BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- On a picture-perfect Saturday at Leslie Frazier Field, the Trojans dropped a painful 49-7 decision in their conference opener to the Fighting Bees of St. Ambrose amid the weekend's homecoming festivities.

St. Ambrose won the coin toss and curiously decided to receive first, an unconventional call that would pay dividends when they scored a 70-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The Trojans were undeterred however, with quarterback Liam Mickle leading a methodical 15-play, 71-yard drive deep into Ambrose territory. Making up for the loss of leading receiver Cameron Jones, who was sidelined for the contest, four different receivers hauled in catches and three different ball carriers toted the rock as the Trojans marched down the field without the benefit of any single play gaining double-digit yardage. However, the promising sequence went by the wayside when the Trojans turned it over on downs inside the red zone. Trinity rattled off a few more positive plays in the quarter, but ended the period trailing by a 14-0 score.

The Trojan offense struggled to carry over their early momentum to the second quarter while the defense showed occasional bright spots in the stanza. With their backs to the wall, the Trojans found a way to force two three-and-outs in the quarter, though the Bees' offense did manage to break through a couple more times to bolster their lead, swelling it to a 28-0 margin. With the standout freshman quarterback Mickle out of rhythm, the Trojans turned to veteran Melvin Bobo late in the half, and he quickly showed his dual-threat prowess with a 14-yard rush. Though the Trojans were forced to punt on that drive, their defense again held firm on the final Ambrose effort, keeping the score at 28-0.

At halftime, the Trojans recognized their inaugural Ring of Honor class, with former Trojan standouts Todd Johnson, Brian Martin, and Herb Coleman taking the field to the cheers of the Trojan faithful. They were officially inducted later that evening at the Inside the Huddle event hosted by head coach Willie Tillman.

The Trojans continued to struggle at times, but had sporadic flashes of brilliance as the third quarter wore on. After a high snap sailed over the Ambrose quarterback's head, the Trojans jumped on the loose change to regain possession. At the end of the quarter, the dormant offense finally came to life, with the Trojans utilizing the two-headed rushing attack of Bobo and tailback Javier Acosta to march down the field. Acosta showed his heart by picking up a huge first down on third-and-three before leaving the game with an apparent lower body injury, but not before giving the Trojans their best chance to get on the board as they trailed, 42-0.

The drive continued as the fourth quarter got underway, and the Trojan backfield didn't miss a beat despite the injury to Acosta, with veteran back Derek Lowe immediately stepping in and rattling off a 27-yard run to give the Trojans a first-and-goal scenario. Trinity didn't hesitate to put it in the belly of Lowe one more time, as the bruising runner promptly battered his way in for the five-yard score. Encouraged by their offense's spark, the Trojan defense finished the contest strong, giving up just one more score and allowing only seven total yards to the Bees on their final two drives to keep the final margin at 49-7.

In total, Trinity racked up 178 yards on the ground, good for 4.3 yards per carry. Lowe (14 carries, 78 yards, 1 touchdown) and Acosta (16 carries, 77 yards) each showcased their juice in a multi-pronged attack with the support of the Trojan offensive line, a unit that continues to improve steadily as the season wears on.

The Trojans (0-5) will look to avenge their defeat against another conference rival, the University of St. Francis, on the road in Joliet, Illinois, on the afternoon of October 8th.
 
 

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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.