San Diego Toreros (8-2, 7-0 PFL) • Jacksonville Dolphins (3-8, 1-6 PFL)
Saturday, November 23 • 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET
D.B. Milne Field (6,000) • San Diego, Calif.
Watch • ESPN+ | Live Audio | Live Statistics
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SAN DIEGO – Having already secured the 2019 PFL championship, San Diego will wrap its regular season and look to remain perfect in conference play when it travels to play at Jacksonville on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. at D.B. Milne Field.
The Toreros, who are PFL champions for the sixth year in a row and eighth time in the last nine years, are in the midst of an eight-game overall winning streak and 36-game conference winning streak. The stretch of conference wins is tied for the second-longest in FCS history.
San Diego has been controlling on both sides of the ball in conference action this season. It leads the PFL in total offense, scoring offense, total defense and scoring defense for conference-only games.
Jacksonville is coming off a 52-45 overtime win at Marist in Week 12 that snapped its six-game losing streak. The Dolphins are a triple-option offense, and they rank second in conference-only games with 296.3 rushing yards per contest. The JU defense, though, is last in the league in scoring - averaging 37.0 points allowed per game - and eighth in total defense (432.3 yards/game).
Saturday's game can be heard on the Toreros' website, with the Voice of the Toreros Jack Cronin on the call. Live stats are also available on www.USDToreros.com.
LAST TIME OUT: TOREROS CLINCH 11th PFL TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY
- San Diego used a second-half ground game to score five touchdowns in the final 30 minutes and pulled away to beat Stetson, 51-7, on the road in Week 11. The Toreros rushed for 294 yards in the second half and 353 in the game to pick up their seventh straight win. JoJo Binda, Jr. ran for a career-high 227 yards on 13 carries while RJ Gonzalez scored three touchdowns - the first of his career - on four carries to lead the run game. The USD defense, meanwhile, surrendered only one touchdown when the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter and limited the Hatters, which entered the game with the fourth-best total offense in the FCS, to 228 yards. The Toreros forced Stetson into 10 punts and two turnovers on its 16 drives. The Tolbert twins, Daniel and David, each had an interception to make up the pair of takeaways.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST JACKSONVILLE
- Saturday will be the 12th all-time meeting between San Diego and Jacksonville, with the Toreros holding the series advantage at 7-4.
- The Toreros have won the last two meetings, including last year's 59-35 result in San Diego. The last meeting in Jacksonville was October 21, 2017, which resulted in the Toreros topping the Dolphins, 63-10.
- USD has won the last two meetings by a combined 77 points.
- The Toreros have won four of the last five meetings, a stretch that dates back to 2011.
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Toreros will learn their postseason fate on Sunday, November 24 at 9:30 a.m. PT with the FCS Playoffs Selection Show on ESPNU. First round games are set for Saturday, November 30. It will be the Toreros' fourth straight trip to the FCS Playoffs.
CHASING PERFECTION
- With a win at Jacksonville, San Diego will complete its fourth consecutive perfect PFL season. If the Toreros are able to pull off the feat, it will be the first time in conference history a team will be undefeated in PFL play in four straight years.
- The Toreros have five perfect PFL campaigns in program history, which is two behind Dayton (7) for the most in all-time.
TOREROS THIS DECADE (2010s)
- The Toreros are one of the best teams in the FCS this decade as they currently hold the fourth-best winning percentage (.746; 85-29) in the 2010s.
Best FCS Records in the 2010s (By Percentage)
- North Dakota St. 132-13 .910
- Kennesaw St. 46-14 .767
- Harvard 74-25 .747
- San Diego 85-29 .746
- Eastern Wash. 96-35 .733
- James Madison 92-34 .730
- Jacksonville St. 91-34 .728
- Sam Houston St. 98-37 .726
- Dartmouth 69-30 .700
- Bethune-Cookman 79-35 .693
- Georgia Southern 36-16 .692
- The 85 wins this decade, meanwhile, are the sixth-most in the FCS.
- In this decade, the Toreros have won eight out of 10 conference titles, including six outright, and made five trips to the FCS playoffs. There are only two teams in the country this decade with that many conference titles and trips to the FCS playoffs: San Diego and North Dakota State.
