Sept. 30, 2006
Final Stats
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Josh Johnson threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns, plus rushed for 127 yards and another score to help visiting San Diego spoil Davidson's homecoming on Saturday afternoon on Smith Field at Richardson Stadium, 50-21. San Diego, the top-ranked I-AA Mid-Major squad in the country, improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Pioneer Football League while winning its 12th straight game, the longest in Division I-AA. The 12 straight wins also ties USD's school mark that has stood since 1980-81. The Wildcats dropped to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in the conference.
The Toreros amassed 648 yards of offense, with Johnson accounting for 437 of those yards, third best in school history. He completed 27 of his 39 throws to rack up his 310 passing yards, his second 300-yard game of the season and the seventh of his career. His 127 yards on the ground came on just 11 carries, an 11.5-yard average. In addition, San Diego tailback J.T. Rogan led the squad with 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 rushes, the seventh 100-yard game of his career and second in 2006. Sean Cullina was the recipient of two of Johnson's four touchdown tosses and finished with 5 receptions for 33 yards. Ben Hannula was Johnson's main target as he caught 8 balls for 45 yards.
"I thought it was a dominating performance by our offense," said head coach Jim Harbaugh. "Josh had a tremendous game. He beat them with his legs, he beat them with his arm. Sean Cullina stepped up and made a couple of great catches, and the line protected really well. The thing I'm happy the most about is the way the line played."
The game began ominously for the host Wildcats as they fumbled away the opening kick. Four plays later, Johnson found WR Kenny Stivers in the end zone for a four-yard scoring strike and a quick 7-0 Torero lead. It was the first of five straight possessions in which San Diego scored.
Davidson responded, however, with a touchdown drive of its own. Junior quarterback Ryan Alexander hit junior wide receiver Beaux Jones with a 43-yard bomb to begin the drive, and senior tailback Jonathon Hubbard finished it off with a one-yard dive into the end zone, tying the game at seven.
The Toreros came right back as Johnson finished off a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a two-yard pass to Cullina. On the second play of the second quarter, Rogan scored his first touchdown of the afternoon, boosting the USD lead to 21-7.
Hutch Parker booted a 19-yard field goal to make the score 24-7 with 8:48 to play in the half. Barely four minutes later, the Toreros needed just four rushes to traverse 60 yards, culminating on a two-yard Rogan burst. A failed kick on the point-after attempt kept the score at 30-7.
The 'Cats mounted an 86-yard touchdown drive in just nine plays before the end of the half. Alexander hooked up with junior Ryan Hubbard for an 18-yard score, and junior Matt McGreevy ran in a two-point conversion, leaving the Wildcats down 15 at the half, 30-15.
In the third quarter, Johnson threw to a wide-open TE Mitch Ryan in the middle of the field for a 26-yard touchdown toss, but once again the PAT failed. San Diego made it 43-15 early in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard scamper by Johnson and a successful PAT by freshman John McSorley.
The Torero defense stopped Davidson throughout the 3rd quarter and allowed just 6 points in the final 30 minutes of play. Once again it was a total team effort on defense with Josh Brisco leading the way with 5 tackles. Ronnie Pentz and Patrick O'Neill each collected interceptions.
Davidson's final points of the day came on a 36-yard pass from Alexander to Jones on 4th-and-3 with 11:17 to play. The two-point pass attempt went out of the end zone, however, leaving the score 43-21.
Johnson and Cullina teamed up for a five-yard touchdown pass for the final score of the day with 4:30 on the clock.
For Davidson, Alexander finished the game 14-of-32 for 164 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He had thrown 117 consecutive passes without a pick before his first of two late in the fourth quarter, setting a new Davidson record. Jones caught four passes for 98 yards to lead the Wildcats, and punter Cyrus Maddox booted five punts for a 49.4-yard average, including a 72-yarder to break the old school record set 41 years ago.
San Diego ran 88 plays on offense in gaining 648 yards while Davidson mustered only 48 to amass 247 yards. It marked the 10th game in its last 12 that USD has scored 40 or more points. USD will put its 12-game winning streak, and 15-game home winning streak, on the line this Saturday, October 7th, when they host Butler at 2 pm in their annual homecoming game.
