USDvsDAVgame5

GAME #5: The USD Toreros (3-1, 2-0 PFL), under the direction of fourth year head coach Dale Lindsey, return to Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium this Saturday, October 8th, for their annual Homecoming/Family Weekend Game. The 1:00 p.m. kickoff pits USD against the Davidson Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 PFL).

SERIES RECORD: This will be 12th meeting between USD and Davidson with the Toreros owning a 9-2 series advantage... USD has won the last four meetings including last year's 35-10 win on November 14, 2015 at Davidson. The backfield tandem of Dallas Kessman (124 yards rushing, 56-yard TD) and Jereke Armstrong (122 yards rushing, 65-yard TD).

LIVE STREAM: Saturday's contest will be streamed live on TheW.tv, Verizon Go90 and SlingTV with Jack Cronin (@JackCroninPXP) providing the play-by-play call. Live stats are also available at usdtoreros.com.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Toreros head to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, October 15th in a 10:30 a.m. (Pacific) contest.

PFL RECORDS/SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER 8TH: San Diego (2-0 PFL, 3-1), Jacksonville (1-0, 2-2), Marist (1-0, 1-3), Campbell (1-1, 3-2), Dayton (1-1, 3-2), Drake (1-1, 2-3), Morehead State (1-1, 2-3), Stetson (1-1, 2-2), Valparaiso (1-1, 2-3), Butler (0-2, 2-3), Davidson (0-2, 2-3). PFL Schedule: Stetson at Brown, Marist at Butler, Morehead State at Dayton, Drake at Valparaiso, Davidson at San Diego, Campbell at Jacksonville.

2016 PFL COACHES POLL: For the sixth straight year the Toreros were picked to finish first in the PFL Preseason Coaches Poll. USD received five first place votes and five second place votes for 95 points, narrowly edging Dayton (6 first place votes, 94 points). They are followed by Drake (68), Morehead State (64), Campbell (62), Marist (56), Butler (54), Jacksonville (53), Stetson (27), Valparaiso (21) and Davidson (11).

TOREROS LOOK TO CONTINUE PFL HOME WINNING STREAK: When the Toreros line up for Saturday's game with Davidson, they will be looking to secure their 25th straight home Pioneer Football League victory at Torero Stadium. The streak began on October 23, 2010 with a 30-10 win over Valparaiso. That win followed USD's last home PFL loss, a tough 21-20 decision to the Dayton Flyers on October 9, 2010. During the streak the Toreros have pitched three shutouts - 42-0 vs. Davidson (2011), 44-0 vs. Campbell (2012) and 27-0 vs. Drake (2015). The Toreros have also survived four contests that ended with final scores of three points or less - 31-28 vs. Dayton (2011), 35-33 vs. Marist (2013), 30-27 vs. Marist (2015) and 28-27 vs. Butler (2015).

TORERO TIDBITS:

* Since taking over the program in 2013, head coach Dale Lindsey's has guided the Toreros to a 29-9 overall record (76.3 winning percentage) and 19-2 mark (90.5 winning percentage) at Torero Stadium.

* In last week's win over Butler, the Toreros scored on their first two drives to set the tone for their impressive 44-10 road win... QB Anthony Lawrence finished 23-33 for 326 yards and 1TD... Jonah Hodges rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries with two TDs (16, 69)... TE Ross Dwelley caught 5 balls for 58 yards and six other players had at least 3 catches including Brian Riley (84 yards, 32-yard TD)... Defensively the Toreros limited the Bulldogs to 263 yards of offense... USD was paced by LB Alec Moreno (8 stops), SAF Colton Giorgi (6 tackles), LB Nic Henson (5 stops, 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery) and CB Devyn Bryant (5 tackles, 3 pass breakups).

* Senior cornerback Jamal Agnew (San Diego, Calif. / Point Loma HS), who led all FCS players two seasons ago (2014) in passes defended (2.1 average), owns career numbers of 40 pass break-ups (school record) and 10 interceptions (school record is 15 by Al-Rilwan Adeyemi and Kyle Slusser).

