Game Notes


GAME #1: The USD Toreros (0-0), under the direction of fourth year head coach Dale Lindsey, open up their 2016 campaign this Saturday, September 3rd, against Western New Mexico University (0-0). Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. at Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium.

SERIES RECORD: This is the 6th meeting between USD and WNMU. The Toreros own a 5-0 series lead with victories in each of the last five seasons. All five contests have been USD's home opener (45-21 in 2015; 23-17 in 2014; 38-35 in 2013; 34-27 in 2012; 30-10 in 2011). In last year's contest the Toreros won 45-21 with QB Anthony Lawrence completing 20-34 passes for 254 yards and 4 touchdowns. TE Ross Dwelley hauled in 10 balls for 123 yards and 1 score, and WR Brian Riley caught 5 for 115 yards and two scores. RB Jereke Armstrong added 109 yards rushing on 14 carries with two scores (24 & 54).

LIVE STREAM: Saturday's contest will be streamed live at usdtoreros.com with Jack Cronin (@JackCroninPXP) providing the play-by-play call. Live stats are also available. A LOOK AHEAD: The Toreros head to San Luis Obispo on Saturday, September 10th, to take on the Cal Poly Mustangs in a 4:05 p.m. contest at Alex G. Spanos Stadium (capacity: 11,075). Cal Poly opens this Friday with a contest at the University of Nevada.

PFL SCHEDULE FOR OPENING WEEK: (Sept. 1) Bluefield at Campbell. (Sept. 3) Davidson at Georgetown, Butler at Indiana State, Bucknell at Marist, Morehead State at James Madison, Central State at Dayton, Quincy at Drake, Valparaiso at Illinois State, Sacred Heart at Stetson, Western New Mexico at San Diego. (PFL teams in Bold).

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).

FINAL 2015 PFL STANDINGS: Dayton (7-1, 10-2), San Diego (7-1, 9-2), Morehead State (6-2, 7-4), Butler (4-4, 6-5), Drake (4-4, 5-6), Marist (4-4, 5-6), Campbell (3-5, 5-6), Davidson (1-7, 2-9), Stetson (1-7, 2-9), Valparaiso (1-7, 1-9), Jacksonville (6-2, 9-2; ineligible).

FIVE TOREROS SELECTED TO PFL PRESEASON FIRST TEAM: Thirty PFL student-athletes were named to the preseason All-PFL squad. Fourteen First-Team All-PFL honorees return for the 2016 season, seven Second-Team All-PFL selections and nine honorable mention recipients from 2015 were elevated to the 2016 preseason squad. The Toreros have five players included on the PFL Teams - wide receivers Brian Riley and Justin Priest along with OL Miles McArdle made the offensive squad, and DL Jonathan Petersen and CB Jamal Agnew represented the USD defense.

PLAYERS SELECT TEAM CAPTAINS FOR THE SEASON: Each year at the conclusion of camp, the Torero players vote to select the team captains for the season. The 2016 team captain is senior corner back Devyn Bryant (San Diego, Calif.). Co-Captains are senior running back Jonah Hodges (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and senior wide receiver Brian Riley (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.).

TORERO TIDBITS: * USD Football is in its 54th season of play, and 24th season as a member of the Pioneer Football League... San Diego is tied for second with Drake for most PFL titles with six (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.

* USD enters Saturday's game on a six-game winning streak from the end of last season... Over the past three years under head coach Dale Lindsey's watch, the Toreros are 17-2 in home games, including a perfect 6-0 mark this past 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.

* 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 37 pass break-ups (school record) and 9 interceptions (the school record is 15 by Al-Rilwan Adeyemi and Kyle Slusser).

* Sophomore QB Anthony Lawrence (La Mesa, CA) gets the starting nod Saturday... Last season he was tabbed the team MVP after completing 188-295 passes for 2,392yards and 23 touchdowns... He was also named the PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year.

* 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 is 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.

* 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... This season he will be pushed by senior returners Jereke Armstrong (662 yards, 7 touchdowns a year ago) and Blake Martin (329 yards, 3 TDs).

* Senior WR Jacob Arnell (San Diego, Calif.) returns as the team's top returner for both kickoffs and punt returns... Last year he ranked first in the PFL and second overall in the FCS in kickoff returns with his 30.7 average ( 4th all-time among Toreros).

* 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 quarterback hurries and 3 forced fumbles.

* The 2016 Toreros return 13 starters (7 or more starts) from last year's 9-2 squad that shared the PFL Championship with Dayton... The five offensive starters back are TE Ross Dwelley, QB Anthony Lawrence, OL Miles McArdle, WR Justin Priest, WR Brian Riley. The Torero defense returns its top eight tacklers from a year ago, all starters - CB Jamal Angew, CB Devyn Bryant, safety Ray Clark, safety Colin Giorgi, LB Nic Henson, NB Max Michaels, LB Alec Moreno and DE Jonathan Petersen.

* 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 57-10 (85.0 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).

* Key losses from last year's 9-2 club include four players that garnered All-PFL honors - FB Chris Campano (1st team), LT Pono Keni (1st team), OL Jeff Starr (1st team) and DE Joe Nomellini (2nd team).

* 46 Toreros were selected to the Pioneer Football Honor Roll in 2015, while three Toreros made it onto the 23rd annual Academic All-PFL Squad - sophomore linebacker Max Michaels (3.89 GPA, Accountancy) and junior cornerback Devyn Bryant (3.47 GPA, Mechanical Engineering) were named First Team Defense; sophomore linebacker Alec Moreno (3.54 GPA, Accountancy) was selected Second Team Defense.

* This week's opponent, Western New Mexico University, is an NCAA Division II scholarship program from Silver City, New Mexico... They are in their first season as a member of the Lone Star conference... Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Adam Clark enters his 7th season (26-39 record)... The Mustangs return 30 lettermen and 7 starters from last year's club that finished 4-7 overall (3-6 RMAC)... Approximately 15 players are from San Diego County and around 35 players from the SoCal region. * Two former Toreros still find themselves on NFL rosters - QB Josh Johnson (Baltimore) and WR Reggie Bell (New Orleans).

* Congrats to former Torero J.T. Rogan (2005-09), the program's all-time leading rusher (3,559 yards rushing, 54 touchdowns, 326 points), who recently was hired by former USD head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan to be their Director of Internal Communications & Operations... Rogan had been USD's color analyst for home football games the past three seasons.