TU Drops Afternoon Tilt at NCAA Division I FCS Butler
INDIANAPOLIS – Taylor traveled south to take on NCAA Division I FCS Butler on Saturday, marking its first of two-straight outings against Division I foes. The Trojans hung tight with the Bulldogs through the first half but eventually saw the hosts pull away for the 41-13 outcome.
Taylor rushed for over 150 yards for the third-straight time to start the 2023 campaign and ended with 320 total yards of offense against Butler (1-1), which countered with 439. TU also nearly split the time of possession with the Bulldogs and had just one turnover compared to zero from the hosts.
The game remained tight through the first two quarters, as Butler scored the first 17 points but saw the Trojans close the gap to 17-7 at the break. Ja Thomas hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Damon Hockett deep in the second quarter to put TU on the board.
A lopsided third quarter put the game out of reach but Taylor found the end zone once again midway through the fourth when Stephen Ellis connected with Dakohta Sonnichsen for a 75-yard strike that capped the scoring with 9:01 remaining.
Ellis also led Taylor on the ground with 42 yards over six carries, while Braxton Ream added 40 yards on seven carries. Drew Bagley led the Trojan receivers with six receptions for 58 yards.
Aven Jones highlighted the defense for Taylor, posting 16 tackles and registering one of three TU sacks, with Caleb Ranzau and Thad Thoman notching the others.
Taylor (1-2, 0-1 MSFA) will play another Division I opponent on the road in one week, traveling to Dayton (1-1) for a 1:00 pm start on September 16.
