BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- For the first time ever the Trinity International University football team took on the Judson Eagles on the gridiron as TIU hosted their opponent from nearby Elgin in Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League action. Coming off a tough loss last weekend at Olivet Nazarene, the Trojans looked to send their six senior players out with a win in the final game of the 2021 season.

Trinity's defense would force the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs on Judson's first two possessions deep in TIU territory but wouldn't be able to score on either of their first two possessions. Judson would break the scoreless tie late in the first quarter as Aubrey Williams connected with Jordan West for a 14-yard touchdown pass with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt.

On TIU's very next possession, the Trojans would take the lead as quarterback Derrick Taylor found Derek Lowe for an 8-yard touchdown pass with a successful PAT kick by Cameron Outlaw to give Trinity a 7-6 lead. The Eagles would respond with an eight play, 57 yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Michael Porter with another failed two-point conversion. TIU would head into the halftime break trailing 12-7.

After punting on their first drive of the second half, the Trojans roared back as Taylor found Marc Wallace for six points on a 13-yard pass to give TIU 14-12 lead following the PAT. One possession later, the Trojans forced a safety after an Eagles' punt saw the snap go over the head of punter Franklin Sayers through the back of the end zone to give Trinity a 16-12 lead.

The Trojans would fumble the ball on a short kickoff, setting up a 55-yard touchdown reception by O'Vauntay Vickers late in the third quarter. Brandon Mackey would tack on another Judson touchdown on a ten-yard run to the house to put the Eagles ahead 24-16 after a missed PAT kick. Trinity would drive into Eagles territory for a potential game-tying score but came up short as Taylor would be intercepted by EJ Glover to end the game and hand TIU the tough senior day loss.

Taylor finished the final game of his collegiate career with 300 yards passing with two touchdowns through the air and one interception. Khalid Humprey posted 105 receiving yards on six catches in the loss, while Wallace and Lowe both caught one touchdown pass each. On defense, Lorente Blakeney led the way with ten total tackles and one interception. Kemon Reese totaled nine tackles with a forced fumble, as Cantrell Moore notched eight tackles with a forced fumble of his own. Moses Smith posted TIU's lone sack on the day.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Following the first ever meeting between Trinity International and Judson, the Eagles take a 1-0 lead in the series. Judson started their program just last year, with 2021 being their first season of play.

• Prior to kickoff, Trinity honored their six senior player, including Nolan Brammer, Derrick Taylor, Chase Fisher, Tim Leach, Avery Hieber, and Nicolas Godfrey.

• The Trojans finish the 2021 season with the program's most wins since the 2016 season (4).

• Both Judson and TIU committed a number of penalties in Saturday's game, with TIU being flagged for 135 yard, and 107 by the Eagles.

• Judson sacked TIU quarterback Derrick Taylor four times for a loss of 32 total yards. Moses Smith recorded Trinity's lone sack of the game for an eight yard loss.

• Derrick Taylor's two touchdown passes give him 13 on the season, the sixth most in a single season in school history. He has also thrown 22 total touchdowns in his career.

• Taylor finishes his final collegiate season with 155 completed passes in 2021, seventh most in a single season in program history.

• Marc Wallace and Derek Lowe both recorded their seventh career touchdown receptions in Saturday's loss. The two scores were Wallace's fourth touchdown reception of the season, while it was Lowe's third of the year.

• Deon Cook ends his second season with the Trojans with the ninth most single season receptions (55), and sixth most receiving yards (82). The sophomore from Chicago also moved into eighth all-time in school history with 1,352 career yards caught in the air.

• Linebacker Kemon Reese finishes his junior year with 111 total tackles, the eighth most in a single TIU season. The Bellwood, Illinois native has also tied Darwin Stone (2013-16) for fifth on the program's all-time tackles list.

• Lorente Blakeney's second quarter interception was the second of the season and of his career. It was also the longest interception return of his career (35 yards).

TIU finished the 2021 season with a final record of 3-8 overall and 1-6 in MSFA-Midwest League play.

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Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness and lifelong learning.