Kickoff

• Homecoming Weekend is here, as Trinity International returns to Leslie Frazier Field for the first time in over six weeks to host the St. Xavier Cougars for the 2016 Homecoming game. Kickoff from Leslie Frazier Field is set for 1:00 p.m.
• Streaming video and live stats of Saturday's contest will be available at TIUTrojans.com.

Quick Hits

• Trinity will look to end their current five-game slide, coming off of a 34-27 double-overtime loss at Robert Morris last week.
• The Trojans rank 2nd in the MSFA, and 19th in the NAIA, with 199.3 rushing yards per game.
• Junior linebacker Riley Schussler became Trinity's all-time leading tackler on Oct. 1 at St. Ambrose, and is now the first Trojan to ever make 400 career tackles, with 402 during his time at Trinity.
• On Aug. 27, senior wide receiver Cory Windle set the all-time TIU record for receptions, now with 149 catches over three-plus seasons. Windle is now the program's all-time leader in reception yards as well, with 1,866, after his 110-yard performance at Robert Morris last Saturday.
• Trinity (28.9 ppg) ranks 5th, and St. Xavier (27.6 ppg) ranks 7th in the MSFA in scoring. Defensively, the Cougars allow 29.9 points per game (7th in MSFA), while the Trojans rank 10th (34.9 ppg).

Series History

• Trinity and St. Xavier have met every year dating back to 1993, the Trojans' second-longest running rivalry. TIU and Olivet Nazarene is the longest, going back to 1990.
• The Cougars lead the all-time series 17-6, and have claimed the last 11 matchups, since 2005.
Last Time vs St. Xavier
• Threatening to pull off the upset all day, Trinity came up just short of knocking off the 13th-ranked Cougars, instead falling on the road, 27-18 on Oct. 24, 2015.
• Trinity led by as much as nine points in the second half, but the Cougars responded with 13 unanswered to claim the lead en route to the win. A late touchdown gave the Trojans hope, before a potential game-tying two-point conversion was no good with just over five minutes to play.
• Quarterback Zach Chesser finished the day 11-for-20 with 124 yards, while Danny Mattero, in limited duty, went 3-for-6 with 90 yards and a touchdown. Isaac Branch led the Trojans with 60 rushing yards and one touchdown, while Brad Hargis collected 98 receiving yards and one TD.

About St. Xavier

• The Cougars hold a 3-5 overall record, but with a 1-1 mark in league play, are still in contention for the MSFA Midwest League title.
• St. Xavier are still searching for their first road win, and are coming off a 38-31 overtime loss at St. Ambrose last weekend.
• Wideout Stephen Simms leads the NAIA in all-purpose yards, with 1,427 on the year. Simms averages 66.6 receiving yards per game, and is also the primary kick and punt returner for SXU.
• Omar Salazar leads the team with an average of 8.8 tackles per game, and ranks 2nd in the NAIA with 13.5 tackles for loss.

A Trojan Win Would...

• ... Improve the team's record to 2-6.
• ... Be the first win over St. Xavier in 11 seasons.
• ... Be the first home win over St. Xavier since 2003.
• ... Give the Trojans back-to-back home wins for the first time since 2013.

Leslie Frazier Field

• TIU is 11-23 at home in the Wherritt era, and are 52-79-1 all-time at Frazier Field.
• The Trojans are 15-11-1 all-time in home openers, and have won the first game of the year at Frazier Field in five of the the past seven seasons.
• 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 secondary coach of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. He had a record of 38-37-3 while at TIU, and remains the winningest coach in Trinity International history.

NCCAA Victory Bowl

• The top two eligible teams in the NCCAA based on Massey Rating will meet at the end of the season in the 2016 Victory Bowl.
• The Trojans are ranked No. 5 in the NCCAA rankings, the third-highest program from the NAIA. 

Trojan Football History

• The Trinity International Trojan football program has an all-time record of 103-175-2 (.37`), dating back to their first season as a varsity program in 1990.
• Trinity has won three MSFA Midwest League titles in school history (1994, 1995, 2003).
• TIU has earned two NAIA Football Championship Series berths (1994, 2004). The program 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.

Offensive Leaders

• Senior quarterback J.J. Burmeister is averaging 173.3 passing yards per game this season, throwing 14 TDs on the year. The senior is on pace to set a new TIU single-season record, with a 61.6% completion percentage.
• Senior Cory Windle leads the Trojan receiving corps with 31 receptions and eight TDs.
• Sophomore running back Isaac Branch leads the Trojans with 574 yards on the ground, including a career-high 181-yard performance against Valparaiso on Sept. 17.
• Branch is averaging 82.0 rushing yards per game, and has reached the century mark twice this season.
• Senior kicker Jeremiah Carter is Trinity's all-time leader in field goals made, and points scored by a kicker. This season, Carter leads the team with 50 points, going 9-for-13 on field goals, and 23-for-24 on extra points.

Defensive Leaders

• Linebacker Riley Schussler continues to lead the Trojan defense, with 82 total tackles. Schussler ranks 2nd in the MSFA and 9th in the NAIA with 11.7 tackles per game.
• Justin Hackley was named MSFA Midwest League and NCCAA National Player of the Week after his performance against Concordia on Sept. 24. Hackley recorded three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss against the Cardinals, and is now the team leader with four sacks on the year. Hackley also has a team-high seven tackles for loss.
• Jarell Carter and Bradley Mowbray each have two interceptions, combining for four of the Trojans' five picks this season.

Campbell Trophy Semifinalist

• Senior linebacker Riley Schussler was selected as a semifinalist for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments.
• Schussler is just one of 156 players across college football, and only one of four NAIA players to be named a semifinalist.
• To be nominated, a player must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
• Schussler becomes the first player in Trinity history to be nominated for the award.

TIU in the Polls

• TIU has been ranked 29 times in the program's history, and holds an all-time record of 15-12 (.556) as a nationally-ranked team.
• Trinity was ranked as high as No. 21 on Oct. 7, 2013, following their win over Olivet Nazarene.
• The Trojans are 7-51 (.121) all-time against ranked opponents, and 55-74 (.426) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 51-124 (.291) since the poll's debut in 1999.

Mission108

• For the past four seasons, Trinity Football has supported the fight against human trafficking. Join us today in giving towards the goal of $10,000 to support a Safe House in Northern India and a Safe House in Chicago. Donations are online at www.Mission108.com.