Nov. 12, 2006
Final Stats
(San Diego, CA) - The USD Toreros (10-0) kept their perfect season and I-AA playoff hopes alive with tonight's convincing 56-14 home victory over the Dayton Flyers before a school-record 7,323 fans at Torero Stadium. The 10-0 start to the season is a new school record, and USD's final 7-0 PFL record marks the second straight season the Toreros were undefeated in league play. USD also runs their win streak to 18 straight. Junior QB Josh Johnson, USD's Payton Watch candidate, turned in a brilliant game as he passed for 4 scores, ran in two touchdowns and even caught a TD pass as USD totaled 584 yards of offense. Johnson completed his first nine passes of the game, and finished 26-of-31 for 316 yards with TD strikes of 4, 15, 19 and 46 yards. Once again the Torero defense was ready to play as they limited UD to just 87 yards in the first half as the Toreros took a 34-0 score into the locker room.
"Our team was really ready to play, they were very focused," said head coach Jim Harbaugh. "It was a rivalry game, one that Dayton has dominated the series, no question about it. They have won 10, and we have now won four straight. We have a flag and we didn't want to lose that. We just didn't want to lose the ground that we have already taken. That was big in our players mind. It was a special night for our seniors. You know to have their parents out here for senior night, just a wonderful night all around."
Johnson set the tone for the game with two rushing scores of 3 and 15 yards in the first quarter for a quick 14-0 lead. It was the Josh Johnson aerial show in the 2nd quarter as he connected on TD strikes to Wes Doyle (4 yards), JT Rogan (15 yards) and John Matthews (19 yards) for the commanding 34-0 lead. The Toreros caught the Flyers off guard in the third period as half back JT Rogan took a handoff from Johnson, ran right, then turned back and passed to a wide open Johnson for a 25-yard score and 41-0 lead.
"I hope this was a good enough performance to prove we belong in the playoffs," said Josh Johnson. But if it wasn't, then there is nothing else we can do. We did what we could. We went 10-0. If that isn't good enough, then it just isn't meant to be. So if that is the case, then we will go up and play UC Davis and then on to the Gridiron Classic."
Dayton took advantage of Johnson's only slip up of the game as Ryan Heideloff intercepted his pass on the Torero 13 and returned it to the USD 9-yard line. UD quarterback Kevin Hoyng completed three straight short passes with the third one culminating in a 2-yard TD reception by Matt Champa. After John Matthews hauled in his 2nd TD of the game, this time a 46-yard bomb from Johnson, USD scored its final points on a 10-yard TD run by Brendan Feliczak. That gave USD a 56-7 lead after three quarters. Dayton scored the only TD in the 4th quarter on a 1-yard plunge frm Ben Shappie.
For the game the Torero defense held the Flyers to just 201 yards of total offense (79 rushing). Junior DE Eric Bakhtiari led the way with 7 tackles, including a QB sack for -8 yards. Chase McBride followed with 5 stops and a sack, and LB Hanner Hart chipped in with 5 tackles. Offensively Johnson passed for 316 yards; rushed for 57 yards and 2 scores; and hauled in a 25-yard TD pass from Rogan. JT Rogan also turned in a solid game as he rushed for 74 yards; and caught a personal-best 9 balls for 119 yards and 1 score. Brendan Feliczak turned in a solid ground game with 86 yards rushing on 12 carries, including his 10-yard TD run. WR Wes Doyle caught 6 balls for 64 yards and a score, and John Matthews hauled in 4 balls for 82 yards and 2 scores.
