Trojans Cruise Past Judson for Best Start Since 1999
 UPLAND, Ind. – Playing at Turner Stadium for the first time this season, Taylor followed a pair of high-scoring road wins with more of the same, this time wowing its large home crowd with a 52-29 victory over Judson.
The win improved the Trojans to 3-0 on the young season, giving the program its best start to a season since opening its 1999 campaign with six-straight wins en route to a MSFA championship and a NAIA Playoffs appearance.
The 52-point outburst followed TU’s 58 points in its overtime win one week prior at Olivet Nazarene, marking the first time Taylor had posted 50 points on the scoreboard in back-to-back outings since 1962. The Trojans opened that campaign by outscoring Indiana Central and Rose Poly by a 108-6 margin on the way to the first of three-straight Hoosier Collegiate Conference crowns.
Taylor continued its early-season trend of scoring early and often, getting points on each of its five first-half possessions for a 31-14 halftime cushion. TU found the end zone four times in the opening half to hit its season average of 31.0 points before the break and has now scored touchdowns on 12-of-17 offensive possessions before the half during its 3-0 start.
TU finished the night with 24 first downs, 522 total yards of offense on 8.7 yards per snap, while piling up 376 rushing yards. The Trojans posted touchdown plays of 31, 44, 58 and 82 yards to continue showcasing their big-play abilities.
Those numbers helped the Trojans improve their lofty offensive rankings in the NAIA, moving TU to No. 4 in the NAIA with 312.7 rushing yards per game, No. 5 with 511.0 total yards per game, No. 8 with 48.0 points per game and No. 8 with 74 total first downs through the season’s first three weeks of action.
Taylor spread around its offense in the home opener, getting at least 35 yards on the ground from five different players. Dakohta Sonnichsen led the way with 83 yards and a touchdown on just three carries, while Kyle Turanchick scored twice and rushed for 81 yards on seven touches. Jameson Chesser posted 73 yards and a score on 13 attempts, while Kyle Stratton called his own number four times for 59 yards and Noah Lien ended with 37 yards on three carries and his first collegiate score.
Nathan Munson continued his remarkable start to his TU career, hauling in a touchdown pass for the third time in as many college games. The freshman tight end went untouched for an 82-yard touchdown to mark his fifth time finding the end zone on his first five collegiate catches.
Isaac Hoke also had a nice night, leading a trio of TU kickers to score points in the contest with a 44-yard field goal and two extra points.
Aven Jones recorded his third-straight double-digit tackle output to start the year, pacing the Trojans with 11, while Thad Thoman made a team-leading 2.5 hits for lost yardage and posted the team’s lone sack of the evening.
Matthew Hager had TU’s only takeaway of the game, hauling in a fourth-quarter interception and returning it 17 yards to the Judson nine on the final defensive play of the game for the Trojans.
Taylor (3-0, 1-0 MSFA) will look to remain the lone unbeaten within the MSFA Mideast League when it travels to Kentucky Christian (1-2) for a 4:30 pm start on September 21. The meeting will be TU’s first-ever with KCU on the gridiron.
