USDvsButler2016

GAME #4: The USD Toreros (2-1, 1-0 PFL), under the direction of fourth year head coach Dale Lindsey, head to Indianapolis, Indiana this weekend to take on the Butler Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1 PFL). The league contest is slated to kickoff at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific) at Butler Bowl (5,647 capacity).

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 22nd meeting between USD and Butler with the Toreros owning a 16-5 series lead. The Toreros have won four straight including last season's 28-27 win at Torero Stadium on November 21st, and two seasons ago in Indianapolis by the score of 27-21. Last season the Toreros escaped with a one-point victory as Butler scored with 16 seconds left in the game but their two-point pass conversion was intercepted by CB Yogi Hale. The win assured USD a co-PFL championship with Dayton.

LIVE STREAM: Saturday's contest will be streamed live at butlersports.com (Mark Minner & Brendan King), and the link can also be found at usdtoreros.com. Live stat links will also be available on both websites.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Toreros return home for their annual Homecoming and Family Weekend Game on Saturday, Ocober 8th. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium.

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

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).

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 28-9 overall record (75.7 winning percentage) and 19-2 mark (90.5 winning percentage) at Torero Stadium.

* With USD's 38-22 win over Dayton this past Saturday to open up PFL play, the Toreros extended their home PFL winning streak to 24 straight victories... USD will shoot for No. 25 on October 8th when the host the Davidson Wildcats... That will also make it six years since USD's last home PFL defeat at the hands of Dayton, 21-20, on October 9, 2010.

* In last week's win over Dayton, the Toreros scored two toucdowns in the final 4:31 of the game to put away the Flyers... Tevin Heyward's second 1-yard TD rush put the Toreros ahead 27-22, and USD iced the game when QB Anthony Lawrence found RB Jonah Hodges open on a swing pass to the left and Hodges raced 62 yards up the sideline for the final 34-22 score... Lawrence finished the game 26-for-34 for 371 yards and 2 touchdowns... Hodges was the offensive workhorse on the night rushing 23 times for 70 yards and a score (7-yard TD) while adding 6 receptions for 122 yards and his 62-yard TD... TE Ross Dwelley caught a game-high 8 receptions for 88 yards and one score (16 yards in 1st quarter) and WR Brian Riley pulled in 6 receptions for a game-high 126 yards... The defense was paced by safety Ray Clark (8 stops, 2 tackles for loss) and Colton Giorgi (7 tackles, 1 interception)

* 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 38 pass break-ups (school record) and 9 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 14th straight game... Thru 3 games he has completed 58-84 passes for 709 yards and 5 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 (20 catches for 231 yards, 4 TDs), RB Jonah Hodges (14 receptions for 178 yards, 1 TD) and WR Brian Riley (12 catches for 242 yards, team-best 20.2 yards per reception).

* 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.

* 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 3 games he has rushed for 269 yards on 51 carries (5.3 yards per carry average; 89.7 yards per game) and 3 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 quarterback 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.

* 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, Butler, is off to a 2-2 start (0-1 PFL)... They opened up PFL play this past weekend with a 33-27 overtime loss to Campbell... After opening the regular season with a 41-25 road loss at Indiana State, they earned back-to-back wins over Franklin (59-14) and Taylor (27-14)... They are paced by QB Malcolm Weaver (65-122 for 875 yards, 3 TDs; 173 yards rushing, 2 TDs), RB Duvante Lane (277 yards, 4 TDs), WR Pace Temple (24 receptions for 402 yards, 2 TDs), LB Sean Horan (32 stops) and LB David Starkey (32 tackles)... Head Coach Jeff Voris is in his 11th season (62-55).