SAN DIEGO – Two weeks ago, San Diego football looked to utilize its bye week productively, hoping to straighten things out after back-to-back losses. 

And since then, it has only been up for the Toreros. Last week, they earned a hard-fought road win at Davidson, before routing the then second place Dayton Flyers 31-13 in wire-to-wire fashion at Torero Stadium. 

San Diego relished being back at home as the team executed on all three sides of the ball to come out with a seventh-straight victory over the Flyers. 

"It was awesome," Toreros head coach Brandon Moore said. "We've got a lot of respect for Dayton, what coach Trevor Andrews does over there, and I think our boys accepted the challenge that they were a physical football team and a team that took pride in running the football, took pride in playing good special teams and takes pride in being a good defense." 

Overall, the Toreros (5-4, 3-2 Pioneer Football League) held Dayton (6-3, 4-2 PFL) scoreless until early in the fourth quarter, while limiting the Flyers to negative six rushing yards and adding five sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two interceptions. 

"I feel like we take pride in our run game because that's how you open up the pass game, and the fact that we were able to hold them to negative rushing yards, it's a great feeling," said senior captain defensive back Ruben Lopez, who recorded five tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception. "Huge D-line keeping them up front, our (linebackers) and our safeties getting there when they can, so it's a great feeling."

However, as the defense forced the Flyers to punt, it was the special teams that got the Torero offense rolling.  

Junior Yosei Takahashi had a 37-yard punt return called back due to a penalty in the opening quarter, but immediately responded by recording a 68-yard punt return, setting up the offense for its opening touchdown on the very next play. 

"It's just my boys executing their job," said Takahashi, who recorded a USD single-game program record 131 punt return yards. "(Special teams coach Louis Cortes) had a great plan … our offense was struggling a little bit in the first few drives, so I was trying to find a way to help them out. The defense was doing a very great job, and I had a great opportunity. I wanted to get in the endzone, but the offense got it right after."  

Takahashi's near-punt return touchdown set up a 5-yard touchdown run by graduate student Matt Colombo on the ensuing play to give USD a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter. It marked Colombo's second straight game with a touchdown after returning to play last week.  

"Getting Matt back last week, I thought was all the difference, and you could see that today as well," Moore said of Colombo, who recorded 14 carries for 40 yards. "It helps (Adam Criter) balance it out." 

Although Criter lost a fumble on a 21-yard rush, senior linebacker Tre Moore picked him up by recording a sack, before catching an interception on the very next play to put the ball back in the offense's hands with 1:34 left in the half. 

After three plays, Moore called timeout with three seconds left in the second quarter, facing fourth-and-8 at the Dayton 40-yard line. 

As Nankil took the snap, he scrambled to avoid the Flyers' three-man front and launched the ball into the end zone. After the ball was tipped, not once, but twice, sophomore Dylan Tapley caught the ball in the end zone amongst a number of players from both teams, his first career touchdown reception, to give USD a 14-0 lead. 

"I knew I wanted one more shot at the end zone," Brandon Moore said. "I thought we were too far to let Emiliano (Salazar) kick it, and we didn't want to just turn the ball over to them, so I let the clock run down.  

"It was a great snag by Tapley. Just super excited for Dom having to extend the play and getting loose. And those guys went out and fought for the football."

The offense continued to roll after halftime. To begin the third quarter, USD went on a 14-play, 73-yard drive, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown reception by Cole Monach to give USD a 21-0 lead. On that drive, which lasted 7:39, San Diego went 4-for-4 on third downs and Nankil completed 7-of-8 passes for the lone score of the third quarter.

"That was fun," said Monach, who hauled in all nine of his targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. "We finally came out of the half, getting a good drive. We haven't been the best at that."

The Toreros made it 28 unanswered points when Criter scored untouched from four yards out early in the fourth quarter after another lengthy drive, 12 plays over a span of six and a half minutes. 

The shutout was soiled by the Flyers with 12:27 remaining in the game, however, as Dayton finally found it's way around the Torero defense. 

San Diego answered back to put the game fully out of reach as defending PFL Special Teams Player of the Week, sophomore kicker/punter Emiliano Salazar 'doinked' a tied career-best 47-yard field goal off the crossbar and in. In garbage time, Dayton scored again inside the two-minute warning but failed to convert on the two point attempt and onside kick to settle the final score at 31-13.

UP NEXT 
Next Saturday, San Diego will hit the road for the penultimate time, traveling to Valparaiso. Kickoff between the Toreros and Beacons at Brown Field is scheduled for 10 a.m. PST. The game will also be streamed live on ESPN+. 

TORERO TIDBITS

• With the win, USD records its seventh consecutive victory over the Flyers, a streak that dates back to 2016 ... The Toreros have also won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two schools. 
• San Diego recorded its best run-defense performance of the season, limiting Dayton to -6 rushing yards and 214 total yards of offense. 
• USD tied a season high with 10 tackles for loss and the five sacks was the third-best mark this season ... USD had 10 tackles for loss at Marist on Oct. 4 and recorded six sacks for the first of two times, also at Princeton, Sept. 20.
• Yosei Takahashi's 68-yard punt return in the second quarter was the longest of his collegiate career.
• Overall, Takahashi recorded 131 punt return yards, setting a new single-game program record, surpassing Zac Fielder's 103 against Pomona-Pitzer in 1990. 
• Sophomore Dylan Tapley, who transferred from Arizona before this season, recorded his first collegiate touchdown as the second half clock expired.
• Dom Nankil recorded his second Hail Mary touchdown to end a second quarter this season, with the first coming in the season opener against Cal Poly on Aug. 30. 
• Nankil, who completed 16-of-23 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns, has now recorded at least two passing touchdowns in four of his last five games. 
• Cole Monach's third quarter touchdown marked his fifth consecutive game with at least one touchdown ... He has six scores in that five-game stretch, which dates back to San Diego's 42-35 comeback win at Princeton (Sept. 20)
• With nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown, Monach has three 100-yard games and two nine-reception games this season
• Senior Adam Criter, who recorded 15 carries for 83 yards, recorded a fourth quarter touchdown ... It marked the second straight game he, Colombo and Monach all found the end zone in the same game
• Ruben Lopez logged his second straight game with an interception, his third of the season, which came in the fourth quarter ... Lopez is now tied for eighth in program history with nine interceptions (Also: David Tolbert, 2016-19; Patrick O'Neill, 2006-07)
• Tre Moore recorded his first interception in a Torero uniform in the second quarter