SAN DIEGO — USD Football will continue its 2025 non-conference campaign by hosting the nationally-ranked No. 24 Southern Utah Thunderbirds on Saturday evening in Torero Stadium.
The week two tilt will mark the first time San Diego has hosted a ranked opponent since 2021 and first time starting a season with consecutive games under the lights at home in 10 years.
Kick-off under the lights at Torero Stadium is set for 6 p.m. while the game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Voice of the Toreros Jack Cronin (play-by-play) on the call alongside Braden Surprenant (analyst). Live statistics will be available on USDToreros.com.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SOUTHERN UTAH
• The Toreros are 0-2 all-time against Southern Utah, with a matchup at home in 2009 and a matchup on the road in Cedar City, Utah in 2010
HOSTING A TOP-25 OPPONENT
• With Southern Utah coming in at No. 24 in this week's Stats Perform FCS Top 25, this marks San Diego's first time facing off against a ranked opponent since week three last season on Sept. 21, 2024 to face No. 10/9 North Dakota
• lt is the first time USD will host a ranked opponent at Torero Stadium since Sept. 11, 2021 when it welcomed No. 12/14 UC Davis, but suffered defeat
SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS AT TORERO STADIUM
• Not only will Saturday's contest be the Toreros' fifth night game (5 p.m. start or later) at Torero Stadium since 2016, it is USD's first time playing under the home lights multiple times in a season, let alone to start the new campaign, in 10 years ... Since that 2015 season, the Toreros are 5-1 in night games at Torero Stadium, the lone loss being week one vs. Cal Poly
LAST TIME OUT
- Playing against Cal Poly to start the new season in front of a full house at Torero Stadium on Saturday night, Aug. 30, San Diego fell 41-17 to the Mustangs, putting to an end the Toreros' six-game home win streak
- Cal Poly jumped out to a 24-0 lead, as all three of the CP first-half TD's were fueled by USD penalties
- On the final play of the half, the San Diego offense pulled through on a 45-yard Hail Mary to get on the board
- A 35-yard field goal by Emiliano Salazar on the first drive of the second half gave San Diego a chance to come back
- After Cal Poly answered with a field goal of their own on the following drive, senior running back Adam Criter, on his first career rush, broke through for a 79-yard rushing touchdown to pull within 10 of the guests at 17-27
- The Mustangs closed out the game in the remainder of the fourth quarter, settling the score at 41-17
NOTABLE
- USD's six-game home (6-0 in 2024) win streak comes to a close
- The 45-yard TD to end the 2nd quarter marked the longest touchdown pass of Dom Nankil's collegiate career.
- The 35-yard FG from Emiliano Salazar with 10:21 of the 3rd quarter marked his first made FG of his collegiate career
- Sophomore outside linebacker Nate Fischer logged 12 total tackles, setting a new career-high
- Adam Criter's 79-yard touchdown was his first rushing attempt and first touchdown of his collegiate career and San Diego's longest rushing touchdown since Emilio Martinez ran home from 84 yards against Stetson (April 10, 2021)
- USD possessed the ball on offense for just 3:42 less than the Mustangs, despite the 24-point margin
- Cal Poly was 7-for-13 on third down while the Toreros were 5-for-15
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
FROM USC TO USD
• Running back Matt Colombo has joined San Diego for the 2024 season as a graduate student after spending the first four years of his college career at Southern California
• Coloombo was limited in four games before ultimately sitting the rest of the season due to injury, accumulating 152 rushing yards on 26 carries (5.8 ypc) in 2024 and six receptions for 37 yards ... he rushed for 88 yards on 15 carries as the lead back in last season's opener against Cal Poly
• He appeared in four games as a redshirt junior in 2023, totaling seven yards on one rushing attempt, and was named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll for the 2022-23 season
• Colombo, who attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California, has amassed a sizable audience on Instagram and TikTok, where he boasts 11.3 thousand and nearly 60 thousand followers respectively
