Oct. 12, 2010
USD-Marist Notes 
GAME #7: The USD Toreros (1-2 PFL; 1-5), coming off a tough 21-20 PFL home defeat to the Dayton Flyers, will look to snap their two-game skid this coming Saturday, October 16th, when they travel to Poughkeepsie, New York to take on the Marist College Red Foxes (1-2 PFL; 2-3). Kickoff is slated for 9:05 a.m. (PT) at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field (5,000 capacity). Marist is coming off a convincing 51-7 road win over Valparaiso. >
SERIES RECORD: This is the 6th meeting between USD and Marist with the Toreros owning a perfect 5-0 record in the series that started back in 2003... This is also USD's first trip to Marist College with the first five meetings contested at Torero Stadium... The 2009 campaign was the first season for Marist as a member of the Pioneer Football League and USD came away with a 17-10 home victory on September 19th... Down 10-3 at halftime, QB Sam Scudellari came off the bench to lead USD to victory... JT Rogan punched in on a 2-yard rush at the end of the 3rd period to knot the score at 10-all, and Scudellari connected with TE Patrick Doyle on a 26-yard TD reception for the game-winner with forty-one seconds left... Defensively USD was paced by Loka Kanongataa (9 tackles).
WEBCAST/TWITTER: Saturday's contest will be webcast live (audio) with Jack Cronin (play-by-play) calling the action. Pre-game begins at 8:45 a.m. (PT). The feed will be streamed via the internet at www.usdtoreros.com. Click on the Listen link from the USD main website page. Cronin will also hav e live updates on twitter throughout the broadcast. Fans can follow along and interact by following @JackCronin1090 on Twitter.
PFL STANDINGS/SCHEDULE FOR OCT. 16TH: Dayton (3-0 PFL; 5-1), Jacksonville (3-0; 5-1), Drake (2-1; 3-3), Morehead State (1-1; 2-3), Campbell (1-1; 2-3), Butler (1-2; 3-3), Marist (1-2; 2-3), Davidson (1-2; 1-4), San Diego (1-2; 1-5), and Valparaiso (0-3; 0-6). This week's PFL games: (Sat., Oct. 16th) San Diego at Marist (noon), Dayton at Butler (1pm), Drake at Campbell (1pm), Davidson at Morehead State (1pm), Jacksonville at Valparaiso (2pm). (Times listed Eastern time).
SHURSON NAMED PFL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior kicker Stanley Shurson (Ramona, CA) has been named this week's Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the team's 21-20 loss to Dayton... Shurson did his part to keep the Toreros close throughout the contest with the Flyers... He made a pair of field goals, converted two extra points, averaged 38.3 yards on three punts and averaged 63.2 yards on five kickoffs... Shurson made a 29-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the first half to cut San Diego's deficit to four points, 14-10... His 36-yard field goal was the third quarter's only points and moved San Diego to within one point, setting up the fourth-quarter finish.
Josh Johnson ON RADIO WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Former Torero great Josh Johnson, currently in his 3rd season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be a guest Wednesday night, October 13th, on FAMFIRST Radio (www.famf1st.com) with host Anthony Jackson. Fans can call in to the show at (646) 378-1915 to ask Josh questions and participate in the interview.
TOREROS DROP 21-20 DECISION TO DAYTON FLYERS: USD had its comeback attempt fall short for the second week in a row as the Toreros dropped a 21-20 contest to Dayton in a PFL game. San Diego had an opportunity to take the lead in the final minutes of the game when Dayton kicker Nick Glavin missed a 37-yard field goal with three minutes remaining, giving USD the ball at their 20-yard line. After advancing to the USD 31-yard line, QB Mason Mills extended the drive with a 13-yard pass to Godfrey Smith on a fourth-and-10. Four plays later Mills and Smith could not connect on another 4th down attempt, stalling the drive with 48 seconds left. The Toreros took their first lead of the game in the early going of the fourth quarter when quarterback Sam Scudellari, who relieved starter Mills for one drive, tossed a nine-yard TD pass to TE Patrick Doyle with 13:08 remaining to make it 20-14. Scudellari drew the Dayton defense in with a fake handoff, reversing the play the other way on a roll-out to find the wide-open Doyle. Dayton quickly jumped back ahead on the subsequent drive, however, when they scored a TD on a 73-yard drive that consisted of three plays. The opening play of the drive, a 41-yard connection between QB Steve Valentino and Justin Watkins, provided the quick spark the Flyers needed to move the ball into USD territory. Two plays later, Valentino found Anthony Papp from 16 yards out, placing Dayton in lead 21-20 with 11:52 left in the game. The eventual game-winning TD for Dayton was their only score in the second-half as the Toreros defense held the Flyers offense, which came into the game averaging 399 total yards and scoring over 37 points per game, to 287 total yards. Loka Kanongataa led all Toreros with nine tackles, including a tackle for a loss, 0.5 sacks, and two QB hurries. After surrendering a touchdown to Dayton on their opening-drive of the game, the Toreros were forced to start their third drive of the game from their two-yard line. Facing virtually the entire playing field, the USD offense marched down the field with the help of big plays from a 24-yard rush from Justin Fontenberry and a fourth-down conversion by Phil Morelli with his three-yard run in Dayton territory. The long 14-play drive was later capped by a touchdown reception from John McGough to tie the game at seven. Mills scrambled free to find McGough for the 19-yard touchdown pass as Mills was inches from being sacked to the ground before he escaped and found McGough in the endzone. Kicker Stanley Shurson was perfect in his two field goal attempts, making a 29-yarder in the final seconds of the first half and a 36-yard field goal with 4:54 left in the third quarter. Mills finished 27-for-38 for 221 yards. Morelli led all USD rushers with 60 yards on 19 attempts.
TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros make their first trip to Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY)... On Friday the team will get a chance to visit West Point for their walk-thru, lunch and tour... USD will be looking to snap its 2-game skid following close battles with the PFL leaders Jacksonville (35-28) and Dayton (21-20)... For the second straight game the Toreros were paced by Phil Morelli (60 yards rushing), WR Godfrey Smith (7 catches for 61 yards), Mason Mills (27-38 for 221 yards and 1 TD) and Loka Kanongataa (9 tackles)... Through 3 PFL games, RB Phil Morelli is 1st among all PFL rushers at 87.7 yards per game, and tied for 2nd in scoring (8.0 ppg)... Kicker Stanley Shurson ranks 1st in field goals (1.0 made per game) and 3rd in punting (40.1 ave.)... Freshman Sam Hoekstra is 2nd in all-purpose yardage (156.3 yards per game) and kickoff returns (28.5 ave.)... Loka Kanongataa ranks 1st in tackles for loss (2.33 per game), followed by Mario Kurn (2.0)... For all games as a team, USD is tied for 1st in kickoff coverage, and 2nd in kickoff returns (23.0), interceptions (7), and turnover margin (+1.0)... Among all PFL players for the season, USD leaders include WR Godfrey Smith (2nd in receiving yards, 73.3), Stanley Shurson (tie-1st in field goals, 0.83 per game; tie-1st in PAT percentage, 14-14, 100%; 3rd in scoring for kickers, 4.8 ppg), Sam Hoekstra (2nd in all-purpose yardage, 140.8; 3rd in kick return average, 24.0), Mario Kurn (1st in sacks, 1.58; 1st in tackles for loss, 2.33; tie-3rd in forced fumbles, 0.33), Fred Obi (1st in interceptions, 0.50), Zach Dunaj (tie-2nd in fumbles recovered, 0.33), and Al-Rilwan Adeyemi (tie-3rd in interceptions, 0.33)... Among all FCS players, Kurn continues to rank first in both sacks and tackles for loss... Hoekstra ranks 23rd in the nation in all-purpose yardage and Smith is 37th in receiving yardage.
SCOUTING THE MARIST RED FOXES: Marist College (Poughkeepsie, New York) joined the Pioneer Football League in 2009... This season the Red Foxes are off to a 2-3 start (1-2 PFL)... Head Coach Jim Parady (98-91-1; 19th year) returns 11 starters (3 offense/8 defense) and 62 letterwinners from last year's club that finished 7-4 (5-3 PFL, 5th place)... This season's wins have come against Bucknell (14-3) and Valparaiso (51-7) this past weekend... Losses are to Sacred Heart (28-25), Morehead State (45-39) and Drake (42-0)... Against the Valparaiso Crusaders this past Saturday, Marist was paced by QB Tommy Reilly (12-23 for 235 yards, 2 TDs), RB Atiq Lucas (8 rushes for 113 yards, 1 TD), RB Matt Gray (13 rushes for 95 yards, 1 TD), RB Calvin McCoy (10 rushes for 62 yards, 2 TDs), WR James LaMacchia (4 receptions for 55 yards), LB Ryan Cronan (7 tackles, 1 forced fumble) and LB Alex Killian (7 tackles, 1 forced fumble)... Season leaders include McCoy (225 yards, 4 TDs), Reilly (75-136 for 1,092 yards, 8 TDs), LaMacchia (37 receptions for 366 yards, 3 TDs) and LB Tyler Ramsey (44 tackles)... Marist is averaging 338.2 yards of total offense per game (84.6 rush; 253.6 pass) while allowing 373.2 yards to its opponents (136.8 rush; 236.4 pass)... Marist media contact is Mike Ferraro (Michael.J.Ferraro@Marist.edu).
2010 TORERO VIRTUAL GUIDE ONLINE: The 2010 University of San Diego football virtual guide can be found on USD's website at www.usdtoreros.com. You can click on a link from the top of the sidebar from football main page, or click the virtual guide button towards the bottom of the football page.
TOREROS PICKED 5TH IN 2010 PFL PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The USD Toreros, under 4th-year head coach Ron Caragher, have been picked to finish 5th in the ten team Pioneer Football League by a vote of PFL head coaches. Ten-time Pioneer Football League champion Dayton has been tapped as the preseason favorite in the league's preseason coaches' poll, receiving four of 10 possible first-place votes. Dayton received 76 points while Butler was picked to finish second, receiving two first-place votes, with 69 points. Jacksonville received the four remaining first-place votes and finished third in the preseason poll with 68 points. Behind those three teams were Drake (54 points), San Diego (52), Marist (45), Davidson (30), Campbell (25), Morehead State (22) and Valparaiso (nine).
UP NEXT: The Toreros next home contest will be against the Valparaiso Crusaders on Saturday, October 23rd, in a 2:00 p.m. Family Weekend contest.
