No. 10 Tiger Football comes back to San Antonio for their first Southern Athletic Association (SAA) game of the season.

The Tigers (3-0) are coming off a bye week after a dominant 24-6 home win over Pacific Lutheran. Luke Sams (Jacksboro, Texas / Jacksboro) led the team in rushing with 63 yards on 10 carries, while Jamel Nickerson (Cypress, Texas / Cy-Fair) added 55 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes. On offense, Welker Horn has led the Tigers through the air, completing 30-of-46 passes for 342 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Jason Love has been the team's leading rusher with 139 yards on 34 carries, while Maddox Morkovsky leads the team with 103 receiving yards.

Through three games, Trinity has continued to establish itself on both sides of the ball. The Tigers are averaging 30.3 points per game while allowing just 12.3 points per game. Trinity has rushed for 534 yards while holding opponents to just 75 rushing yards, and the Tigers have recorded 12 sacks while allowing only six.

TJ Scannell leads the Tigers with 29 total tackles through three games, including 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Diego Davila has 22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception, while Judson Crockett has recorded 13 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass breakups, and an interception.

Jackson Runyan has handled the kicking duties for the Tigers, connecting on 5-of-7 field-goal attempts while averaging 38.9 yards per punt. Runyan has also handled kickoffs, averaging 58.2 yards on 18 attempts.

D3football.com Poll - Tigers at 10

In the latest D3football.com national poll, the Tigers are ranked No.10. Two Texas teams now hold a spot in the top 10 with Hardin Simmons coming in at No. 9. The top 5 spots come in with North Central (Ill.) at No.1 with UW-River Falls, Wheaton (Ill.), UW-Platteville, and St. John's all following in that order.

SAA Defensive Player of the Week - Diego Davila

For the first time in his career, Diego Davila has been selected as the SAA Defensive Player of the Week.

From the SAA Press Release: 
Davila led a stingy Trinity defense that allowed just 217 total yards and a paltry 24 yards rushing in a 24-6 win over Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday. Davila piled up eight tackles – six solo – that included two sacks for a loss of 18 yards, a forced fumble, a pass breakup, and a QB hurry. 

Preview - Home Again

The Tigers will be back at Trinity Multi-Purpose Stadium against the Berry College Vikings on Saturday, October 3rd with a 12:00 PM kickoff.

On the Berry Vikings: So far this season, the Berry Vikings are 3-0. They opened with three straight wins over Huntingdon (50-20), LaGrange (20-17), and Carnegie Mellon (16-10) before their bye week. Berry enters the matchup having allowed just 47 points through three games.

Berry is led offensively by junior quarterback Andrew Hunter. Hunter has completed 35-of-54 passes for 514 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions while also rushing for 183 yards and one touchdown. In the backfield, junior Jake Turner leads the Vikings with 236 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries. Devin Gale has also contributed 83 rushing yards and a touchdown. The passing game is anchored by junior Cameron Coleman, who leads the team with 179 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions. Eli Warrington has added 112 yards on seven receptions, while Zavion Plunkett has 79 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Vikings are led by Gabe Bauman, Liam Jeffries, and Erik Jensen, who each have 17 total tackles through three games. Jensen has recorded five tackles for loss and a sack, while Bauman has added 3.5 tackles for loss. Buie Crawford has 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries. Steven Pickett has also made an impact in the secondary with 10 tackles and nine pass breakups.

Special teams are handled by junior Conner Hughes, who has handled Berry's kicking duties and has connected on all eight of his extra-point attempts. Miles Hamby has served as the Vikings' primary punter, averaging 40.6 yards per punt while placing four punts inside the 20-yard line. Last season, Berry defeated Trinity twice, including a 29-6 decision during the regular season and a 31-23 victory in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals. The Vikings enter this year's matchup following a 16-10 win over Carnegie Mellon and will make the trip to San Antonio for the opening game of SAA conference play.

Looking Ahead

The Tigers will hit the road for another big test against Southwestern University on Saturday, October 10th.