- Also this decade, the Toreros have 26 All-America honors, 13 Academic All-Americans, 144 All-PFL selections and 30 PFL All-Academic awards.
- In the 2000s, San Diego had the 11th-best winning percentage among FCS schools (.692; 74-33).
THE STREAK
- The Toreros have won 36 consecutive conference games, the longest active streak in all of Division I (FCS and FBS).
- The 36-game conference winning streak is tied for the second-longest in FCS history and tied for fourth-longest in Division I.
- On Saturday, it will have been 1,505 days since USD lost a conference game. The last time USD fell in a PFL game was at Dayton on October 10, 2015.
- The Toreros are averaging 42.9 points per game and winning by an average margin of 26.9 during the streak. They are nearly identical in home and away games during the stretch, averaging 42.7 points at home and 43.2 points on the road. Their average margin of win on the road is 29.6 points (24.6 at home).
- Since 2014, USD has won 45 of its last 46 PFL games (.978 winning pct. over that stretch).
LONGEST CONFERENCE WINNING STREAKS IN DIVISION I HISTORY (FBS and FCS)
- Oklahoma, 44 games (1952-59)
- Nebraska, 40 games (1992-98)
- Duquesne, 39 games (1999-06)
- San Diego, 36 games (2015-current) & Jacksonville State, 36 games (2013-18)
- Oklahoma, 31 games (1984-88) & Boise State, 31 games (2001-05)
LONGEST CONFERENCE WINNING STREAKS IN FCS HISTORY
- Duquesne, 39 games (1999-06) - MAAC
- San Diego, 36 games (2015-current) - PFL & Jacksonville State, 36 games (2013-18) - OVC
- Grambling State, 26 games (2005-17) - SWAC; Eastern Kentucky, 26 games (1992-95) - OVC; Appalachian State, 26 games (2007-10) - Southern
- Montana, 25 games (1999-02) - Big Sky
- South Carolina State, 21 games (2007-10) - MEAC
- James Madison, 20 games (2014-18) - CAA & Penn, 20 games (2001-04) - Ivy
LONGEST ACTIVE CONFERENCE WINNING STREAKS IN DIVISION I (FBS and FCS)
- San Diego, 36 games (2015-current) - PFL
- Clemson, 19 games (2017-current) - ACC
- North Dakota State, 17 games (2017-current) - MVFC
THE STREAK, PART 2
- In addition to winning 36 straight PFL games, the Toreros have won 17 consecutive conference road games.
IN THE MARGINS
- Over the last three games, USD has won by a combined score of 152-34.
- The Toreros have won six of their seven PFL games by 20+ points and three by 30+ points.
- This season, USD has a combined margin of win of 199 points in PFL play. For the entire 2018 PFL campaign, it was 149. Two years ago, it was 274 points.
SCORING MACHINE
- The Toreros enter Week 13 having scored 40+ points in five straight games, a first for the program since 2007. USD has scored 40+ points in five consecutive contests three times in program history (2019, 2007, 2006).
- USD has never scored 40+ points in six consecutive games.
- The Toreros have also scored 49+ points in four straight weeks, a program first.
- San Diego has scored 30+ points in all 10 games this season and in 13 consecutive games dating back to last year. It is the first time in program history the Toreros have scored 30+ points in at least 13 consecutive games.
- For the season, the Toreros are averaging 41.2 points per game, which is third in the FCS and second in the PFL. Last year, the Toreros averaged 37.8 points, which was second in the conference and 10th in the FCS.
- The Toreros have scored 30+ points in 20 of their last 21 PFL games, a stretch that goes back to 2017.
PUT IT ON THE GROUND
- The USD ground game has powered the offense in the last four weeks, rushing for a total of 1,117 yards on 151 carries. The Toreros are averaging 279.3 yards per game over the four-week stretch.
- The Toreros are currently 32nd in the FCS in rushing offense (187.8 yards per game) for the season. Last year, they finished the season 95th.
- In PFL-only games, the Toreros are averaging 214.1 yards per contest, which is fourth-best.
- USD also has 17 rushing touchdowns in the last three games. Three different players - Terrence Smith, JoJo Binda, Jr. and RJ Gonzalez - have each turned in games of three touchdowns.
