Kickoff

• Trinity International kicks off against a Division I opponent for just the third time in program history, when they take on the Valparaiso (Ind.) Crusaders on Saturday afternoon.
• Streaming audio and live stats of Saturday's contest will be available at TIUTrojans.com.

Quick Hits

• The Trojans make their third appearance against Valparaiso, after earning victories in 2006 and 2007 over the Crusaders.
• Trinity will go for back-to-back wins after a 55-21 home victory over Wisconsin Lutheran on Sept. 3.
• Valparaiso finished 1-9 last season, and are 0-2 so far in 2016, with losses at No. 8 Illinois State and Sacred Heart (Conn.)
• Against St. Francis (Ind.) on Aug. 27, senior wide receiver Cory Windle set the all-time TIU record for receptions, now with 121 catches over three-plus seasons. Windle is 290 yards from setting Trinity's all-time receiving yards record as well.
• TIU currently ranks 9th in the NAIA in rushing defense, as the Trojans average just 80.0 yards on the ground per game. Offensively, Trinity has put up 279.5 rushing yards per game, good for 6th in the NAIA.

Series History

• This weekend will be the 3rd meeting all-time between the Trojans and Crusaders, and the first since 2007.
• Trinity and Valparaiso first met on Sept. 9, 2006, when the Trojans earned a 39-20 win at Brown Field.
• Valparaiso is one of six programs that Trinity holds a perfect record against, with two or more previous meetings.

Last Time vs Valparaiso

• In a game that saw four lead changes, Trinity earned a home win over the Crusaders, 17-13 on Sept. 8, 2007.
• Quarterback Kyle Bennett threw a pair of touchdown passes to Deon Dukes and Brennan Smith, the second of which put the Trojans on top for good in the fourth quarter.
• Jason Welch and Cordero Hightower led the defense with nine tackles each; Welch also recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the win.

About Valparaiso

• The Crusaders are off to an 0-2 start to the season, and have one or fewer wins in six of the last seven seasons.
• Jimmy Seewald and Ryan Clarke have split time under center; the duo have combined for 318 passing yards in two games, with a 49.3 completion percentage.
• Linebacker Drew Snouffer leads the team with 17 tackles, including one sack.
• Kellan Hughes has two interceptions through two games played.

A Trojan Win Would...

• ... Improve the team's record to 2-1.
• ... Give the team a record above .500 for the first time since Sept. 19 of last season.
• ... Be the third-straight win over Valparaiso in as many games.
• ... Snap a four-game road losing streak, dating back to last season.

A Trojan Loss Would...

• ... Drop the Trojans' overall record to 1-2.
• ... Be the first loss to Valparaiso in the all-time series.
• ... Be the first loss in the road opener since 2011.

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.

Trojan Football History

• The Trinity International Trojan football program has an all-time record of 103-170-2 (.378), 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 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.
• 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.

Offensive Leaders

• Senior quarterback J.J. Burmeister is averaging 177.0 passing yards per game this season, completing 62.3 percent of his passes and throwing four TDs on the year.
• Junior Brad Hargis leads the Trojan receiving corps with seven receptions, while senior Alex Johns-Moore has collected a team-high 155 yards and three touchdowns.
• Two weeks ago against Wisconsin Lutheran, Johns-Moore posted 130 receiving yards and three TDs on just four catches overall.
• Sophomore running back Isaac Branch leads the Trojans with 162 yards on the ground, including a 120-yard performance against the Warriors on Sept. 3.
• Freshman Quintyn Reeder recorded 100+ rushing yards for the first time in his early career two weeks ago, finishing with 113 yards on just six carries. Reeder is also the team's front-runner in all-purpose yards, with 287; against St. Francis (Ind.) on Aug. 29, he collected 141 kickoff return yards on five attempts (28.2 avg.).
• Senior kicker Jeremiah Carter is Trinity's all-time leader in field goals made, and points scored by a kicker. Last week, Carter collected 13 points, going 2-for-2 on field goals and converting all seven extra points.

Defensive Leaders

• Linebackers Riley Schussler and Mauricio Portillo continue to lead the Trojan defense, with 19 and 18 total tackles, respectively. Portillo recorded a team-high 12 tackles in the win over Wisconsin Lutheran.
• Godfrey Collins II recorded two sacks against WLC, and is now the team leader. Collins is tied for 6th in the MSFA in total sacks.
• Linebacker Bradley Mowbray pulled down Trinity's first interception of the year two weeks ago, his first career pick.

National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete

• Senior linebacker Riley Schussler was selected as a nominee for the 2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments.
• 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

• The Trojans are currently unranked; their last appearance in the coaches' poll was in 2013.
• That season, Trinity was ranked as high as No. 21 on Oct. 7, following their win over Olivet Nazarene.
• Before the 2013 season, Trinity's last ranking came in 2005 (No. 24, Sept. 19).
• TIU has been ranked 29 weeks in the program's history, and hold an all-time record of 15-12 (.556) as a nationally-ranked team.
• The Trojans are 7-51 (.121) all-time against ranked opponents, and 55-69 (.444) against unranked teams.
• When TIU is unranked, they are 51-119 (.300) since the poll's debut in 1999.

NCCAA Victory Bowl

• The top two teams in the NCCAA based on Massey Rating will meet at the end of the season in the 2016 Victory Bowl.
• Trinity 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 moved up one spot this week, to No. 3 in the NCCAA rankings. TIU is the 2nd-ranked NAIA program in the NCCAA standings.