Aug. 2, 2013

USDCampNotes

TOREROS REPORT TO CAMP AUGUST 6TH: The USD Torero football team, under the direction of first-year head coach Dale Lindsey, will report to camp on Tuesday, August 6th. Coach Lindsey and his staff are expecting 110 student-athletes to report with the first practice slated for Wednesday, August 7th, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Manchester Field (see complete camp schedule below). Practices are open to the media - please contact the USD Media Relations office in advance.

HEAD COACH Dale Lindsey: USD introduced Dale Lindsey as its new head football coach on December 29, 2012. Lindsey becomes the Toreros' 13th head coach and replaced Ron Caragher who was hired as head coach at San Jose State University. Lindsey returned to USD's staff this past season where he was the program's defensive coordinator. The Toreros finished the season with an overall record of 8-3 and earned a share of the Pioneer Football League title with Butler and Drake with 7-1 records. The Toreros won their final six games, and among 121 FCS teams in the country, USD ranked 14th in scoring defense (19.27), 15th in rushing defense (120.0) and 19th in pass efficiency defense (114.56). From 2009-2011 Lindsey was at New Mexico State University where he was assistant head coach and linebackers coach. Prior to NMSU, he spent his first season with the USD staff in 2008, where he was the Torero linebackers coach. That season Lindsey helped the 9-2 Toreros' defense hold its opponents to just 18.9 points a game and 322 yards of total offense per contest. Lindsey brings a wealth of football experience as a former NFL player and coach. His resume includes over 30 years of football coaching at the high school, college and professional ranks. Most recently with the Washington Redskins (2004-06), Lindsey also spent time on the San Diego Chargers staff as defensive coordinator (2002-03) and linebackers coach (1992-96). From 1992-96, Lindsey was the linebackers coach on the Chargers' defensive staff that helped guide the team to a pair of AFC West titles (1992 and 1994), three playoff appearances (1992, 1994 and 1995) and one AFC Championship (1994). Lindsey also spent time with the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers. Lindsey played both linebacker and fullback for two years at Western Kentucky, helping the 1963 Hilltoppers to a 10-0-1 mark and the Tangerine Bowl Championship. Overall, the two Topper teams (1963-64) he played on went 16-3-2. A two-time All-OVC pick, he earned All-America honors as a linebacker in 1964 and was named to the all-time OVC Team in 1988. A Bowling Green (Ky.) High product, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns (in the seventh round) and by the New York Jets of the American Football League (sixth round) in 1965 and went on to play nine seasons at linebacker for the Cleveland Browns (1965-73). In 2008, Lindsey was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in Louisville, Kentucky. Lindsey and his wife, Eva, reside in Rancho Bernardo, and have five children - Blan, Jennifer, Kim, Johnny and Derek.

TOREROS PICKED FIRST IN PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The University of San Diego, which has won a share of the last two Pioneer Football League regular season titles, was picked to win the 2013 PFL crown in a preseason vote of the league's coaches. The upcoming 2013 season marks the 21st year for the Pioneer Football League - the nation's only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The league expands to 12 members for the upcoming campaign, Mercer and Stetson restarting their football programs and joining the league. In addition, the league's regular-season champion will receive an automatic bid into the now 24-team 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship. Last season, the PFL race ended in a three-way tie with San Diego, Butler and Drake each claiming a share of the crown with identical 7-1 league marks. The league's coaches see another tight race in 2013 with four teams claiming at least one first-place vote and those four teams separated by just 12 points. San Diego received five of a possible 12 first-place votes and 111 of a maximum 121 points as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team in the poll. Butler was ranked second by one point after receiving four first-place votes. Drake and Jacksonville were picked to finish tied for third with 99 points, receiving one and two first-place votes, respectively. Dayton was picked to finish fifth with 85 points followed by Marist which rounded out the poll's top half with 67 points for sixth place. Morehead State starts the bottom half of the poll, but with 65 points was just two points behind Marist. Campbell (8th, 49 points), Davidson (9th, 42) and Valparaiso (10th, 32) occupy the poll's next three spots. Newcomers Mercer (11th, 20) and Stetson (12th, 13) round out the 12-team poll.

TRIO OF TOREROS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-PFL SQUAD: A trio of University of San Diego football players were among the 26-man 2013 Preseason All-PFL squads, the league announced today. The three seniors include fullback Lawrence Larivee (Chino Hills, Calif.), wide receiver/return specialist Sam Hoekstra (Carlsbad, Calif.) and offensive tackle Cody Tescher (Glendora, Calif.). Last season Larivee was an All-PFL first team selection, while Hoekstra and Tescher were second team. Returning players who were selected to the leagues' 2012 All-PFL teams were automatically selected to the 2013 preseason team in order of voting. Thirteen preseason selections were first-team selections last season.

TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros will be gunning for their third straight PFL title... This season's PFL champion earns an automatic bid into the 2013 FCS Playoffs.... Coach Lindsey returns six assistants (Sam Anno, Asst. Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator, LB's; Tanner Engstrand, Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/QB's; Steve Irvin, Defensive Coordinator; Bobby Jay, DB's; Christian Taylor, Recruiting Coordinator/RB's; and Cory White, OL) and welcomes four new assistants (Cory Martin, WR's; Ronnie Pentz, TE's/Special Teams; Bryant Robinson, DL; and Garrett Robinson, DB's)... Players returning with 7 or more starts include QB Mason Mills, WR Reggie Bell, WR Brandon White, FB Lawrence Larivee, OL Tobin Gramyk, OL Pono Keni, DB Robbie Beathard, LB Zach Devaney, DE Steve Gargiulo, DT Clint Johnson, DE Blake Oliaro... Other key returners include WR Sam Hoekstra, RB Dallas Kessman, RB Joe Ferguson, RB/RS Kenn James., WR Logan Smith, OL Cody Tescher, OL Jeff Starr, TE Matt Guillaume, LB Troy McClelland, DB Toney Sawyer, DT Bennie Harris, DL Brandon Pulealii, LB Michael Ruffino and kicker David Last.

Thomas Cobbs SELECTED A NOMINEE FOR AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM: Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) recently announced 150 nominees for the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, the most ever in the award's 22-year history. The award recognizes a select group of college football players who have made a commitment to enriching the lives of others while contributing to the greater good of their communities. USD senior tight end>Thomas Cobbs (Irvine, Calif.) received the good news that he is one o fthe candidates for the 2013 AFCA Good Works Team. Cobbs is the team liaison with the Autism Tree Project in San Diego where he helps develop a buddy program with USD football players and autistic children; he is involved with Lace Up Stand Up, a non bullying workshop where he helps teach kids at local boys and girls clubs about intervention techniques as well as personal responses to handle situations correctly; and he is active with Shop with a Jock, helping underprivileged kids shop for gifts during the holiday season. A Finance/Marketing major with a 3.58 grade-point average, Cobbs aspires to attend medical school and pursue a career in sports medicine after he graduates.

2013 SCHEDULE: The Toreros will kickoff the 2013 season on Saturday, August 31st with a 4:00 p.m. nonconference road game at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. USD's home opener is September 7th vs. Western New Mexico (6pm). Following a bye on September 14th, the Toreros will host Harvard on Sept. 21st at 12:00 noon. The Pioneer Football League slate will begin on the road against PFL newcomer Stetson (Sept. 28th, 10 am pacific). Additional PFL road dates include Dayton (Oct. 19, 3pm pacific), Valparaiso (Nov. 2, 11 am pacific), and Morehead State (Nov. 9, 10 am pacific). PFL home dates include league newcomer Mercer (Oct. 5, 1pm), Marist (Oct. 12, 2pm), Butler (Oct. 26, 1pm) and Drake (Nov. 16, 1 pm).

2013 TORERO CAMP SCHEDULE (@ Manchester Athletic Field)
- Times subject to change
Aug. 7th (Wed.): 9:30-11:30am (returners), 3-5 pm (1st year players).
Aug. 8th (Thur.): 9:30-11:30am (returners), 3-5 pm (1st year players).
Aug. 9th (Fri.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 10th (Sat.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 11th (Sun.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 12th (Mon.): Two Practices (9am & 2:30 pm).
Aug. 13th (Tue.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 14th (Wed.): Two Practices (9am & 2:30 pm).
Aug. 15th (Thur.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 16th (Fri.): Two Practices (9am & 2:30 pm).
Aug. 17th (Sat.): Scrimmage for Alumni/Donors/Parents (12 noon).
Aug. 18th (Sun.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 19th (Mon.): Two Practices (9am & 2:30 pm).
Aug. 20th (Tue.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 21st (Wed.): Two Practices (9am & 2:30 pm).
Aug. 22nd (Thur.): 2:30-4:30pm.
Aug. 23rd (Fri.): Two Practices (9am & 2:30 pm).
Aug. 24th (Sat.): Scrimmage (2:30-4:30 pm).
Aug. 25th (Sun.): 2:30-4:30 pm.
Aug. 25th (Mon.): Off Day.