SAN DIEGO – Reid Sinnett threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns while a Daniel Tolbert interception with a minute left in the game helped San Diego hold off Harvard for a 31-23 win on Saturday at Torero Stadium.
 
The Toreros (1-2), who have won 22 of their last 23 home games, led by 24 points over the Crimson (0-1) entering the fourth quarter, but Harvard closed the gap with an air attack of its own in the final minutes.
 
Sinnett showed why he is among the nation's top 10 in yards per game and completion percentage as he finished 22-of-30 (73.3%) with 384 yards. He got off to a fast start when he connected with senior wide receiver Michael Bandy on the Toreros' first play from scrimmage for a 65-yard touchdown pass. The two connected for a total of eight times as Bandy led the team in receptions and receiving yards (159).
 
Sinnett found three different receivers for his touchdown passes, working with Dalton Kincaid for 57 yards early in the second quarter and Alex Spadone for 18 yards shortly before halftime. The touchdown to Spadone gave the Toreros a 24-0 lead entering the break.
 
The USD defense bounced back from its first two games by shutting out Harvard through halftime and held it to 228 total yards after the first three quarters. The front seven proved to be the most effective for the Toreros as they had 10 combined tackles for a loss, three sacks and four quarterback hurries. USD also limited Harvard to just 42 passing yards in the first half.
 
Defensive end Kevin Glajchen was troublesome all day for Harvard as the redshirt junior led the Toreros with a season-high 10 tackles, including two sacks and four tackles for a loss. He also had two quarterback hurries.
 
Six different Toreros had a tackle for a loss, including Chris Reese who added a sack to make up his two tackles.
 
Despite the constant pass rush, the Crimson narrowed the gap when they scored the game's final 16 points behind the efforts of Jake Smith's passing attack. The Harvard quarterback threw for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter to help pull the game close.
 
USD was on the move in an attempt to put the game away midway through the fourth, but Harvard forced a fumble at its 36-yard line after Sinnett found Terrence Smith for a 19-yard pass. The turnover with 6:45 remaining was the Toreros' only one in the game.
 
After a Crimson field goal with 3:18 left and a subsequent three-and-out by the Toreros, Harvard started its final drive at its 44-yard line with 1:41 remaining. Facing third-and-four, the USD pass rush forced Smith to throw an errant pass that was intercepted by Tolbert, who was playing in his first game of the season.
 
The Toreros dominated the first half behind Sinnett throwing for 255 yards. Of his 13 first-half completions, six were for 16 or more yards, including the three touchdown receptions. He even piloted a 19-play, 74-yard drive that ate up 10:09 of the game clock in the first quarter and resulted in a field goal.
 
The win for the Toreros was their first in four all-time meetings against Harvard.
 
USD enters its final bye week before returning to action on October 5 against Marist at Torero Stadium (2 p.m.).
 
 
NOTES
The Toreros improved to 1-3 all-time against Harvard. The previous three games were all decided by 15 or more points.
 
Bandy moved into sixth in USD history for career receiving yards (2,481). He is 13 yards away from fifth.
 
The 65-yard touchdown pass between Sinnett and Bandy was the longest pass of the season for the Toreros.
 
USD had 470 total yards of offense. It now has 400+ yards of total offense in all three games this season.
 
The Torero defense held Harvard to 384 total yards, the fewest it has allowed in a game this year.