UPLAND, Ind.—The Trojans traveled up to the war path again on Saturday night, this time across the Indiana border to take on Taylor University, losing in a 41-19 decision.
Playing in front of a rival crowd of some 1730 fans, the Trojans came out swinging, matching the fans' hostile energy with some of their own as they marched 55 yards down the field. The seven-play drive was highlighted by a third-down conversion to Trinity's budding star, freshman Cameron Jones, who got a whole lot more than the four yards required to move the sticks on a 41-yard reception. Once again deployed as the starter in the Trojans' potent signal-caller platoon, Melvin Bobo IV racked up 56 passing yards on the drive while also scampering away for a 13-yard rush, but the promising start was snuffed out by an errant field goal attempt.
After falling behind 14-0 early in the second stanza, the Trojan offense found a spark, with Bobo showing off his dual-threat prowess, leading Trinity as they plodded down the field on a methodical 11-play, 63-yard effort. Despite not completing a single pass on the drive, the Trojans took advantage of a couple Taylor miscues while rushing the ball effectively. Derek Lowe employed his bruising running style to finish the job, toting the rock three consecutive times on goal-to-go before battering his way in from one yard out on third down to cut the deficit to 14-6. A Taylor three-and-out later, the Trojans struck again, this time leaning on the brilliance of their young star Jones, who returned the Taylor punt 74 yards to the house. Despite a failure to convert on a PAT and two-point attempt and one more Taylor score before the end of the half, the Trojans remained very much in the thick of it by halftime, trailing 24-12 at the break.
While Taylor immediately notched a touchdown out of the locker room, scoring off the first drive of the second half to increase their lead to a 31-12 margin, the Trojans continued to battle. With Taylor deep in Trojan territory and looking to put the game on ice late in the third, graduate student and Trojan vet Lorente Blakeney came up with a clutch pick to get the ball back in the hands of his offense.
Still driving down the field early in the fourth thanks to the efforts of Blakeney, the Trojans faced a daunting 4th and 6 near midfield. For the first time all night, coach
Willie Tillman called the number of his talented freshman quarterback, reigning MSFA regional player of the week
Liam Mickle, who answered the call with a clutch 15-yard run to move the marker. Facing an identical 4th and 6 on the next set of downs, it was the veteran's turn to get it done for Trinity, with Bobo slinging the ball downfield to tailback Lowe, who picked up 20 on the play and penetrated the red zone. A few plays later, the Trojans turned to their workhorse Lowe again, who found paydirt for the second time, working his way in from six yards out to cap a remarkable 15-play, 80-yard drive that reduced the deficit to 31-19.
While TIU wouldn't score again and ultimately lost 41-19, the squad certainly showed promise in a tough environment on the road. While Mickle showed he was ready to contribute immediately in last week's battle with Quincy, this time it was the veteran Bobo showing why coach Tillman still trusts him as the starter, as he posted an efficient 10-for-19 passing effort for 105 yards without turning the ball over. The Trojans also employed a multi-pronged rushing attack that prominently featured Lowe (12 carries for 38 yards and 2 TD, 2 catches for 35 yards), but also showcased the abilities of Javier Acosta (12 carries for 72 yards, 6 yards per carry). And of course Jones made a mark on the box score once again in just his third career game, posting an eye-popping 237 all-purpose yards (63 receiving, 74 on punt returns, 101 on kick returns, losing one yard rushing), besting his previous mind-bending mark of 205 from the season opener and topping 150 in every game this season.
Up Next:
The Trojans (0-3) will look to parlay their momentum into some results when they go out of state again to challenge Indiana Wesleyan in Marion, Indiana, in a bright and early 11 o'clock contest on Saturday, September 24.
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.
