No. 23 Tiger Football heads to the west coast to battle Pacific Lutheran. 
 
The Tigers (2-0) obliterated Belhaven in their 2025 home opener 49-0. Trinity was dominant on both sides of the ball, piling up 462 yards of total offense and the defense limited the Blazers (1-1) to a paltry 104 yards. The defense allowed just 21 yards rushing, forced three turnovers, and scored a touchdown on an interception return. That doesn't count another pick-six that was called back due to a penalty. Trinity scored 21 points in both the first and second quarters to take a 42-0 lead by halftime. This was Trinity's first shutout since defeating Millsaps College (MS) 63-0 in 2023, and the Tigers have won each of the two meetings with Belhaven by 45 or more points. 
 
SAA Defensive Player of the Week - Kody Brown
 
For the first time in his career, freshman Kody Brown (San Antonio, Texas / Harlan) was awarded the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Defensive Player of the Week. 
 
From the SAA Press Release:
 
Brown led a Trinity defense that allowed just over 100 total yards and forced three turnovers in a dominating 49-0 win in the team's 2025 home debut against Belhaven University (MS) on Saturday night. Brown had a night of firsts in just his second collegiate game for the Tigers, recording a pair of interceptions in the first half of the game. His first pick stopped one of the only promising Belhaven drives of the first half, snagging a deflection at the 30-yard line and getting forced out of bounds after a 23-yard return on his first career interception. Brown's second came with Belhaven backed up in its own end and resulted in a 30-yard return for a touchdown, which came with 42 seconds left in the second quarter and gave Trinity a 42-0 lead at halftime.
 
D3football.com Top 25 Rankings - Tigers Jump In
 
For the first time this season, the Trinity Tigers have broken into the D3football.com Top 25 rankings, coming in at No. 23. The Tigers sit just ahead of Cortland and Brockport in the national poll. North Central (Ill.) holds the top spot, followed by Mount Union at No. 2 and Johns Hopkins at No. 3. Regional rivals Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons are ranked sixth and eighth, respectively. Within the Southern Athletic Association, Berry earned the No. 20 ranking, while fellow league member Maryville is receiving votes.
 
Preview - Tigers on the Coast
 
Trinity will hit the road for the second time this season when they head to Tacoma, Washington to battle Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, September 20th at 12:00 PM (PT).
 
On the Pacific Lutheran Lutes: The Pacific Lutheran Lutes have opened their season at 1-1. After narrowly dropping their season opener to Cal Lutheran, 18-15, the Lutes bounced back with a decisive 42-16 victory over Simpson University.
 
Through two games, Pacific Lutheran is averaging just 2.7 yards per carry, with senior running back Jacob Schuh leading the ground attack at 100 total rushing yards. That statistic could present a favorable matchup for a Trinity run defense that currently ranks 28th nationally.
 
The strength of the Lutes' offense lies in their passing game. Senior quarterback Darius Chaffin has thrown for five touchdowns on 37-of-70 passing with just one interception. His top target has been sophomore receiver Connor Meade, who has recorded 156 receiving yards. Senior wideout AJ Stepina has also made a strong impact, hauling in eight catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Defensively, sophomore defensive back Eli Fernandez leads the team with 18 total tackles. The Lutes' secondary has combined for seven pass breakups and one interception, while fellow defensive back Jackson Hale leads the defense in sacks with two.
 
On special teams, punter Ryan Dikover has averaged strong field position control, with four of his nine punts landing inside the 20-yard line. Meade has also contributed in the return game, totaling 145 yards on four kick returns, including a touchdown.
The last meeting between Trinity and Pacific Lutheran came in 2016, when the Tigers claimed a hard-fought 9-3 defensive battle. Overall, Trinity and Pacific Lutheran have met twice, with the all-time series tied at 1-1.
Looking Ahead
 
The Tigers will host the Pirates of Southwestern in their first SAA action of the season on October 4th.