CHICAGO, Ill. --- TIU football fans were treated to a rare Sunday game as the Trojans hosted the 14th-ranked and defending MSFA-Midwest League champion Saint Xavier Cougars at Deaton Field. Due to field conditions the game was played on the SXU campus with Trinity as the designated home team. Coming off a tough loss to Marian two weeks ago, the Trojans looked to rebound in their conference opener.

Saint Xavier would post the only points in the first quarter of action, as Mike Iturbe drilled a 28 yard field goal following a Nolan Brammer interception on TIU's opening drive. SXU found the end zone three times in the second quarter, featuring a pair of rushing touchdowns from Vance McShane and Patrick Olson, as well as a 25 yard pass from John O'Sullivan to Jacob Luedeman. The Cougars would take a 24-0 lead into the halftime break.

Olson would break off a 65 yard touchdown run on the Cougar's opening drive of the half and SXU could tack on another field goal to take a 34-0 lead three and a half minutes into the third quarter. However, the Trojan quickly flipped the switch and found success in their aerial attack, as Brammer found Deon Cook for a 29 yard score with 7:44 to go in the third. Cook again found the endzone of a massive 80 yard touchdown reception from Brammer to cut the SXU lead to 34-14.

Trinity's defense, led by pressure brought on by Kemon Reese, Moses Smith and Lorente Blakeney forced the Cougars to struggle, culminating in a forced fumble that led to Brammer's third touchdown of the day to Gino Mastandrea from ten yards out, pulling the Trojans within two possessions. TIU's defense came up big again as they blocked an SXU punt from inside the Cougar's own five yard line, setting up a safety to make it a 12-point game.

Derek Lowe would make it a point possession ball game with a two yard touchdown run on TIU's next offensive possession at 34-28. While the Trinity defense continued to hold Saint Xavier at bay, allowing the Cougars to kick a 39-yard field goal with just under nine minutes to play, the offense would not be able to reach the end zone again. On their final offensive play of the afternoon, Brammer's pass from the SXU 25-yard line to Cook narrowly fell incomplete, sealing the 37-28 loss for the Trojans.

Despite five total interceptions in the loss, Brammer ended the day with 369 passing yards on 23 completions for three touchdowns. Cook finished with 157 yards and two scores on five catches, while Lowe led the Trojan run game with 48 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown. On defense, Reese notched 12 total tackles, including ten solo, plus one blocked punt.

Additional Game Notes

• TIU falls to 0-13 all-time against Saint Xavier after today's loss.

• Trinity's 28 points scored against the Cougars are the most they have posted since their last win, a 28-26 victory at Presentation College (S.D.) on Aug. 31, 2019.

• SXU out rushed the Trojans with 244-34 net yards.

• TIU's 20-point third quarter were the most points scored in any quarter since posting 21 in the third quarter of their Oct. 20, 2018 game at Robert Morris (IL). Trinity would lose that game 56-21.

• The Trojans dominated the passing game, recording 369 passing yards from Nolan Brammer, while Saint Xavier's three quarterbacks combined for 147 yards in the air.

• Trinity converted three of 12 attempts on third down, and three of six on fourth down. The Cougars were three of 15 on third down, and just one of four on fourth.

• Brammer's 80-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cook in the third quarter was the longest completed pass of his TIU career (2019-pres.).

• Brammer's 23 pass competitions give him 154 in his NAIA career, surpassing Daniel Beals (2009-12) for the sixth on the program's career pass completions list.

• Derek Lowe's fourth quarter touchdown was the tenth rushing touchdown of his career, tying him with Isaac Branch (2015-19) for seventh most rushing scores in program history.

• Kemon Reese's blocked punt for a safety was the first blocked kick of his career.

NEXT UP

TIU (0-2) will travel to St. Louis as they face the Missouri Baptist University Spartans on Saturday, March 6. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:00PM CST from Spartans Field and can be watched LIVE on the Spartan Digital Network.

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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.