SAN DIEGO — In the last game of USD Head Coach Brandon Moore's second regular season, the Toreros will head to Morehead, Ky. to take on the Eagles, aiming for a punctuation mark on 2024, a fourth straight win and potentially, a share of the Pioneer Football League title.
San Diego Toreros (7-3, 5-2 PFL) • Morehead State Eagles (7-4, 5-2 PFL)
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 • 10 a.m. PST
Jayne Stadium (10,000) • Morehead, Ky.
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ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST MOREHEAD STATE
• In 16 matchups, the Toreros are undefeated against the Eagles dating back to the first meeting in 2005, including 6-0 in Morehead, Ky..
• Each of the last three meetings have been narrow, low-scoring affairs, with the Toreros coming out on top in Toreros Stadium 17-11 in 2023 and 10-3 in 2021, topping Morehead State 14-9 in their last visit to Jayne Stadium in 2022 ... San Diego scored 41-plus points in the seven prior meetings between 2011 and 2019.
TITLE IMPLICATIONS AT HAND
• While an automatic qualification for the FCS Playoffs by virtue of an outright PFL regular-season title is out of reach, a share of the conference title is still within reach for the Toreros Saturday, needing a win, a Drake loss (at Stetson) and a Butler loss (at Presbyterian).
• Entering Week 13, Drake controls its own destiny regarding the PFL's automatic bid, with a win at Stetson guaranteeing it the AQ ... With a Drake loss and a win by San Diego against Morehead State and a Butler loss: Drake and San Diego are tied at 6-2, and Drake wins the AQ by virtue of its H2H win against San Diego ... With a Drake loss and a Morehead State win against San Diego and a Butler loss: Drake and Morehead State are tied at 6-2, and Morehead State wins the AQ by virtue of its H2H win against Drake.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
• With the dominant win over Davidson on Nov. 2, the Toreros moved to 5-0 at Torero Stadium in 2024, the first time with six home wins in the same season since going a perfect 6-0 across the 2015 season
• It also marks the first time USD has won six straight at home since winning the last four at home in 2021 and first two of the 2022 season (six straight)
• San Diego last won six home games in the same season since going a perfect 6-0 across the 2015 season
TIC-TAC-TOE...
• The win over the Hatters last time out also marked the first occasion of the Toreros winning three games in a row in a season, home and on the road, since in 2021 (seven straight to end the season)
HIGHEST SCORING DEFENSE
• Despite having two bye weeks and ten games played, the Toreros' six total defensive touchdowns is good for the:
- Tied most defensive touchdowns in FCS, and across all of DI (FCS/FBS)
- Tied most pick-sixes (4) in FCS
• 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.
PIONEER LEAGUE PIONEERS
• Despite having one less game in hand than most teams , multiple Toreros front the Pioneer Football lead in the statistical categories, highlighted by senior receiver Ja'seem Reed – Reed leads the conference in receiving TDs (11, 4th in FCS), total receiving yards (1,004, 5th in FCS), receiving yards per game (100.4, 4th in FCS) and receptions per game (7.2, 4th in FCS).
• Graduate quarterback Grant Sergent is first in the league in passing TDs (24, 9th in FCS), passing yards (2,216, 26th in FCS), points responsible for (146, 18th FCS) and points responsible for per game (14.6, 14th FCS).
• On defense and special teams, junior defensive back Ruben Lopez is first in the PFL in fumble recoveries (2, 8th in FCS), senior linebacker Giovanni Iovino is leads the way in forced fumbles (3, 5th FCS) and Aidan Lehman is second in field goals per game (1.30).
LAST TIME OUT
• Led by seniors, the Toreros performed to near perfection on offense, defense and special teams to remain a perfect 6-0 at Torero Stadium with a dominant 45-6 win over Stetson on senior day on Saturday, Nov. 16.
• San Diego moved to 7-3, 5-2 in the PFL, the win marking its first three-game win streak since 2021 and a perfect 6-0 at home for the first time in a season since 2015.
KEY PERFORMANCES
• No senior had as complete of a day as quarterback Grant Sergent ... The native of Salinas, Calif. was one touchdown off the single-game passing TD record with six on the day (on the first six offensive possessions of the game), five in the first half ... He had 311 passing yards on 20-28 in the air.
• Sergent's go-to, fellow graduating senior Ja'seem Reed, sat the second half after a monster first half: three touchdowns on five receptions for 121 yards.
• On their senior days on defense, Ruben Lopez had two interceptions as Nick Murray added one while leading the Toreros in total tackles with seven.
• The Toreros move to a perfect 11-0 vs. the Hatters, scoring 31-plus for the 11th time, winning by 24-plus for the ninth consecutive time and are now 3-0 when playing Stetson on Senior Day
• The Toreros last won six consecutive home games between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, were perfect at home in the regular season for the first time since 2018 in addition to matching 2015's 6-0 mark at Torero Stadium
HOW IT HAPPENED
• After a 46-yard trick-play pass from receiver Cole Monach to Sergent, the QB returned the favor to his wideout, connecting on a nine-yard passing TD to open the scoring
• In a span of 7:14 of game time, Sergent found Reed for three straight touchdowns, for 24 yards, 30 yards and 15 yards to expand the lead to 28-0
• At the end of the first quarter, the Toreros led in total offense 164 yards to 34
• Sergent found Josh Heverly for a 23-yard score to cap a 95-yard drive, Heverly's fifth TD of the season and Sergent's fifth of the first half
• The Toreros continued the second half the way they did the first, scoring on a sixth consecutive drive to start the game as Sergent dropped a pass from 27-yards out to senior Christopher Hall who made a fingertip catch in the back of the endzone, Hall's second catch of the season
• Last week's PFL Special Teams Player of the Week Aidan Lehman landed a 27-yard field goal to push the USD lead to 45-0
• At 4:52 left in the fourth quarter, lineman Brian Coburn preserved the Toreros' shutout with a blocked field goal
• Stetson finally scored with 48 seconds remaining on a 52-yard breakthrough run by Trey Clark, however failing on the two-point conversion to settle the final score at 45-6
SENIOR DAY
• The Toreros honored 22 graduating senior student-athletes prior to the game against Stetson, in addition to student managers and graduate assistants: DB Nick Murray, CB Eric Haney, RB Kenyon Sims, QB Grant Sergent, RB Isaiah Smith, DB Matt Ballentine, K Aidan Lehman, RB Logan Gingg, LB Jerry Riggins, TE Cooper Shults, LB Giovanni Iovino, LB Chase Lyons, LB Giulio Fernandes, LB Jagger Pagano, OL Jonathan Greaves, OL Bennett Commander, WR Darius Hyde, WR Ja'seem Reed, DL Justin Aletor, DL Shayden Molina, DL Doogie Harvey and LB Noah Thomas
• The Toreros have now won nine of their last 10 final home games of the regular season (traditionally senior day), 19 of the last 22 dating back to 2003 ... The Toreros are now 3-0 when playing Stetson on senior day.
LEHMAN NAMED PFL SPECIAL TEAMS POTW
• Senior kicker Aidan Lehman was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week for Nov. 10, 2024, the Pioneer Football League announced on Sunday afternoon.
• Lehman was perfect and connected on three field goals, including a 42-yarder, scoring a game-high 10 points in San Diego's 16-10 victory at Dayton on Saturday. He opened the scoring with a 22-yarder in the first quarter, then connected on a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter, helping San Diego open up a 13-10 halftime lead. Lehman helped secure the win with a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter, following Dayton's first points.
• He is the first Torero to be named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week this year and is San Diego's sixth weekly conference honoree of 2024 after 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, junior defensive back Ruben Lopez was named the PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 7, graduate defensive back Eric Haney was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 20, and senior linebacker Jerry Riggins took home PFL Defensive Player of the Week honors on Nov. 3.
PFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK IS A TORERO FOR FIFTH TIME IN 2024
• On Oct. 20, 2024, the Pioneer Football League announced senior linebacker Jerry Riggins as the league's defensive player of the week following a dominant effort against Davidson.
• Riggins is the fifth Torero to earn a PFL weekly honor in the first eight USD game weeks of 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, junior defensive back Ruben Lopez earned the honor on Oct. 7 and graduate defensive back Eric Haney was named the PFL Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 20.
THIRTY-POINT QUARTER
• USD scored a historic 30 points in the second quarter of the Nov. 2 40-13 win over Davidson, the most points in a quarter for the Toreros since Oct. 13, 2007, scoring 31 in the second quarter in a home win over Drake.
• In the quarter, the Toreros notched a 42-yard field goal from Aidan Lehman (his first of two from that distance and beyond in the game), a scoop and score by senior linebacker Jerry Riggins and quarterback Grant Sergent was 8-10 for 200 yards and three touchdowns.
• Ja'seem Reed had two of those touchdowns and 93 of the receiving yards in the quarter, his five receptions adding to his game sum of 14 that tied a Torero single-game record, first set by John Matthews on Nov. 15, 2008 against Butler.
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.
