Box Score BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - In yet another close game, the TIU Football team found themselves locked in a battle with Olivet Nazarene on Saturday night, but it was the Tigers who pulled out the victory, defeating Trinity International 44-41 in their MSFA Divisional opener.

With the Tigers receiving the opening kick the Trojans wasted no time and forced a fumble right off the kickoff. Keith Witherspoon, Jr. popped the ball loose and Kicker Carter Andrade was there to recover for TIU. Trinity International quickly took the ball down the field and on three plays found the end zone thanks to a four yard rushing TD from Danny Mattero.

The two teams would trade punts on the next three possessions, but from that point on it was all Mattero. The Senior fired two touchdown passes to Brad Hargis, including a 38-yard strike, on back-to-back possessions to extend the Trojan lead to 20-0.

The Tigers found the scoreboard midway through the second quarter after a 14 play, 76 yard drive found the end zone after an Erik Anderson 3-yard score. The Tigers weren't done there, after forcing back-to-back Trojan punts, the Tigers cut into the lead yet again after another rushing TD, this time from Jordan Lawton making it 20-14 at the half.

On their first drive of the second half Chris Wolcott made it a two score game again, running in his second rushing touchdown of the season. The Tigers answered right back, marching down the field and putting up a score to make it 27-21.

With five minutes to play in the third quarter, ONU took their first lead of the game, as Lawton led the Tigers down the field for a touchdown to ake it 28-27 Olivet. The Tiger defense stood tall in the early parts of the fourth quarter, forcing two Trojan punts. The Tigers would take advantage of their defensive stops as ONU added another score to make it 35-27.

With their team down by eight, Mattero led a late 4th Quarter drive that was capped off by Linell Gaston running in his team high fourth Touchdown on the year. After a missed PAT earlier in the game the Trojans were forced to go for two, and Mattero's pass attempt was intercepted and taken back for two points by ONU  making it 37-33.

Lawton then added another rushing touchdown for the Tigers on the ensuing ONU drive pushing the game out of reach late in the 4th Quarter. Mattero connected with Jimmy Campbell in the closing minutes of the game for a TD, and converted on the two-point conversion to make it 44-41, but it was too little to late for TIU.

The Trojans will enjoy a much needed bye week, and they head down to Chicago to take on #13 Saint Xavier University on October 14th at 1 pm.