* Sophomore QB Anthony Lawrence (La Mesa, CA) gets the starting nod for his 15th straight game... Thru 4 games he has completed 81-117 passes for 1,050 yards and 6 scores... Last season he was team MVP after completing 188-295 passes for 2,392 yards and 23 touchdowns... He was also named the PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year.

* Lawrence has some outstanding targets to throw to this season led by TE Ross Dwelley (25 catches for 289 yards, 4 TDs), RB Jonah Hodges (18 receptions for 232 yards, 1 TD) and WR Brian Riley (15 catches for 326 yards, 1 TD, and team-best 21.7 yards per reception). Lawrence has also received great protection from the Torero offensive line having been sacked only once this season.

* Torero players have selected senior corner back Devyn Bryant (San Diego, Calif.) as the 2016 team captain... Senior WR Brian Riley (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) and senior RB Jonah Hodges (Santa Cruz, Calif.) are 2016 co-Captains.

* Along with being named the team captain for 2016, senior corner back Devyn Bryant (San Diego, Calif.) is getting recognition off the field as well... He is USD's 2016 nominee for the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award; for the second straight season he was the team's candidate for the All-State AFCA Good Works Team; and this past summer was recognized as a 2016 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by the staff that produces the publication Diverse: Issues in High Education. Last year's team leader with 5 interceptions, he picked up his 7th career pick against Western New Mexico in this season's opener... He leads this year's defense with 5 pass break-ups.

* Senior RB Jonah Hodges (Santa Cruz, Calif.) looks for a big year after he broke his collarbone in last year's opener against SDSU... He returned for the team's final three games and finished with 141 yards rushing... During the 2014 campaign he led the team with 1,214 yards rushing (101.2 yards per game) and 6 touchdowns... Thru 4 games this season he has rushed for 393 yards on 67 carries (5.9 yards per carry average; 98.2 yards per game) and 5 touchowns.

* Last season junior DE Jonathan Petersen (Poway, Calif.) ranked first in the PFL in tackles for loss (16, -87 yards) and second in sacks (8, -68 yards)... He chipped in with 51 tackles (5th on team) to go with 8 QB hurries and 3 forced fumbles... He got off to a great start in 2016 after recording 2 sacks (-22 yards), 3 tackles for loss (-32 yards), 2 QB hurries, and 5 tackles against WNMU... Thru 4 games he has a team-leading 6 QB hurries to go with 2 sacks (-22 yards), 3.5 tackles for loss (-33 yards) and one blocked kick.

* Over the past 11 seasons (2005-2015) the Toreros have combined for an overall record of 91-32 (74.0 winning percentage), and a PFL mark of 59-15 (79.7 winning percentage)... USD's overall home record on Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium since the start of the 2005 campaign is now 59-10 (85.5 winning percentage)... Including the last five home wins of the 2004 campaign, the Toreros strung together a school record 28 straight home victories (2004-2008).

* This week's opponent, Davidson is off to a 2-3 start (0-2 PFL)... They opened league play with losses at Valparaiso (24-20) and this past Saturday vs. Stetson (31-27)... Stetson's Kegan Moore hauled in three 4th quarter TD receptions (42, 38, 6) to pace the comeback victory... His last touchdown came with just 1:07 left in the game.... Davidson's two wins came against Kentucky Wesleyan (35-21) and Livingstone (38-12)... Thru 5 games Davidson is being paced by freshman RB Keylan Brown (294 yards, 3 TDs), QB Taylor Mitchell (486 yards, 4 TDs), WR Jaris Scott (16 receptions for 295 yards, 1TD), WR Cam Cheuvront (11 receptions for 216 yards, 3 TDs), SS Jaylen Mize (26 stops, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery) and DE Boo Jordan (5 sacks)... Head Coach Paul Nichols is in his 4th season directing the Wildcats.