ST. LOUIS, MO —The Trojans enjoyed several strong contributions on Saturday afternoon, but ultimately couldn't overcome the Spartans of Missouri Baptist University (MBU), falling 24-10 on the road.

After letting up a touchdown on their first defensive possession, the Trojan offense took the field with a purpose early in the MSFA showdown. On the first play from scrimmage, a pair of dynamic freshmen, quarterback Liam Mickle and wideout Cameron Jones, ignited the offense with an 11-yard connection. Facing a daunting 3rd-and-10 later in the drive, Mickle looked downfield and fired a strike to Charlie Weber for a 32-yard gain, moving the sticks and continuing the converted safety's emergence as a solid option in the receiving game as he enjoyed a career day on Saturday. Facing another third and long, the Trojans again refused to let the drive fizzle out, as Mickle hooked up with the ever-reliable Khalid Humphreys for a gain of exactly 12 that was just enough to grant the Trojans a fresh set of downs. Unfortunately, the drive would stall via an interception, but the Trojan defense came to the aid of their offensive unit by stopping the Spartans on the subsequent sequence, with reigning NCCAA Defensive Player of the Week Jeremy Walton closing out the quarter and the drive with a timely third down sack. After the eventful stanza, the Trojans trailed, 7-0.

The Trojans struggled to keep their offensive momentum alive early in the second quarter as Trinity allowed another touchdown drive to fall behind 14-0. With their backs to the wall in the waning minutes of the opening half, Mickle and the Trojans sensed the urgency and mounted an inspired effort on their final possession of the period. The Trojans quickly moved the chains with completions to Weber and Jones before facing a 4th-and-1 near midfield. With nearly two minutes still on the clock, Trojan coach Willie Tillman elected to roll the dice, a gutsy ploy that paid off when Trinity tailback Derek Lowe plunged forward for a gain of four and a fresh set of downs. After the conversion, the Trojans continued to march downfield in methodical fashion, plowing deep into Spartan territory despite an 11-yard Mickle scramble marking the longest gain of the drive. In desperate need of a score, Trojan veteran Cameron Outlaw drilled his first field goal of the year to get the Trojans on the board before halftime, setting the midway score at 14-3.

The third quarter was an uneventful one for the Trojan offense, but Trinity's swarming defense had ample opportunity to show their grit and toughness while holding the Spartan offense to just three points in the frame. While MBU's opening drive of the latter half started out with promise, the Trojans made an inspiring red zone stand. Backed up at their own 12-yard line, the Trojans stifled the Spartan running game, with Walton nabbing a pair of tackles to force a 3rd-and-7. On the pivotal down, the Trojans engulfed the opposing quarterback, forcing a fumble that nearly turned the tide entirely. While the Spartans recovered their own miscue and came away with a field goal, the Trojan stand kept the game within reach. The Trojan defense would continue to roll for the rest of the quarter, keeping the Spartans off of the score sheet for the duration of the period as the Trojans trailed 17-3 entering the fourth.

After the Spartans opened the final quarter with a touchdown, the Trojan offense got back in rhythm late in the ballgame. While the Trojans started by mounting a 10-play drive that penetrated MBU territory and featured 25- and 12-yard completions to Jones, the unit really clicked on their final chance of the day. Facing a daunting 3rd-and-20, Mickle went back to the electric Cameron Jones, who hauled in the 25-yard dart for the improbable conversion. A few plays later, Mickle took a shot downfield to talented newcomer Bryce Thurman, who secured the grab and galloped all the way to the three-yard line. With the ball on the doorstep, Lowe came up big with another bruising run, barreling into the end zone for the Trojans' first touchdown of the day. While Trinity ran out of time, losing 24-10, the impressive final effort nonetheless provided a positive conclusion despite the unfortunate result.

While the Trojans were unable to emerge victorious on the road, they did enjoy impressive contributions on both sides of the ball in Saturday's contest. The Trinity passing attack remained dangerous, with Mickle tossing for 229 yards while several of his receivers enjoyed solid days, including Jones (8 catches for 96 yards), Thurman (3 for 52), and Weber (4 for 48, including a 32-yard grab, with all 3 categories marking career highs). The Trojans also got outstanding efforts on the other side of the ball, with true freshman Jeremy Walton continuing his blistering debut campaign with a 12-tackle, 2-sack day that gives him double-digit sacks with two games still to go. Walton's fellow warrior in the trenches Elijah Kalu also showed out for Trinity, with the Kentucky Christian transfer posting his best game as a Trojan, notching nine tackles.

The Trojans (0-9) will hope to enter the win column while celebrating the contributions of their departing senior class on Senior Day in the home finale on Saturday, November 5th, at 12 p.m.
 

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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.