San Diego Toreros (1-5, 1-2 PFL) • Drake Bulldogs (3-3, 3-0 PFL)

Saturday, October 21, 2023 •  2:02 p.m. PST

Torero Stadium (6,000) • San Diego, CA

Live Streaming •  ESPN+ | Live Statistics • USDToreros.com

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SAN DIEGO — San Diego football (1-5, 1-2 PFL) is set to return home on Saturday afternoon against Drake, hosting the Bulldogs (3-3, 1-2 PFL) as Pioneer Football League play continues at Torero Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available on USDToreros.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST DRAKE
• The Toreros are 20-10 against Drake all-time and have won each of their last 10 games against the Bulldogs

• San Diego last played Drake on October 8, 2022, when it earned a 22-10 win over the Bulldogs in Des Moines, at Drake Stadium.

• USD last hosted Dayton on October 16, 2021, when it beat the Bulldogs 13-10 at Torero Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT: Marist 30, San Diego 16
• San Diego struck first for an early lead on Saturday afternoon but could not hang on to secure a win over Marist (3-3, 3-1 PFL), dropping a tough 30-16 decision to the Red Foxes as Pioneer Football League play continued at a rainy Tenney Stadium.

How It Happened:
• Marist forced a quick fumble after USD received the game's opening kickoff, but San Diego made up for it with a third-down stop that was led by a sack from Giovanni Iovino.

• On the first play of the Red Foxes' next drive, USD's Nick Murray picked off Marist quarterback Brock Bagozzi, giving San Diego the ball back with 9:10 remaining in the first quarter.

• San Diego began the second quarter strong, getting creative with some Wildcat formations using Re-al Mitchell under center. This resulted in a 49-yard touchdown run from Mitchell, breaking the deadlock as the Toreros went ahead by a 7-0 margin.

• Marist quickly responded with a strong drive, which ended with a 17-yard post route to the end zone from Red Fox wide receiver Trevor Sterry, who was found by Bagozzi to tie the game back up at 7-7.

• As the rain at Tenney Stadium intensified, USD fumbled twice in the last three minutes of the first half. Marist capitalized on both turnovers, scoring a pair of touchdowns to extend its lead to 21-7 after two quarters of play.

• At the start of the second half, Mitchell led the Toreros into the red zone, but Marist retook the momentum with a 99-yard pick-six, moving the score to 28-7.

• San Diego bounced back with a long, five-minute drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal from Aidan Lehman, making the game 28-10 with four minutes left in the third quarter.

• An acrobatic hurdle from Mitchell was the highlight of USD's drive to start the fourth quarter, which ended in a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaiah Williams to put the Toreros back in it. A failed two-point conversion left the score at 28-16 with 12 minutes to go in the fourth.

• USD was pinned deep in its own territory after an accurate punt from Marist, then a defensive stand from the Red Foxes forced San Diego to attempt a punt of its own. The Toreros' ensuing snap went over punter Aydan Corrales' head and out the back of the endzone for a safety, giving the home team a 30-16 lead it did not relinquish.

Notable:
• Mitchell totaled 68 yards on five receptions, shining as a triple threat as he saw multiple direct snaps in Wildcat formation. He finished the game with 102 rushing yards on 11 carries and one rushing touchdown.

• Linebacker Giovanni Iovino notched five total tackles (one solo), one tackle for a loss, and an impressive 26- yard sack.

• On special teams, Eric Haney had four returns for 78 total yards, averaging 19.5 yards per return.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Isaiah Williams | Senior | Running Back | Southern Utah University
• Leads USD with 435 rushing yards on 97 carries

• Averaging 4.5 yards per carry and 87 yards per game

• Has four of the Toreros' five rushing touchdowns thus far in 2023

• Transferred to USD from Southern Utah University after attending nearby Olympian High School

Grant Sergent | Redshirt Senior | Quarterback | Palma High School
• Has totaled 890 yards while completing 61 of 101 passes through four games, including seven touchdowns

• Has only thrown two interceptions thus far in 2023

• Threw the Toreros' longest pass (61 yards) of the season thus far, to RS Senior receiver Re-al Mitchell

Ja'seem Reed | Junior | Wide Receiver | Westlake High School
• Leads USD with 501 receiving yards and 42 receptions in 2023 after compiling 49 yards last week against Marist

Re-al Mitchell | Redshirt Senior | Wide Receiver | St. John Bosco High School
• Ranks third on the USD roster with 211 receiving yards on 16 receptions thus far in 2023

• Led the Toreros in receiving yards (68) and was second in rushing yards (94) last Saturday at Marist

• Is one of two Toreros with a rushing touchdown in 2023

Jayden Wickware | Graduate Student | Linebacker | Princeton | San Diego High School
• Leads USD in solo tackles (21), tackles for losses (seven), sacks (five), and is tied for interceptions (one)

• Joined USD as a graduate transfer from Princeton after attending nearby San Diego High School

• Notched 10 total tackles against Marist last week