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SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Keith Williams's 44-yard touchdown pass to Brandon White, as time expired, lifted the University of San Diego football team to a thrilling 32-27 win over Valparaiso Saturday afternoon in a Pioneer Football League game at Torero Stadium.

With the win, the Toreros improve to 9-1 overall, move to 7-1 in the PFL and run their winning streak to eight straight. USD has also captured its third Pioneer Football League championship in four years, while also earning the PFL's automatic bid into the FCS playoffs. With the loss, the Crusaders fall to 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the PFL.

Valpo seemingly won the game, as they scored what appeared to be a go-ahead touchdown with just 28 seconds remaining. USD then took the ball from their 34 yard line and Williams went to work. His first completion was for 22 yards to Reggie Bell at the Valpo 44 yard line, and Bell ran out of bounds to stop the clock. After an incomplete pass to Barksdale D'Angelo left just four seconds on the clock, the Crusaders then called a timeout. On the very last play of the game, Williams dropped back, saw the right side of the field covered, and then threw the ball when the clock hit 0:00 to the left side of the end zone, and Brandon White was there to grab the ball and stay inbounds. The Toreros then mobbed White in the endzone as the celebration began.

Williams finished the day with 263 yards through the air and had four touchdown passes, while completing 19 of 33 passes. Jonah Hodges had a monster day on the ground for the Toreros, as he rushed for a game-high 169 yards on 20 carries. Bell led the receiving effort this afternoon with 110 yards and no touchdowns, while White had 78 yards on five receptions and had a pair of touchdowns. Nic Henson led the Torero defense with eight tackles, while Troy McClelland had six tackles and one interception. Una Hamala also had a great game with seven tackles.

San Diego got on the scoreboard first, as on their first drive of the game, they went 54 yards on 10 plays, that resulted in a 26-yard field goal from David Last.

After forcing Valpo to punt on their first possession, USD went right back to work and drove 80 yards on 11 plays and capped that off with a 23-yard field goal by Last to give the Toreros a 6-0 lead.

Valpo then took the momentum on their third possession of the game. The drive began back on their own 22, and after a first down, they were faced with a 4th and three, they converted and continued to move the chains. Then three plays later, Brandon Hill broke through a hole and ran for a 45 yard touchdown to give the Crusaders a 7-6 lead.

USD answered right back, as they began an 89-yard drive on their own nine. With USD returning to smash mouth football, Hodges, and the running back crew, just ran right up the gut of the Valpo defense. The drive then appeared to stall after an incompletion on a 4th and 14 attempt. However, Valpo was called for a roughing the passer, keeping the drive alive. Williams then hit Chris Campano for a 4-yard touchdown, giving USD back the lead at 13-7 with 3:46 to go in the half.

After USD scored on its first possession of the second half, the Crusaders once again converted on a fourth down, and that led to a 64-yard touchdown pass, from Ben Lahman to Andrew Cassara, to pull Valpo to within six at 20-14.

San Diego then answered back on its very next possession, as they drove 65 yard on 7 plays and capped that off with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Justin Priest. USD then failed on a two-point conversion, leaving the score at 26-14.

USD then appeared to have a huge momentum changing play, as McClelland intercepted a pass from Lehman, only to have it overturned on a roughing the passer against the USD defense. The very next play, Lehman breaks lose down the left side for the field for a 37 yard touchdown run, and after the PAT, the Crusaders cut the lead to five at 26-21.

Valpo then drove down and scored what appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown with 28 seconds left to send the Crusader fans into a frenzy, and thus setting up the Torero comeback.

The Toreros will return to action on Saturday, as they close out the regular-season against Cal Poly in a 4 p.m. non-conference game at Torero Stadium.