SAN DIEGO – With an overwhelming 52-20 win against Morehead State, San Diego captured its sixth straight Pioneer Football League championship and secured its fourth consecutive trip to the FCS Playoffs on Saturday at Torero Stadium.
 
The Toreros (8-2, 7-0 PFL), who clinched their 11th conference title in program history, dominated both sides of the ball until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. Much like the entire conference season, USD had a balanced offensive attack – 266 rushing yards, 231 passing – to match a defense that shut out Morehead State (5-6, 3-4 PFL) for the first 43 minutes of the game.
 
Not only did USD capture its eighth conference championship in the last nine years but it also extended its conference winning streak to 36 games, tied for the second-longest streak in FCS history. It is also the longest active streak in all of Division I.
 
Saturday was Senior Day as USD sent off its 12-man senior class with another home conference win. USD has won 38 consecutive home conference games, with the senior class going undefeated in their careers.
 
The Toreros' 52 points marked the third time in the last four weeks they scored 50+ points in a game. In the last three games, meanwhile, USD has outscored its opponents 152-34.
 
Redshirt senior Reid Sinnett threw four touchdown passes and ran for one while accumulating 224 yards in the air on 18-of-30 passing in his final start at Torero Stadium. He spread his four touchdown passes among three different receivers, including two to sophomore Dalton Kincaid. Sinnett found the tight end from one yard out to send the Toreros into halftime with a 31-0 lead while he later connected again with him to cap USD's scoring and make it 52-6 with 11:10 left in the fourth quarter.
 
Kincaid, who had four catches for 58 yards, trailed senior Michael Bandy for the team lead in receptions and receiving yards. The wide receiver registered a 100-yard game, the 16th of his career, by hauling in eight passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. The trip to the end zone came in the third quarter when Sinnett delivered a six-yard scoring play after USD forced a fumble on a punt to give it the ball inside the red zone.
 
USD forced four turnovers, including two interceptions and a pair of fumbles, while not turning over the ball once. David Tolbert and Hunter Nichols each had an interception, with Tolbert's being his team-best fifth this year.
 
The Torero defense held an opponent scoreless in the first half for the third consecutive week and only allowed 209 yards on 40 plays through three quarters to help the team build a 46-point advantage in the first 45 minutes of game action.
 
San Diego was also able to control the afternoon through its rushing attack. Led by fifth-year senior JoJo Binda Jr.'s 121 yards, the Toreros gained 266 yards on the ground. Binda, Jr. scored two touchdowns, including his first on a 50-yard scamper early in the second quarter that made it 17-0. He has all six of his rushing touchdowns this season in the last three games.
 
Freshman Rhyle Hanson, in his first action of his career, added 71 yards on 11 carries to help give USD its third game of 250+ rushing yards in the last four weeks. Hanson was one of six ball carriers on the ground for the Toreros.
 
USD will look to turn its in fourth straight perfect conference season when it takes its eight-game overall winning streak to Jacksonville on November 23. Kickoff between the Toreros and Dolphins is set for 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET.
 
 
NOTES
USD tied Jacksonville State (36 games from 2013 to 2018) for the second-longest conference winning streak in FCS history. The Toreros are now three wins away from tying the all-time record, which was set by Duquesne at 39 games from 1999 to 2006.
 
San Diego has now secured five trips to the FCS playoffs in the last six years.
 
This decade, USD has won eight conference championships in addition to reach the FCS playoffs five times. It is 85-29 (.746 winning pct.) since 2010.
 
The Toreros are one championship away from tying Dayton (12) for the most in PFL history.
 
The last time USD lost a home conference game, starting quarterback and redshirt senior Reid Sinnett was not even in high school yet (2010).
 
San Diego is averaging 279.3 rushing yards per game the last four weeks. It also has 17 rushing touchdowns over that same stretch.
 
JoJo Binda, Jr. has 430 rushing yards and six touchdowns in the last three games. He is averaging 10.5 yards per rush in that three-week stretch.