SAN DIEGO — USD Football will continue its 2025 non-conference campaign by traveling to Princeton, N.J., to take on the Princeton Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Princeton Stadium.  

Kick-off at Princeton Stadium is set for 9 a.m. PST while the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. The game can be heard over radio airwaves with Voice of the Toreros, Jack Cronin, on USDToreros.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST THE TIGERS

• The Toreros are 1-4 against the Tigers all time, with the two teams' last matchup coming in 2023 when San Diego fell by a 23-12 margin at Torero Stadium on Sept. 16

• San Diego and Princeton last met in The Garden State on Sept. 16, 2017 when USD suffered a 27-17 loss to the Tigers ... San Diego's lone win over Princeton came on Sept. 20, 2014, a 39-29 showing in Torero Stadium

LAST TIME OUT

- San Diego Football attempted to stack multiple ranked wins but faced one of FCS' top teams on the road in No. 4/6 Montana State, falling by a final score of 41-7 on Saturday, Sept. 13

- The Bobcats, in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,917 boisterous fans, showed why they are top-10 nationally and were FCS National Runners-up a year ago, not having lost a game in 2024 until that championship game

 - Montana State (1-2) jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter before extending their lead to 24-0 at halftime

- The Toreros (1-2) totaled just three first downs through the first two quarters and 12 for the entire game, compared to the Bobcats 28 first downs overall

 - The only scoring the Torero offense could muster came in the fourth quarter when junior quarterback Dom Nankil found graduate student wide receiver Josh Heverly to cap off a 10-play, 65-yard drive with 12:59 left, Nankil and the first team offense's final drive of the game before second teamers took over

- Senior captain defensive back Ruben Lopez made the play of the day for San Diego, snagging the game's lone turnover, an interception with a minute and half remaining in the first half off flawless coverage

NOTABLE

- With the fourth quarter touchdown USD preserves it's non-shutout streak, marking 281 consecutive games scoring (last time being shutout was Oct. 9, 1999, 0-9 at Drake)

- San Diego is off to a three-game start to the season without having surrendered a turnover having played three tough, scholarship defenses

-USD totaled more sacks than their counterparts, 2-1 (Nate Fischer & River Abenroth), more pass break-ups, 2-1 (Ezekiel Swayne & Elijah Johnson), and more tackles for loss 5-4 on 21 less plays on offense than the hosts 

- Several Toreros made their season and career debuts on both sides of the ball late in the game, including redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Voss, completing 1-of-3 passes for 19 yards and an eight-yard rush with one first down

- Sophomore outside linebacker Nate Fischer recorded eight total tackles to lead the USD defense for the third consecutive game with a sack and two of the team's total tackles for loss

- Senior tight end Peyton Smith led all San Diego pass-catchers with a career-high 41 receiving yards on four receptions

- Senior running back Adam Criter led all Torero rushers with 43 yards on 10 attempts, leading the team with 91 all-purpose yards with his 22 yards in the air and 23 off a kick return included

- Junior quarterback Dom Nankil completed 13-of-24 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers

- Saturday marked the first time USD faced nationally ranked opponents consecutively since the 2021 season

COLOMBO'S BIG DAY GARNERS POTW HONORS 

•  USD grad running back Matt Colombo was named Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week (Week Two) on Sept. 7 after a 208-yard rushing day and two touchdowns, including the walk off winner on Sept. 6 against SUU

•  The El Segundo, Calif. native posted the PFL's first 200-yard rushing performance of 2025 and just the second in all of FCS, amassing 202 net yards on 34 carries, including the game winner ... Colombo was responsible for 10 of San Diego's 18 first downs ... He also had a five-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter of the contest

•  Colombo is the first Torero to win a PFL player of the week honor in the new 2025 campaign ... Colombo was one of two players nationally named Opta Stats Perform FCS Offensive National Player of the Week Honorable Mention, won by Youngstown State QB Beau Brungard

NEW COACHES ON OFFENSE

•  Head Coach Brandon Moore added two new faces to his staff on the offensive side of the ball, bringing on Nick Fulton as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach while Ryan Diedrick joins the program as Wide Receivers Coach and Passing Game Coordinator

About Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Nick Fulton:

•  Fulton has more than 20 years of college football coaching and administrative experience, as he joins USD from the University of Wyoming, where he had served as the Cowboys' Associate Athletics Director for Football Operations since January, 2022.

•  He was responsible for a variety of administrative duties at UW, including planning team travel, monitoring the football budget, serving as a liaison with the athletics academic counseling staff and helping oversee and coordinate roster management and player personnel activities ... He also assisted with the launch of the Cowboys' Name, Image and Likeness program before serving as the football program's liaison to Wyoming's NIL collective.

•  Prior to his time in Laramie, Fulton served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colo. for the COVID-shortened 2020 season ... Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, for the 2019 season.     

•  Fulton enjoyed a successful four-year run at Colorado School of Mines alongside Brandon Moore from 2015-18 ... The Orediggers advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2016 and 2018 and captured the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championship both seasons. During that four-year span in Golden, Colorado, Mines posted records of 8-3 (2015), 10-3 (2016), 7-4 (2017) and 10-2 (2018).

•  Prior to coaching at Colorado School of Mines, Fulton spent three seasons (2012-14) as the offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and football academic coordinator at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D. ... While at Black Hills State, Fulton's offense set a school record for total offense in the 2014 season ... Fulton coached the Yellow Jackets offensive linemen in 2012 and '13 and coached the quarterbacks in 2014.

•  Fulton was a graduate assistant coach at Wyoming for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, worked as an assistant coach at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska from 2006 to 2009 and began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Sioux Falls, in 2005.

