Anderson with record 7 TDs as Trojans beat Wisconsin Lutheran
Box Score DEERFIELD, Ill. -- It was a record-breaking start to the home schedule for the Trinity International offense on Saturday, as quarterback
Stephen Anderson passed for 413 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a 49-22 victory over the Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors. Anderson set a new school record with his seven TDs, while becoming the second quarterback in Trojan football history to surpass the 400-yard mark in a single game.
Box Score | Season Stats | Photo GalleryAs a team, Trinity generated 477 yards of total offense, putting 49 points on the scoreboard for the second straight game. TIU took the early 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter, when on their second drive of the day, Anderson found
Cory Windle for the 16-yard touchdown pass. Wisconsin Lutheran answered immediately; the Warriors recovered an onside kick attempt, taking possession on their own 49 yard line. Ten plays later, WLC quarterback Anthony Hernandez found Mitch Skarban for the 2-yard, game-tying score.
After a 19-yard
Chris Elliott run set the Trojans up at the five yard line, Anderson put his team back in front with a corner fade pass caught by junior
Dillon Turk in the closing minutes of the first quarter. A three-and-out on defense gave TIU the ball right back at the 14:10 mark of the second quarter, giving the offense a chance to make it a two-possession game. An 11-play, 68-yard drive resulted in Windle bringing in the second of his four touchdown catches, as the Trojans built a 21-7 advantage.
The Warriors would rally over the remainder of the first half, eventually taking a narrow lead. A 41-yard pass from Hernandez to WLC wideout Eli Campbell set the Warriors up inside the 10-yard line, where they would later convert on a three-yard Mike Reeves touchdown run, making it a 21-14 ballgame. The following Trojan drive was stalled out with the ball on their own 40, but a bad snap sailed over the head of the punter on fourth down, giving WLC possession on the Trojan 22-yardline. Six plays later, the Warriors punched it in for their third score of the game. A bad snap on the extra point looked as through Trinity would hold on to a one-point lead, but Skarban, acting as the holder on the play, scooped up the ball and found Luke Sebald in the end zone for the impromptu two-point conversion, giving Wisconsin Lutheran a 22-21 lead.
The Trinity International defense made two big plays to start the third quarter, as linebacker
Riley Schussler ended two back-to-back WLC drives with a pair of interceptions. The Trojans reclaimed the lead after the first pick, when Anderson connected with Turk on the first play of the drive for a 51-yard touchdown, putting TIU back in front 28-22. TIU would keep the Warriors off the scoreboard the rest of the day, while Anderson continued to put up numbers. The La Mirada, Calif. native connected with Windle with six minutes to play in the third quarter for the fifth TD pass of the day.
Windle's fourth and final touchdown reception came at the start of the fourth quarter, capping off an 8-play, 50-yard drive with a touchdown from 22 yards out. Following a three-and-out for the Warriors, Turk's number was called again, on a 34-yard touchdown catch for his third score of the game, extending the Trojans lead to what would wind up as the final score, 49-22.
Anderson broke the single-game passing touchdown mark of six TDs, which he had previously tied during the 2012 season. Jon Stark (Sept. 16, 1995) set the original mark with six TDs against Lindenwood (Mo.). He also set the program's second-highest mark in passing yards, finishing 59 yards shy of the all-time record, also held by Stark (Sept. 2, 1995, vs. Greenville (Ill.))
Running back
Chris Elliott finished with 73 yards on 22 carries, which moved the Miami native into third on TIU's all-time rushing list, with a career 2,314 yards as a Trojan. Elliott surpasses Israel Diaz (1998-2001, 2,281 yards) for third on the list.
Among the receiving corps, Turk brought in a game-high 11 catches, totaling 162 yards to lead all players.
Courtney Johnson made eight catches for 67 yards, while Windle finished with six receptions and 80 yards. Anderson went 34-for-45 in the game, with no interceptions, and was not brought down for a sack all day.
On the defensive side of the ball,
Darwin Stone led the team with 10 tackles on the day.
Justin Hackley finished with 1.5 sacks, and Jarrell Carter recorded an interception in the end zone, killing a WLC drive midway through the third quarter.
Now sitting at 2-0 on the year, Trinity International will hit the road next week, as they travel to Joliet to face off against the 20th-ranked St. Francis Saints. Kickoff from ATI Field is set for Saturday, September 20, at 4:00 p.m.
