No. 9/10 Tiger Football hits the road for a tough test against Southwestern University.

The Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SAA) opened conference play with a hard-fought 23-6 win over No. 11/16 Berry College. It took nearly the entire first quarter before Trinity found the end zone, but the Tigers took a 7-0 lead with just 35 seconds remaining in the opening period on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Welker Horn (Lubbock, Texas / Lubbock Christian) to Colten Schmid (New Braunfels, Texas / La Vernia) . Berry answered with a 65-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, but Trinity responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Hondo Franklin (Allen, Texas / Lovejoy) to Alejandro Tavarez (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) to take a 13-6 lead into halftime. The Tigers added a 32-yard field goal from Jackson Runyan in the third quarter before Jason Love (San Antonio, Texas / Brennan) capped the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown run early in the fourth. The Tiger defense held Berry scoreless for the final three quarters while recording five sacks and forcing two turnovers. Trinity's special teams also played a major role, blocking two punts and helping the Tigers control field position throughout the game. TJ Scannell (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) led the team with 14 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Alejandro Tavarez led the receiving corps with three receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown, while Welker Horn finished with 191 passing yards and a touchdown.

SAA Defensive Player of the Week - TJ Scannell

For the first time this season, TJ Scannell has been awarded SAA Defensive Player of the Week.

From the SAA Press Release:
Scannell produced one of the best games of his career to lead #9/10 Trinity to a 23-6 win over #11/16 Berry in the opening game of the SAA schedule for both schools. Scannell finished with a game-best 14 tackles that was just one shy of his career high, including nine solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry. Through four games this season, Scannell has recorded 31 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 5.0 tackles for loss.

SAA Special Teams Player of the Week - Judson Crockett

For the second time this season, Judson Crockett (Austin, Texas / Westlake) has been awarded SAA Special Teams Player of the Week.

From the SAA Press Release:
Crockett came up big once again in a matchup between nationally-ranked teams as #9/10 Trinity defeated #11/16 Berry in the opening game of the SAA schedule for both schools. Crockett blocked two punts in the game to help the Tigers control field position, with the second block leading to a field goal that put Trinity ahead 16-6 midway through the third quarter. This is the second time this season that Crockett has had two punt blocks in a game, and he has blocked five punts in four games this year.

D3football.com Tigers Ranking - No. 8

In the latest D3football.com national poll, the Tigers are ranked No. 8. Trinity moved up after opening SAA play with a 23-6 victory over then No. 11/16 Berry. The Tigers are now 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.

Preview - Road Warriors

The Tigers will head to Georgetown, Texas to take on Southwestern University on Saturday, October 10th at 1:00 PM.

On the Southwestern University Pirates: The Pirates enter this home matchup with a 1-3 record (1-0 SAA). After opening the season with three straight losses to McMurry, Texas Lutheran, and Schreiner, Southwestern opened conference play with an impressive 42-21 road win over Sewanee. The Pirates outscored the Tigers 28-7 in the second half and finished with 446 total yards, including 300 through the air and 146 on the ground.

Junior quarterback Jaxon Sims leads the Southwestern offense and had a career performance against Sewanee, completing 16-of-19 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns. Sims has thrown for 10 touchdowns this season and will lead a Pirate offense that has shown a strong ability to make plays through the air. Jacob Washburn led Southwestern with 92 receiving yards against Sewanee, while Graydon Thompson caught two touchdown passes in the victory.

In the backfield, Jonathan Martin Jr. rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against Sewanee. Southwestern also received a rushing touchdown from Evan Carrosquilla as the Pirates finished with 146 rushing yards in the win.

Defensively, the Pirates created constant pressure against Sewanee, recording six sacks and forcing four turnovers. Sophomore Gavin Prince had a breakout performance with three sacks totaling 23 yards of loss, while Jameer Martin led the defense with seven tackles. Gilbert Anderson III added an interception and two pass breakups, while Cam Roberson and Seth Jammer also came away with interceptions.

Last season, Trinity defeated Southwestern 65-14 in San Antonio. The Tigers scored 49 unanswered points in the second half after leading 16-14 at halftime, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Luke Sams to open the third quarter. Trinity will now travel to Georgetown looking to remain unbeaten and build on its strong start to SAA play.

Looking Ahead

The Tigers will return home for alumni weekend to battle Maryville College on Saturday, October 17th.