Nov. 14, 2009

Final Stats

Morehead, KY- Justin Fontenberry connected with Eric Fiege for the 69-yard, go-ahead touchdown while the defense and special teams proved to be formidable, helping the University of San Diego football team defeat the Morehead State Eagles 13-7 on Saturday afternoon at Jayne Stadium. The victory in the final road game for USD snapped a four-game losing streak for the Toreros.

Fontenberry's touchdown pass occurred with 9:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Eagles had opportunities to regain the lead, but the Toreros stout defense stopped a fourth-down conversion, forced an interception, and stalled Morehead State's final possession at the end of the game to capture the win.

The USD defense forced two turnovers, an interception and fumble, in the game while also registering six sacks, with Mario Kurn leading the way with 2.5. Julian Strickland had 1.5 sacks, adding to his seven tackles in the game. Loka Kanongataa had a team-high eight tackles, including a sack, and a fumble recovery. Overall, USD surrendered 230 yards on defense, only 34 of which were on the ground.

The kicking game for the Toreros played a key role in the triumph, as Mike Levine kicked field goals from 26 and 39 yards and Kyle Negrete averaged 49.3 yards over six punts with a long of 65 yards.

The win for USD (4-6, 3-5 PFL) wraps up their slate of league contests for the 2009 season. The victory was also their fifth straight over Morehead State in the five all-time contests between the two teams. The loss for Morehead State (2-8, 0-7 PFL) meanwhile extends their seven-game losing streak.

Defense was the story in the first half for both sides. The USD defense limited the Morehead State offense to 80 yards in the first half while recording three sacks. The Toreros allowed the Eagles to convert only one of their six third-down opportunities, as the Eagles punted the ball five times in the first half.

Offensively, however, the Toreros were unable to find their rhythm during the game. In their first five possessions, two ended with an interception while another two were three-and-outs. The lone successful drive in the first half was an 11-play, 51-yarder in which Levine kicked a 26-yard field goal to bring the Toreros to a 3-0 advantage with 12:49 remaining.

Morehead State did not waste any time answering the USD score, starting with the ensuing kickoff. Winston Brodrick returned the USD kick for 83 yards, allowing the Eagles' drive to start on the USD 15-yard line. Following an incomplete pass on the first play, Zach Lewis connected with Jerrod Pendleton for a 15-yard touchdown, placing Morehead State in the lead, 7-3 with 12:17 remaining.

USD would go on to outscore Morehead State 10-0 in the second half as Levine converted the second of his two field goals in the third quarter and the Fontenberry-Fiege connection helped seal the win in the fourth. Gabe Derricks prevented a potential Morehead State score as the Eagles were driving deep into USD territory before Derricks forced a fumble at the USD 6 in the final minute of the third quarter.

Quarterback Bo Stompro, using the short-yardage, high completion-percentage passing game, was 13-for-15 in passing for the Toreros in the first half, with his two failed pass attempts being interceptions. He would go on to finish the game 19-for-25 with 191 yards passing. Phil Morelli led the Toreros with 63 rushing yards on 14 attempts. John McGough hauled in 7 receptions for 72 yards while Fiege had 5 receptions for 90 yards and the lone USD touchdown.

The Toreros will close out the season when they return home to face Southern Utah on Saturday, November 21st. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT.