SAN DIEGO — After utilizing a restful bye-week following a thrilling home victory over Presbyterian, San Diego football (3-2, 1-1 PFL) will conclude a two-game homestand this Saturday with a matchup against Marist (0-6, 0-3 PFL), hosting the Red Foxes at Torero Stadium as USD celebrates its Homecoming and Family Weekend. 

Kickoff on Saturday afternoon is set for at 2:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with Jack Cronin (Play-by-Play) and Braden Surprenant (Analyst) on the call. Live statistics will be available on USDToreros.com.

The Toreros opened up their 2024 campaign with three consecutive wins in the home comfort of Torero Stadium, and will look to move to 4-0 at home with a win over Marist. 

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST MARIST
• USD is 15-1 all-time against the Red Foxes, dating back to the two programs' first meeting in 2003.

• The Toreros boasted a 15-0 record over Marist before dropping a 30-15 loss in 2023 at Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie. 

• The teams' most recent meeting at Torero Stadium was on Oct. 5, 2019, when San Diego defeated the Red Foxes by a 31-7 margin.

LAST TIME OUT
•  An 87-yard overtime scoop-and-score saw the Toreros win in walk-off fashion in a thrilling 27-21 victory over Presbyterian at Torero Stadium Saturday afternoon.

• In the opening drive of overtime, the Blue Hose got to the three-yard line before senior defensive back Trey Ortega delivered the game-ending blow on the Presbyterian back that forced a fumble and allowed junior defensive back Ruben Lopez to scoop the ball up and run it 87 yards back for a touchdown to secure the victory for San Diego.

HOW IT HAPPENED
•Both sides' defense held firm in the opening quarter of play, forcing multiple punts to end the first quarter with goose eggs on both ends. 

• A 50-yard rushing touchdown from Presbyterian to start the second quarter gave them the first score of the game, making it 7-0 Blue Hose with 11:47 left in the first half of play. 

• USD responded immediately with a six-minute drive that ended with an eight yard pass from Sergent to Reed to allow the Toreros to tie the game up at seven with five minutes left before the break. 

•The Blue Hose scored a 23-yard passing touchdown with 7:42 left in the third quarter to retake their seven point lead at 14-7. 

• USD was again answered, using good field position off a muffed punt as Sergent threw another eight yard game-tying touchdown pass, this time to Heverly, knotting the game up at 14 apiece with 2:40 left in the third quarter.

• Presbyterian opened up the fourth quarter with a 19-yard rushing touchdown to give them a 21-14 advantage with 10 minutes left to play. 

•After a long drive that ended scoreless with 1:48 left on the clock, the USD defense came up clutch to stop the Blue Hose from ending the game and get the ball back to the offense with just 41 seconds left. 

• On second and 15 with eight seconds to go, Sergent found Heverly once again with a perfect ball that fell right into his hands in the endzone, tying up the game at 21-21 to force overtime.  

• Presbyterian began overtime with the ball and got all the way to USD three-yard line before a massive hit from Trey Ortega forced a fumble that Ruben Lopez ran back for an 87-yard walk-off scoop and score to give his team a 27-21 victory. 

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
• Senior wide receiver Josh Heverly came up big for USD offensively as he hauled in a pair of touchdown passes from Grant Sergent, including a clutch 26-yard game-tying touchdown reception with 13 seconds remaining to force overtime. Fellow senior wideout Ja'seem Reed totalled 99 receiving yards and a touchdown on ten catches.  

• Defensively, the Toreros — now tied for the lead as FCS team with the most defensive touchdowns (four) — utilized a pair of huge defensive plays, including a recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter in addition to the game-winning forced fumble in overtime. 

• Senior linebacker Giovanni Iovino led the way for the USD defense with 10 total tackles (three solo), with Eric Haney (nine total tackles, four solo), Nick Murray (eight total tackles), and Jagger Pagano (eight total tackles) just behind. As a team, the Toreros had nine tackles for loss, including three sacks.

MALACHI COOPER GARNERS PFL DPOTW
• Senior defensive lineman Malachi Cooper has been named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week for September 22, 2024, the Pioneer Football League announced on Sunday afternoon.

• Cooper had three tackles for loss and two sacks to lead a San Diego defense that helped keep No. 10 North Dakota's offense in check for a half before the host Fighting Hawks pulled away in the second half. Cooper finished the game with a team-best six tackles (all solo). His first sack came on third down to force a punt after San Diego took a 7-3 lead, and his second on the final drive of the first half.

• He is the second USD player to earn a weekly PFL honor this season, after Matt Ballentine (Defensive) was selected back on Sept. 1 after sealing San Diego's football's win over Cal Poly with a clutch 40-yard pick-six.

HIGHEST SCORING DEFENSE
• Despite having two bye weeks already, the Toreros' four total defensive touchdowns was good for: 
          - Most defensive touchdowns in FCS
          - Most pick-sixes in DI FBS/FCS

• Co-defensive coordinators Mike McGlinchey and Isaac Carter's unit had scored as many touchdowns as it had surrendered with two games in hand in 2024

• As of Oct. 17, the Toreros still rank No. 1 in interceptions returned for TD (3) in FCS and tied for first in DI FCS/FBS 

2-0 FOR FIRST TIME IN 13 YEARS
• San Diego Football unleashed an aerial assault — led by three passing touchdowns from Grant Sergent — to take down Division II Central Washington by a 26-7 margin at Torero Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7

• The win marked the Toreros' first 2-0 start in a non-shortened season in 13 years

A SIGNATURE VICTORY ON OPENING NIGHT
• San Diego's thrilling season-opening 27-21 victory over Cal Poly on Saturday Aug. 31, marked the third time since 2016 that it has defeated a scholarship opponent.

• It was also just the third night football game that USD has hosted since 2016 and the Toreros'  first since 2022 when they defeated La Verne 58-0 in a kickoff that began at 6 p.m..

THREE TOREROS NAMED TO 2024 PFL PRESEASON TEAM
• Three San Diego players were named to the 2024 All-PFL Preseason Team, the Pioneer Football League announced on July 31.

• Defensive lineman Malachi Cooper, linebacker Chase Lyons, and defensive back Eric Haney earned the honor ahead of the Toreros' season opener against Cal Poly.

• Cooper, a San Diego native who attended Serra High School, was named to the All-PFL Second Team last season after recording 24 total tackles (11 solo) and seven tackles for losses across 10 games. This is his first career All-PFL Preseason Team selection.

• Lyons was named to the All-PFL Preseason Team for a second consecutive season following a dynamic junior campaign that saw him pick up a 2023 All-PFL Honorable Mention. He appeared in nine games last season, recording 23 total tackles (14 solo), five tackles for losses, and one sack. Lyons has also earned an All-PFL Second Team selection (2022).

• Haney took home both All-PFL First Team (Defense) and an All-PFL Honorable mention in 2023 after notching 41 total tackles (30 solo) alongside five tackles for losses, two interceptions, and three pass breakups. He recorded a team-high 18 kickoff returns for 411 yards (22.83 yards per return) and had six punt returns for 30 yards. This is his first career All-PFL Preseason Team selection.