2011.
• The Trojans ranked 3rd in the MSFA in rushing offense last year, averaging 201.1 yards per game. Leading rusher Chris Elliott returns for his junior season after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns.
• On defense last season, the Trojans ranked 4th nationally in the NAIA, allowing an average of just 109.9 rushing yards per game.
Series History
• Trinity International and Concordia first met in 2011, when the Trojans took a 13-10 win at Frazier Field.
• The Trojans lead the all-time series, 3-0 over Concordia.
• Saturday marks just the second time that Trinity will face off against the Cardinals on the road; the first matchup in Ann Arbor resulted in a 42-0 shutout win for TIU in 2012.
• Overall, TIU has outscored Concordia 112-16 over their three previous meetings.
Last Time vs Concordia
• The Cardinals went 83 yards on an 18-play drive that took more than half of the first quarter, but the Trojans went on to score 57 unanswered points to earn their second victory of the season last year.
• Quarterback Stephen Anderson threw four TD passes and 251 total yards, going 18-for-25 on the day
• Sophomore running back Chris Elliott rushed for 113 yards, surpassing the 100-yard mark for the second game in a row. Three different players scored rushing touchdowns, including Andrew Florivil, who punched it into the end zone twice.
• Defensively, Senior Dustin Alewine recorded three sacks in the win, while Justin Barnes had a team-high eight tackles.
• Anderson and Alewine earned NCCAA National Player of the Week honors on both sides of the ball for their performances against the Cardinals; Anderson also named MSFA Midwest Offensive Player of the Week.
About Concordia
• Concordia is entering it's fourth season of varsity football in 2014.
• Last season the Cardinals earned their first win in program history, defeating Alfred State (N.Y.), 35-21.
• The Cardinals ranked 23rd in the NAIA in sacks, averaging 2.3 per game last year.
• Senior linebacker Takari Johnson returns this season after finishing 2nd nationally in the NAIA in tackles, averaging 15.0 stops per game.
• Johnson was named MSFA Mideast League Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and had a game-high 13 tackles against the Trojans last season.
A Trojan Win Would...
• ... Give the Trojans three straight season-opening wins, the longest such streak since 2003-05.
• ... Be the second straight road victory to open a season, after last year's 48-0 win at Trinity Bible.
• ... Improve Trinity's MSFA Midwest League record to 3-3, marking the most conference wins in a season since 2006.
• ... Snap the program's current two-game losing streak; the Trojans fell at St. Xavier, and in the season finale last year to William Penn.
• ... Snap a current four-game slide in road games, dating back to last season's opener at Trinity Bible.
A Trojan Loss Would...
• ... Open the season for TIU at 0-1 for the first time since 2011.
• ... Be the first ever loss to Concordia, in their fourth meeting.
• ... Give the Cardinals their first-ever win against an MSFA opponent.
• ... Be the fifth loss in the last six 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 98-153-2 (.391), 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,
• Frazier coached the Trojans to 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.
• Sophomore running back Chris Elliott averaged 114.0 yards per game, and 11 rushing TDs. Elliott finished the season ranked 2nd in the MSFA in rushing offense, and 20th in the NAIA.
• 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 2,167 yards.
TIU in the Polls
• 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.
• 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 then 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 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 49-62 (.441) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 45-102 (.306) 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.
• The Irvine, Calif. native went 9-for-13 a year ago, with a season-long field goal of 44 yards. On extra points, Carter converted 24-of-28 throughout the season.
• 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.
