SAN DIEGO – In the final home game of the 2022 season, the University of San Diego football team (4-5, 3-3 PFL) used all three phases to defeat Davidson (7-3, 5-2 PFL), 31-14.
 
Graduate quarterback Judd Erickson put together his fourth consecutive impressive game, ending 22-of-30 with 258 passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
 
All-purpose Re-al Mitchell rushed 12 times for a career-high 127 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard dash in the first quarter. Mitchell added five catches for 60 yards for a total of 187 yards.
 
The defense forced a turnover on downs four times. Fifth-year safety Hunter Nichols led the group with 12 total tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and an interception.
 
USD improves to 4-5 (3-3 PFL) on the season, and will travel to Morehead State for the season finale next weekend.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• San Diego marched right down the field on the opening drive, taking only seven plays to go 70 yards in 3:02. Michael Carner made a one-handed catch for 21 yards, and Erickson later found Christian Brown wide open for an eight-yard touchdown.
• Davidson scrambled on a fourth-and-1 from USD's 3, and found a receiver for the short touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
• On the second play of San Diego's next drive, Mitchell took the ball 75 yards down the left side for a touchdown on a designed run.
• Hunter Nichols sprinted across the secondary to grab an interception at USD's goal line on a third-and-6.
• The offense stayed hot, taking 9:39 off the clock to drive 86 yards in 14 plays. Mitchell rushed right for a two-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.
• With just 10 seconds left at their own 45, Erickson sent a long ball to Carner down the left side for 33 yards. Lehman buried a 39-yard field goal to extend USD's lead to 24-7 at halftime.
• On Davidson's first drive of the third quarter, Nichols dashed into the backfield to make a tackle on fourth-and-1 for a loss of five and turnover on downs.
• After USD missed a 40-yard field goal, Deshaun Harvey came up with an open field tackle to force another turnover on downs.
• Brown made two acrobatic catches of 23 and 19 yards, setting up USD deep in Davidson territory. Erickson later found Rhyle Hanson on a screen for a seven-yard touchdown. San Diego led 31-7 with 2:28 left in the third.
• On the first play of the fourth, Davidson rushed for a three-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 31-14.
• Later in the fourth, Davidson was stuffed by Jagger Pagano and teammates on a fourth-and-1 from the USD 1. 

TORERO TIDBITS

• Over the last four games, Erickson is 105-153 (68.6%) for 1,156 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
• Nichols grabbed his first interception of the season, and eighth of his career. He leads the team with 60 total tackles this year.
• Mitchell has eight total touchdowns in nine games. He has rushed 63 times for 367 yards (5.8 average) and a team-leading four touchdowns. As a receiver, he has 21 catches for 267 yards and a touchdown (all over the last three games).
• Carner ended with six receptions for 95 yards. He now leads the team with 565 receiving yards this season. In his career, he has 111 receptions for 1,604 yards and 11 touchdowns.
• Brown secured his first touchdown of the season, and eighth of his career.
• Hanson scored his second career touchdown (first receiving).
• Jacob Saewitz and Will Buck combined for a sack. Saewitz is now tied for the team lead with 6.0 on the season (Kapapa).

 
UP NEXT
San Diego will travel to Morehead State next weekend. The Toreros hold a 14-0 lead in the all-time series, including a 10-3 win last season.