USDvsUDLAP2016

GAME #9: The USD Toreros (7-1, 6-0 PFL), under the direction of fourth year head coach Dale Lindsey, will take on the UDLAP Aztecas in a special international contest. Universidad De Las Americas Puebla is annually one of the top football teams in Mexico. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. at Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium. This game is considered an exhibition and will not count towards the team record or team statistics.

SERIES RECORD: This is the first meeting between San Diego and UDLAP. In 1957 the Toreros played two teams from Mexico, winning both - University of Mexico (27-13) and Mexico Polytechnic (54-0).

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

A LOOK AHEAD: The Toreros return on November 12th for their final regular season home contest against the Stetson Hatters. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and it will be Senior Day. USD closes out their regular season at Campbell on November 19th.

PFL RECORDS/SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 5TH: San Diego (6-0 PFL, 7-1), Dayton (5-1, 7-2), Marist (4-1, 4-4), Jacksonville (3-1, 4-3), Drake (3-2, 4-4), Stetson (2-3, 4-4), Butler (2-4, 4-5), Valparaiso (2-4, 3-6), Campbell (1-3, 3-4), Morehead State (1-4, 2-6), Davidson (0-6, 2-7). PFL Schedule: Morehead State at Butler, Valparaiso at Dayton, Drake at Jacksonville, Marist at Stetson, Davidson at Campbell. Exhibition Game: USD vs. UDLAP.

HODGES & PETERSEN RECOGNIZED BY PFL: The Pioneer Football League announced their PFL players of the week and the Toreros had two players receive recognition this week for their outstanding play this past Saturday in the team's 27-3 win over Marist... Senior running back Jonah Hodges (Santa Cruz, Calif.) earned his second PFL award after rushing for 175 yards on 33 carries... His two 4th quarter touchdown runs of 7 and 1 yard put the game out of reach... He added a team-best 7 receptions for 45 yards and finished with 220 all-purpose yards... His first PFL award came after his 4 TD performance against Davidson where he rushed for 176 yards. Jonathan Petersen (Poway, Calif.) earned his first PFL player of the week honor after he paced the Torero defense with 4 stops, 3 quarterback sacks (-16 yards), 3 tackles for loss and 1 quarterback hurry... The 3 sacks are the most by a PFL defender this season... Behind his effort, the Torero defense held the Red Foxes to just 26 yards rushing and season lows in total yardage (201) and points (3)... The defense also held Marist to just 13 yards of offense over the final 30 minutes of action.

TORERO TIDBITS:
* USD Football is in its 54th season of play, and 24th season as a member of the Pioneer Football League... San Diego ranks second for most PFL titles with seven (Dayton leads with 12)... The Toreros have won four of the past five PFL championships (2015c, 2014, 2012c, 2011c) and seven overall when adding in titles from 2007c, 2006, 2005.

* Since taking over the program in 2013, head coach Dale Lindsey's has guided the Toreros to a 33-9 overall record (78.5 winning percentage) and 21-2 mark (91.3 winning percentage) at Torero Stadium.

* In last week's 27-3 win over Marist, the Torero defense put the clamps on the Red Foxes, limiting them to 201 yards of offense, including 26 on the ground and only 13 yards over the final 30 minutes... RB Jonah Hodges was the workhorse with 33 carries for 175 yards and 7 receptions for 45 yards... QB Anthony Lawrence completed 21-35 passes for 195 yards and 1 TD, a 9-yarder to TE Ross Dwelley... Kicker Patrick Murray was 2-3 in field goals (43, 26) and chipped in 3 PAT kicks... DE Jonathan Petersen totaled 3 sacks; safety Ray Clark added 3 tackles, 1 interception and 2 pass breakups and CB Devyn Bryant totaled 3 stops and 2 pass breakups.

* After 8 games the Toreros rank 1st in the PFL in scoring offense (35.9), scoring defense (11.6), rushing defense (95.4), total offense (445.1), pass efficiency (159.2 rating), total defense (269.6), pass defense efficiency (85.9 rating), sacks against (0.12), 3rd down conversions (56.8), opponent 3rd down coversion percentage (.267) and time of possession (34:45). Individuals leading the PFL include Jonah Hodges (111.2 yards rushing per game, 78 points, 13 touchdowns, 170.5 all-purpose yards per game), Anthony Lawrence (161.6 pass efficiency rating), and Jonathan Petersen (0.81 QB sacks). Toreros among the PFL leaders include TE Ross Dwelley (#4 in receptions per game, 5.7), Lawrence (#3 in passing average per game, 249.5; #3 in total offense, 252.5), Jamal Agnew (#3 in punt returns, 11.9), Jonathan Petersen (#6 in tackles for loss, 1.44) and Devyn Bryant and Ray Clark (tied #3 in passes defended, 1.38).

* The Toreros are also FCS national statistical leaders in other areas - In addition to their #1 ranking in scoring defense (11.6), team passing efficiency defense (85.9) and 3rd down conversion percentage (56.8), USD is #2 in and sacks allowed (0.12) and time of possession (34:45), #6 in total defense (269.6) and opponent 4th down conversion percentage (.267), #7 in punt return defense (2.50), #8 in completion percentage (.665) and #9 in rushing defense (95.4) and tackles for loss allowed (4.25)... USD is also receiving votes in all three FCS National Polls (STATS, COACHES, HERO SPORTS)... In the STATS poll the Toreros rank 33rd among FCS programsDE .

* 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 a 2016 semifinalist for the National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy Award, given to the nation's top scholar-athlete; for the second straight season Devyn was the team's candidate for the All-State AFCA Good Works Team; and this past summer he 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, and ranks tied-#3 in the PFL, with 11 passes defended (10 breakups, 1 interception).

* Senior RB Jonah Hodges (Santa Cruz, Calif.) is having a big year after he broke his collarbone in last year's opener against SDSU... He returned for the team's final three games in 2015 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 8 games this season he has rushed for 890 yards on 144 carries (6.2 yards per carry average; 111.2 yards per game) and 12 touchowns... His 4 rushing TDs against Davidson tied the school record... Among PFL players he ranks first in rushing (111.2), points (78), touchdowns (13), and all-purpose yards (170.5).

* Sophomore QB Anthony Lawrence (La Mesa, CA) gets the starting nod for his 19th straight game... Thru 8 games he has completed 153-227 passes for 1,996 yards and 17 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 (44 catches for 542 yards, 8 TDs), WR Brian Riley (36 catches for 722 yards, 5 TDs, and a team-best 20.1 yards per reception) and RB Jonah Hodges (31 receptions for 342 yards, 1 TD). Lawrence has also received great protection from the Torero offensive line having been sacked only once this season.

* 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 44 pass break-ups (school record) and 10 interceptions (school record is 15 by Al-Rilwan Adeyemi and Kyle Slusser).

* 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 8 games he has a team-leading 10 QB hurries to go with 6.5 sacks (-47 yards), 11.5 tackles for loss (-67 yards), 1 blocked kick and 1 forced fumble.

* Torero players 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.

* This week's opponent, Universidad De Las Americas Puebla (UDLAP), is based in Puebla, Mexico and plays in the CONADEIP premier league... The Aztecas currently own a record of 9-0 and average 27.4 points per game while giving up just 10.7 points on average to its competition... Head Coach Eric Fisher is in his 8th season and owns a career record of 69-16... Two of their members are from San Diego and played high school football here - safety Milton Earls (Eastlake HS) and RB/WR Jordan Brooks (St. Augustine HS).