San Diego Toreros (4-2, 2-1 PFL) • St. Thomas (4-3, 3-0 PFL)

Saturday, October 26, 2024  •  10:00 a.m. PST | Noon CST

O'Shaughnessy Stadium (5,025) • St. Paul, Minnesota

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SAN DIEGO —  After extending their perfect home record last time out, the Toreros hope to move up in the Pioneer Football League standings with a matchup at St. Thomas in the capital of the Land of 10,000 Lakes Saturday morning. 

San Diego and it's scorching hot defense hope to claim it's first road win of the season vs. the Tommies, who have topped three of the PFL's winless teams but are 4-3 on the season. 

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST ST. THOMAS

• This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Toreros and Tommies, while USD took the initial matchup in 2021, St. Thomas has taken the last two, including the lone battle in O'Shaughnessy Stadium, 49-42 in 2022.

• Each of the three contests between the two sides have been decided by one score; the last time out St. Thomas topped San Diego 20-14 in overtime at Torero Stadium (Nov. 11, 2023).

LAST TIME OUT

• San Diego put together a dominant performance over Marist on Saturday afternoon as it utilized an early pick-six, three passing touchdowns, and a pair of field goals to rout the Red Foxes 34-6 in front of a lively crowd of 3,017 at Torero stadium on Homecoming and Family Weekend at USD. 

• The San Diego defense scored as many touchdowns as it allowed for the third time this season, allowing just the six points, racking up six sacks, 13 tackles for loss and stopping the Red Foxes 9-13 times on third down, 1-1 on fourth down and 1-1 on two point conversions. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Toreros picked up right where they left off last game, as Haney jumped a pass from the Marist quarterback on the first drive of the game and took it all the way to the house for a 46-yard pick-six to give San Diego an early 7-0 lead. 

• After the USD defense forced a turnover on downs, Sergent kept the momentum going for the Toreros by finding Reed for a 21-yard touchdown pass up the middle to extend San Diego's lead to 14-0 with 4:56 left in the first quarter. 

• Both teams were scoreless in the second quarter to end the first half of play with the score still 14-0 in favor of the home team. 

• An 11-yard rush from Isaiah Smith in the first drive of the third quarter led to a 52-yard field goal from Aidan Lehman to inflate the Torero lead to 17-0. 

• Marist scored a touchdown with six minutes left in the third quarter before Sergent and Reed responded by connecting again for an 18-yard touchdown pass to make the score 24-6 as the third period of play came to a close. 

• Sergent found Josh Heverly in the fourth quarter for his third touchdown pass of the day, moving the score to 31-6 with 12:04 left in the game. 

• Lehman closed out the win for USD by knocking down a 31-yard field goal to tack on an extra three points for San Diego as it finished the game with a final score of 34-6. 

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES

•  Haney led the way for the Toreros defensively with four total tackles (two solo), one sack, one pass breakup, and the 46-yard pick-six. 

• Senior Giovanni Iovino also had a strong performance on the defensive side for USD, as he earned a team-high six tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss, and one pass breakup.   

• Grant Sergent commanded the USD offense, throwing three passing touchdowns for a total of 202 passing yards.

• Two of those touchdown passes were hauled in by Ja'seem Reed, who had a career performance out wide for San Diego, earning a career-best 162 total yards on eight receptions, racking in his fourth and fifth TDs of the season. 

• Graduate student running back Isaiah Smith rushed for 104 yards on 14 attempts, including a 45-yard rush in the fourth quarter, averaging 7.4 yard per carry in all.

• Aidan Lehman, the Toreros senior kicker, accounted for 10 points scored, nailing his second 52-plus yard field goal of the season and going 4-4 on PATs, also tacking on a 31 yard field goal. 

ERIC HANEY BECOMES FOURTH TORERO TO EARN PFL DPOTW IN 2024

• San Diego football's Eric Haney has been named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week for October 20, 2024, the Pioneer Football League announced on Sunday afternoon.

• The graduate defensive back's 46-yard pick-six on the game's opening drive set the tone for a defense that allowed only one score and 226 yards in a 34-6 victory against Marist. Just four plays into the game, Haney intercepted the game's first pass attempt to put the Toreros ahead. He also had a pass breakup and added a sack to his four-tackle outing (two solo). The Peoria, Arizona native also handled punt return duties for the Toreros, with three returns for nine yards. Haney's pick-six was San Diego's FCS-leading fourth interception returned for a touchdown this season.

• Haney is the fourth Torero to earn a PFL weekly honor in 2024 after fellow defensive back Matt Ballentine was selected as the PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1, defensive lineman Malachi Cooper earned a PFL Defensive Player of the Week nod on Sept. 22 and junior defensive back Ruben Lopez was named the PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 7.

HIGHEST SCORING DEFENSE

• Despite having two bye weeks and just six games played, the Toreros'  five total defensive touchdowns is good for the: 

          - Most defensive touchdowns in FCS, tied most in DI FCS/FBS

          - Most pick-sixes (4) in FCS by double, tied most in DI FCS/FBS

• Co-defensive coordinators Mike McGlinchey and Isaac Carter's unit has scored as many touchdowns as it has surrendered in three games in 2024; Two week one vs. Cal Poly, one week two vs. Central Washington and one week eight vs. Marist.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• With the dominant win last week the Toreros moved to 4-0 at Torero Stadium in 2024, the first time with a perfect start to a season on home turf since going a perfect 5-0 at hom in 2018.

• It marks the first time USD has won four straight at home since winning the last four at home in 2021 and first two of the 2022 season (six straight). The Toreros last won five home games in a season in 2019. 

PIONEER LEAGUE PIONEERS

• Despite having played just six games with two byes already, several Toreros front the Pioneer Football Lead in the statistical categories, highlighted by senior receiver Ja'seem Reed – Reed leads the conference in receiving TDs (5, 20th in FCS), receiving yards (557, 23rd in FCS), receiving yards per game (92.8, 7th in FCS) and receptions per game (7.3, 3rd in FCS). 

• On the other side of the ball, senior linebacker is first in the PFL in solo tackles per game (5.0, 16th in FCS). The Las Vegas native's 1.5 tackles-for-loss per game is also second in the conference and 10th most in the Football Championship Subdivision. 

• Grad DB Eric Haney also leads the conference in passes defended per game (1.2, 20th in FCS), while senior kicker Aidan Lehman is at the top of the leaderboard in field goal percentage (.778, 21st in FCS). Graduate quarterback Grant Sergent is second in the league in completions per game (18.67), passing TDs (13), passing yards per game (222.5), passing yards per completion (11.92), points responsible for (80), per game (13.3) and total offense yards average (214.5).

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.