•  A native of Laramie, Wyoming, Fulton played his college football at Sioux Falls following his graduation from Laramie High School. He was a standout offensive lineman during his college career (1999-2003), earning All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-America honors as a senior in addition to playing on three consecutive conference championship teams ... The 2001 Sioux Falls squad competed in the NAIA National Championship Game in 2001, finishing the season as the national runner-up.

About Wide Receivers Coach Passing Game Coordinator Ryan Diedrick:

•  A native of Sammamish, Wash., Diedrick came to San Diego from the Colorado School of Mines, where he worked as a wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator from 2017-24, including crossover under Head Coach Brandon Moore.

•  Diedrick first arrived at Mines from Indiana State, where he served as an offensive analyst, video coordinator and in an offensive quality control position in 2016.

•  A 2016 graduate of Willamette University, Diedrick served as a student assistant as a senior after retiring during his junior year from playing as a quarterback and wide receiver.

USD PICKED TO WIN PFL IN PRESEASON POLL

•  For the first time since 2019, San Diego football has been tabbed as the Pioneer Football League's preseason favorite in the league's 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll, released Monday, July 28

•  San Diego picked up five first-place votes and was not ranked lower than third by any of the league's head coaches to earn the poll's top spot with 94 points, 16 points ahead of 2024 PFL champs Drake

•  The poll reflects the vastly different landscape in the PFL entering the 2025 season with five programs helmed by new head coaches: Kevin Lynch at Butler, Saj Thakkar at Davidson, Joe Woodley at Drake, Mike Jasper at Stetson and Andy Waddle at Valparaiso.

•  The 2025 season marks the 33rd year of the Pioneer Football League ... The league will feature 11 teams, each playing an eight-game schedule to determine the league champion and recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Championship ... USD will not face Morehead State and Presbytarian in 2025

FIVE TOREROS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE

•  Five Toreros were named to the Pioneer Football League Preseason All-Conference Team: Evans Bowling, Malachi Cooper, Aydan Corrales, Ruben Lopez and Maicah Talavou

• Two USD offensive linemen make the cut, grad Evans Bowling, who was Second Team All-PFL in 2024 and senior Maicah Talavou, who was an honorable mention last season

•  On the defensive line, grad Malachi Cooper is honored as one of the best at his position in the league after earning second team honors in 2024 ... Senior defensive back and team captain Ruben Lopez was also picked after being a second-teamer last season

•  The Toreros are also represented on the special teams all-PFL list by junior Ayden Corrales who is picked as the leagues top punter to start the season ... he was an All-PFL honorable mention in 2025

2024 IN REVIEW

• The Toreros returned to winning ways in Head Coach Brandon Moore's second year at the helm, finishing with an 8-3 overall record, 6-0 at home, and 6-2 in conference action.

• It was the first time with six home wins in the same season since going a perfect 6-0 across the 2015 season and the first time USD had won six straight at home since winning the last four at home in 2021 and first two of the 2022 season.

• USD finished alone in second in the Pioneer Football League, falling just behind Drake (7-1), who clinched the PFL outright title and a spot in the FCS playoffs ... The Bulldogs topped USD 30-28 on a walk-off field goal on Sept. 28 in Des Moines, Iowa, proving the difference for San Diego's postseason hopes. 

• Despite having two bye weeks and ten games played, the Toreros'  six total defensive touchdowns entered the season finale as the: 

          - Tied-most defensive touchdowns in FCS, and across all of DI (FCS/FBS)

          - Tied-most pick-sixes (4) in FCS

• In the Toreros' first 2-0 start in a non-shortened season in 13 years, Co-defensive coordinators Mike McGlinchey and Isaac Carter's unit has scored as many touchdowns as it had surrendered in the first two games in 2024; Two week one vs. Cal Poly and one week two vs. Central Washington

•   Toreros swept the PFL Offensive and Defensive player of the Year awards as defensive back Eric Haney and wide receiver Ja'Seem Reed were pinned as the conference's best ... Linebacker Giovanni Iovino was also picked as first team all-conference five Toreros on the second team and 11 USD players as All-PFL Honorable Mentions.

KEY SAN DIEGO RETURNERS

Quarterback Dom Nankil: Appeared in eight games (seven starts) in 2023 as a true freshman, completing 109 of 183 pass attempts (58.6%) for 1158 total yards and five touchdowns ... Averaged 144.75 yards per game, posted a 115.47 quarterback rating and threw four interceptions ... Won the summer camp quarterback battle to earn the starting role

Safety Ruben Lopez: Returns for fourth straight season in the USD secondary racking up a tied-for-team-high three interceptions, one sack, four tackles-for-losses, 34 total tackles, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble in 2024 ... Co-captains the 2025 team

Wide Receiver Josh Heverly: Started all 11 games in 2024, tallying 412 receiving yards (37.45 yards per game), and six receiving touchdowns

Wide Receiver Cole Monach: Hauled in 29 receptions for 362 yards in 2024 with three touchdown receptions and an average of 32.91 yards per game

Running Back Matt Colombo:  Tallied 152 rushing yards on 36 carries across only four games in 2024, as he battled injury throughout the season

Defensive Line Malachi Cooper: Co-led the Toreros with 4.5 sacks for 16 yards, totaling nine tackles-for-loss (25 yards), and 36 total tackles

Defensive Line Brian Coburn: Co-led the Toreros with 4.5 sacks for 31 yards, totaling six tackles-for-loss (34 yards), 25 total tackles, and a forced fumble ... Co-captains the 2025 team

Safety Trey Sena-Ortega: Tallied a tied-for-team-high three interceptions in 2024 with a trio of tackle-for-losses, 37 total tackles, two pass break-ups, and a forced fumble