SAN DIEGO – Senior Michael Bandy was named San Diego football's Team MVP while Reid Sinnett and Jacob Bergstrom were selected as the Offensive and Defensive MVP, respectively, as the Toreros announced their 2019 team awards at the annual end-of-year banquet on the campus of the University of San Diego on Saturday.
 
The Toreros, celebrating their sixth consecutive PFL championship and fourth straight trip to the FCS Playoffs, honored 14 players with 16 awards. Bandy and Bergstrom both earned two honors as Bandy took home the Strength Coaches Award and Bergstrom the Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award.
 
A unanimous All-PFL First Team selection for the second year in a row, Bandy earned the team's top honor after turning in his second straight season of 75 catches – a program first – and leading the PFL in receiving yards and catches per game. The outgoing senior, who earned last year's Offensive Player of the Year Award, recorded 1,152 receiving yards, which are the fourth-most in a season in school history. He ended his time as a Torero as one of the all-time career leaders in several categories including third in receiving yards (3,294) and tied for fourth in receptions (192).
 
Sinnett, in his first-year staring under center, garnered the team's top offensive honor after finishing top-five in the nation in passing efficiency (3rd), completion percentage (5th) and passing touchdowns (5th). The quarterback threw for 3,528 yards, which are second-most in school history, and totaled 3,732 yards of total of offense, the third-most for the program. The redshirt senior was named All-PFL First Team and a finalist for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in the FCS.
 
Bergstrom, who earned the most outstanding first year player in 2016, picked up the Defensive MVP honor after disrupting the opponents' passing games all season long with a team-high 11 hurries, one interception and one pass breakup. The redshirt junior defensive end totaled 35 tackles (17 solo) in 12 games while also accumulating 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries.
 
The PFL Special Teams Player of the Year, Tanner Kuljian earned the team's Kevin Briscoe Special Teams Player of the Year award for the second time in a row after leading the PFL in punting for conference-only games and earning all-league honors. The redshirt junior had 19 of his 38 punts end in a fair catch while 45 of his 82 kickoffs ended in touchbacks. He helped USD hold opponents to an average starting field position of their 28- and 25-yard line on punts and kickoffs, respectively.
 
Redshirt junior Aidan Valencia, a Scout Offensive MVP in 2016, and Luke LaCilento shared the Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award after protecting Sinnett with the 14th-fewest sacks allowed in the nation and second-fewest tackles for loss surrendered. Valencia, the starting left tackle, only allowed one sack all season on nearly 400 pass attempts, including none in PFL action. LaCilento, in his first year as a starter at right guard as a sophomore, helped block for a ground game that finished the season averaging 7.0 yards per carry and scoring 23 touchdowns in the final five regular season games.
 
The Most Improved Player Award winners were JoJo Binda, Jr. (Offensive) and David Tolbert (Defensive). Binda, Jr. filled in for the Toreros at running back primarily starting with the game against Drake in late October and finished the year as the team's leading rusher. The fifth-year senior ran for a season-high 227 yards at Stetson in Week 10 and had three straight 100-yard games in closing weeks of the regular season. Tolbert, meanwhile, finished fourth in the nation in interceptions per game as his six interceptions will go down as tied for the third-most in a season in program history. The senior also had 39 tackles and five pass breakups.
 
Freshman kicker Brandon Eickert earned the Most Outstanding First Year Player Award by going 9-of-10 in field goals, including 6-of-6 from 30+ yards. The St. Charles, Illinois product was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 10 after he was 3-of-3 in field goals and 6-of-6 in PATs at Stetson.
 
For the second year in a row, Brandon Micale was named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The fullback, an Electrical Engineering major carrying a 3.98 GPA, was named to the Academic All-PFL Second Team this year. He played in all 12 games, blocking for a rushing attack that finished in the top half of the PFL.
 
Redshirt junior long snapper and quarterback Alex Farina and redshirt senior linebacker Marcus Vaivao, both of which earned All-PFL honors at their respective positions this season, were named the winners of the Dave Adolph "Do You Love Football?" Spirit Awards.
 
First-year players offensive lineman Nicolas Bisogno, safety Carson Lewis (San Clemente, Calif.), and wide receiver Devvin Gitchuway (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) were selected as team award honorees. Bisogno, who played in four games, was the Strength Coaches Award winner for first-year players while Lewis and Gitchuway were tabbed as the Defensive and Offensive Scout Player of the Year, respectively.
 
The Toreros will graduate 12 players from this year's championship team and look to defend the league title in 2020 as well as extend their active 37-game conference winning streak, which is two games shy of tying the all-time FCS record.
 
2019 San Diego Football Team Awards
Team MVP: Michael Bandy
Offensive MVP: Reid Sinnett
Defensive MVP: Jacob Bergstrom
Kevin Briscoe Special Teams Player of the Year: Tanner Kuljian
Dave Adolph "Do You Love Football"/Spirit Award: Alex Farina (Offense) & Marcus Vaivao (Defense)
Strength Coaches Award: Michael Bandy
Strength Coaches Award, First-Year: Nicolas Bisogno
Outstanding Defensive Lineman: Jacob Bergstrom
Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Aidan Valencia, Luke LaCilento
Scholar-Athlete Award: Brandon Micale
Most Improved Defensive Player: David Tolbert
Most Improved Offensive Player: JoJo Binda, Jr.
Most Outstanding First Year Player: Brandon Eickert
Offensive Scout Player of the Year: Devin Gitchuway
Defensive Scout Player of the Year: Carson Lewis