eric haney interception dayton
25
Dayton DAY 2-2 , 0-1
40
Winner San Diego USD 1-3 , 1-0
Dayton DAY
2-2 , 0-1
25
Final
40
San Diego USD
1-3 , 1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DAY Dayton 3 7 7 8 25
USD San Diego 14 19 0 7 40

Game Recap: Football |

Toreros Beat Dayton 40-25 to Begin PFL Play

San Diego football leads from start to finish in conference opener, earns Brandon Moore first victory at USD

SAN DIEGO — A fourth-quarter pick-six from Eric Haney on Saturday afternoon sealed San Diego football's (1-3, 1-0 PFL) first win of 2023, a hard-fought 40-25 decision over Dayton (2-2, 0-1 PFL) at Torero Stadium to begin PFL play that earned Brandon Moore his first victory as USD's head coach.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • After both teams started off the game with quick three and outs, Grant Sergent led the Toreros down the field and scored on a quick 33-yard touchdown strike to Josh Heverly.
  • The USD defense brought Dayton to third down on the ensuing drive before Torero safety Ruben Lopez picked off Dayton quarterback Cole Dow at USD's 45 yard line. Sergent then found Ja'seem Reed for a 42-yard reception that set up Isaiah Williams' 14-yard touchdown rush, moving the score to 14-0 in favor of USD.
  • Dayton marched down the field once it got the ball back but was eventually stopped in its tracks after Chase Lyons notched a tackle for a loss. Dayton was forced to settle for a field goal getting on the board after kicker Sam Cobert converted a 38-yard effort to make it 14-3, USD.
  • San Diego recovered two fumbles in the second quarter, both of which resulted in USD touchdowns: one on a 23-yard pass to Ja'seem Reed, and another on a 14-yard rush from Isaiah Williams. After missing a point-after attempt, USD led by a 27-3 margin.
  • Starting at their own 30 yard line, the Dayton offense capped off a long, five-minute drive with a 20-yard quarterback run from Cole Down, resulting in a touchdown that moved the score to 27-10.
  • The Toreros responded with a 50-yard pass from Sergent to Heverly, and ended the drive with a short, four-yard pass to Isaiah Williams for the touchdown. A failed 2-point conversion left the score at 33-10, Toreros.
  • Dayton attempted to start a drive with 28 seconds to go in the second quarter but came up empty after Amir Wallace ended the half with an interception.
  • After the break, Dayton forced USD to punt inside of their endzone. Dayton's Logan Miller blocked the punt, giving Dayton excellent field position to start its next drive, which ended in a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alec Keathly to move the score to 33-17.
  • A missed 22-yard field goal made a seven-minute USD drive to end the third quarter fruitless, giving Dayton the ball back to begin the fourth.
  • Dayton began the final period strong, scoring on a touchdown run from quarterback Cole Dow before converting on a two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game at 33-25.
  • San Diego took over on its own 25 yard line with 12:43 in the fourth quarter,and slowly pushed their way all the way to the Dayton 19, where it attempted a 29-yard field goal but missed again, leaving 4:50 left on the clock.
  • After the missed field goal, Dayton took over at its own 19 yard line, setting the stage for San Diego's most decisive play of 2023 this far, which saw cornerback Eric Haney jump a route and haul in a clutch pick-six to give his team some much needed insurance down the stretch.
  • Dayton continued to fight after the interception but saw their comeback efforts end with yet another turnover this time at the hands of linebacker Jerry Riggins and defensive end Alijah Brown.
TORERO TIDBITS
  • Quarterback Grant Sergent paced the USD offense on Sunday, totaling 262 yards and three touchdowns while completing 19 of his 26 passes.
  • As a whole the Torero defense notched six takeaways, 10 tackles for losses, and two sacks.
  • Isaiah Williams headlined the Toreros' rushing efforts on Sunday, recording 113 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns
  • Ja'seem Reed led the charge for the USD receivers, racking up 104 yards and a highlight-reel, one-handed catch for a touchdown.
  • Eric Haney turned in a career performance in the PFL opener, notching seven total tackles (four solo) 1.5 tackles for losses, and a game-sealing interception for the Toreros. 
  • Jagger Pagano was just behind with nine total tackles (six solo).
  • USD head coach Brandon Moore is now 1-0 in PFL play.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will continue Pioneer Football League Play on the road next weekend, traveling to Davidson, North Carolina to take on Davidson. Kickoff at Richardson Stadium on Saturday (September 30) is set for 9 a.m. PST.
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