BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- After playing their two home games on neutral fields throughout the spring season, the TIU football team returned home to Leslie Frazier Field on the Deerfield campus on a rainy Saturday afternoon as they hosted the 13th-ranked Olivet Nazarene Tigers in their final game of the year. Facing off against the top team in the Mid-States Football Association's (MSFA) Midwest League, the Trojans looked to cap a season of promising improvement.

The Tigers would jump out to an impressive 17-0 lead in the first quarter with touchdowns in two of their first three drives. Trinity would get on the board early in the second period as quarterback Nolan Brammer took the ball to the end zone himself on a five yard touchdown run, but would fail on the two-point conversion attempt. After ONU reached the end zone on their next possession, TIU responded back with running back Derek Lowe breaking the goal line just before halftime, trailing 27-12.

Defense would be the name of the game in the second half as Trinity would try to slow down the Tiger offensive machine, led by quarterback David Hutton. The Trojan defense would sack Hutton five times, and would intercept the ONU passer twice, both times by Corey Watkins. After punting on their first drive of the half, Lowe found the end zone for a second time with 4:08 to go in the third quarter, but failed on a rushing attempt for two-points. While the Trojans were able to march down the field with key catches by receiver Gino Mastandrea, Brammer would be picked off on Trinity's final two drive, ending the game with a 37-18 loss.

Despite scoring one touchdown on the ground, Brammer was held to 224 yards in the air and three interceptions in TIU's season finale, but led the Trojans with 61 rushing yards. Mastandrea recorded eight catches for 122 yards in his final collegiate game, while Moses Smith notched 2.5 sacks with Logan Shears recording 1.5.

"Not upset with effort," said head coach Lamont Butler after the loss. "We have to execute consistently, and we got to keep working and get better, and you can't expect it to change overnight."

Additional Game Notes

• Prior to Saturday's game, the Trojans honored their five senior players playing their final game. Punter Cooper Williams, running back Dillon Patrick, wide receiver Gino Mastandrea, and linebackers Jaysn Walker and Courtland Boucher.

• Quarterback Nolan Brammer ends the regular season ranked fifth in the nation in passing yards/game (270.4) and total passing yards (1,893), and sixth in total offensive yards per game (286.3).

• Brammer's 224 passing yards against ONU give him 3,237 on his TIU career, passing Todd Johnson (1990-94) for the third most in program history.

• Wide receiver Gino Mastandrea finished the regular season as the NAIA's leader in receptions per game (8.0), fourth in receiving yards per game (115.0), sixth in total receptions (56), and seventh in total receiving yards (805).

• Mastandrea's 56 catches this season are tied with Nigel Pinson and Devonta Archer for sixth most in a single season. 

• Mastandrea's 805 receiving yards this year are the sixth  most in a single season in program history.

• Trinity fell to 7-24 all-time against Olivet Nazarene on Saturday with their loss. It was also the seventh consecutive loss to the Tigers.

• Saturday's loss extends the program's losing streak to 17, the longest in team history.

• The loss to the Tigers sealed TIU's third winless season in program history (2009, 2018).

The Trojans end the 2020-21 season with a final record of 0-7, and 0-6 against MSFA opponents.
 

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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.