JOJO ON THE GO-GO
- Graduate student JoJo Binda, Jr. has come alive in the last three weeks, rushing for 430 yards on 41 carries with six touchdowns.
- Binda, Jr. is averaging 10.5 yards per rush in the last three games. His season average of 8.1 yards per carry, meanwhile, is currently the second-best mark in program history (min. 50 carries).
- He is the team's leader in rushing with 511 yards on 63 carries in seven games. The Providence, Rhode Island product entered the season with 598 rushing yards in 15 career games.
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR KINCAID
- Sophomore
Dalton Kincaid has improved upon his impressive freshman campaign by posting career-highs in receptions (36) and receiving yards (756) while also adding eight touchdowns.
- He has proven to be big-play threat as Kincaid is 13th in the FCS and second in the PFL with 21.00 yards per catch. That clip is first among all tight ends in the country (next closest: Matthew Gonzalez of Robert Morris, 16.90).
- Kincaid is second in the country among FCS tight ends with 756 receiving yards (leader: Dayton's Adam Trautman, 859).
ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATES: SINNETT AND BANDY
SINNETT
- In his first season as a starter, redshirt senior Reid Sinnett is among the nation's leaders and commanding one of the top offenses in the FCS. The quarterback is second in the FCS in passing efficiency (178.5), third in completion percentage (68.6%) and fourth in total offense (331.0).
- The quarterback is fourth in passing yards per game (308.5) and second in passing touchdowns (32).
FCS LEADER - REID SINNETT
Passing Efficiency 178.5 2nd
Passing Touchdowns 32 2nd
Completion Percentage 68.6% 3rd
Total Offense 331.0 4th
Passing Yds. Per Game 308.5 4th
Total Passing Yards 3,085 9th
Passing Yds. Per Comp. 14.35 11th
BANDY
- Senior Michael Bandy is one of the top wide receivers in the FCS once again as he ranks fourth in receiving yards per game (106.3), eighth in receiving yards (1,063) and seventh in receiving touchdowns (12).
- In the last six games, Bandy has 44 catches, 672 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
- Bandy has 100+ yards in nine of his last 13 games dating back to last year and 16 100-yard games in his career.
- In the PFL, Bandy leads the league in receiving yards, receiving yards per game, and receptions per game while he is second in receiving touchdowns.
SINNETT JOINS BANDY ON THE WALTER PAYTON AWARD WATCH LIST
- Last week, Reid Sinnett joined teammate Michael Bandy on the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award Watch List. The two Toreros are among the 41 players on the midseason list. They also help make USD one of seven schools with multiple players on the list.
BANDY MOVING UP THE CAREER CHARTS
- Michael Bandy continues to climb the USD career lists, as he is third in career receiving yards (3,205) and fifth in career touchdowns (28). He is 277 yards away from second on the all-time list.
- Bandy is currently sixth in career receptions (184) and needs five more to tie Dylan Ching (1996-99) for fifth on the all-time list. He is eight away from fourth (Brandon White, 192 (2011-14)).
- He is averaging 17.4 yards per reception in his career, which is currently sixth-best in USD history.
- Among active FCS players, Bandy enters this week fifth in career receiving yards (3,205) and fourth in career average yards per game (78.2).
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
- Fueling the high output of points for the Toreros is their ability to get explosive plays. Of their 668 offensive snaps this year, 27.7% of them are for 10 or more yards (185 total). USD averages 7.5 yards per play overall.
- The Toreros have 68 plays of 20+ yards (10.2% of all plays) and 10 of 50+ (1.5%). Last year, USD had 80 offensive plays of 20+ yards (9.9%).
- In PFL-only games, 29.8% of USD's plays are for 10 or more yards (136/456) and 10.7% are 20 or more (49/456).
TURNOVER BATTLE
- A key part of USD's current eight-game winning streak has been winning the turnover battle as it is +14 in turnover margin over the stretch.
- In conference-only games, USD is first in the PFL with a +14 turnover margin.
- The Toreros are second in the FCS with 17 interceptions as
David Tolbert (6th) and
Daniel Tolbert (28th) are among the FCS leaders in interceptions per game.