SAN DIEGO — The University of San Diego football team (3-5, 2-3 PFL) returns to Torero Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, to host Pioneer Football League co-leader Marist (4-4, 3-1 PFL) at 1 p.m. PT. The Toreros are coming off a 37-32 loss at Dayton, and the Red Foxes share first place with Butler, Dayton and St. Thomas.
The game streams on ESPN+, with Jack Cronin and George Whitfield Jr. on the call. Live stats will be available on USDToreros.com.
LAST TIME OUT: DAYTON 37, SAN DIEGO 32
• Dom Nankil threw for a season-high 471 yards and Adam Criter ran for three touchdowns, the last putting San Diego ahead 32-31 with 1:32 left, but Dayton answered with Gavin Lochow's 14-yard touchdown catch with 57 seconds to go and won 37-32 on Oct. 24 at Welcome Stadium. The loss ended the Toreros' seven-game winning streak in the series.
• San Diego trailed 28-10 less than a minute into the second half, after Lochow's 56-yard run on third-and-1, and 31-17 entering the fourth quarter before scoring 15 straight points. Criter's 1-yard run capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive with 7:15 left, and his 7-yard run finished a 94-yard drive that took 1:24, with Nankil hitting Cole Monach for the two-point conversion.
• Nankil completed 37 of 56 passes with no interceptions, and Elijah Taylor caught 15 of them for 204 yards and a 39-yard touchdown, both season highs for a Torero. Monach added eight catches for 101 yards, including a 45-yarder on the go-ahead drive, and Luke Morgan's 43-yard catch set up Criter's 5-yard touchdown run and a 10-0 first-quarter lead.
• San Diego's 531 total yards were its most this season. The Toreros ran a season-high 86 plays, converted 11 of 20 third downs, scored on all four trips inside the Dayton 20, did not turn the ball over and won time of possession for the eighth straight game, 32:22 to 27:38.
• Dayton's return game led to 14 points: LeRoy Lewis IV returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown 13 seconds after Criter's first touchdown, and Paul Kelly's 48-yard punt return set up Lochow's 10-yard touchdown catch for a 21-10 halftime lead.
• Ruben Lopez made a season-high 11 tackles, eight of them solo. Shaun Aletor stripped Bryce Schondelmyer on a fourth-and-4 scramble and Jaden Williams recovered at the San Diego 33, Sadiq Henry forced a fumble on a kickoff return that Nolan Story recovered at the Dayton 22, and Joe Bolder had a sack.
• Emiliano Salazar's 29-yard field goal capped a 14-play, 73-yard opening drive, and five of his seven punts pinned the Flyers inside their 20. San Diego's final drive reached the Dayton 30 before a pass into the end zone was broken up on the last play.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. MARIST
• Saturday is the 19th meeting between the programs. San Diego leads the all-time series 16-2 and is 11-0 against Marist at home, outscoring the Red Foxes 362-164 in San Diego.
• The Toreros won the first 15 meetings, from 2003 to 2019, starting with a 47-0 win on Oct. 25, 2003, that remains the largest margin in the series.
• The home team has won the last three meetings. Marist won 30-16 in Poughkeepsie in 2023, and San Diego won 34-6 at Torero Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024, when Eric Haney returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown on the game's opening drive.
• Marist won last season's meeting 19-14 on Oct. 4 at Tenney Stadium, taking the lead for good on a 35-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-3 in the final minute of the third quarter. Dom Nankil threw touchdown passes of 31 yards to Josh Heverly and 30 to Cole Monach, Cayden Gibson intercepted a pass in the end zone, Yosei Takahashi set a program record with eight punt returns and San Diego had six sacks while holding the Red Foxes to 38 rushing yards.
2026 PFL WEEKLY HONORS
• Sept. 20 — Emiliano Salazar, Special Teams Player of the Week, after his 38-yard field goal with 2 seconds left won at Cal Poly, 38-35
• Oct. 4 — CJ Castille, Defensive Player of the Week, after two interceptions, including a 42-yard return for a touchdown, in a 63-14 win over Davidson
BACK AT TORERO STADIUM
• Saturday is San Diego's first home game since its Oct. 17 homecoming win over Valparaiso and the first of two home games in the Toreros' last three. San Diego visits Drake on Nov. 7, has an open date on Nov. 14 and closes the regular season at home against Stetson on Nov. 21.
• San Diego is 2-1 at home and 1-4 on the road this season, and it won its two home PFL games by a combined 101-27: 63-14 over Davidson and 38-13 over Valparaiso.
• Marist is 0-11 all-time in San Diego. The Red Foxes' last visit ended in a 34-6 loss on Oct. 19, 2024.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
• San Diego's five losses have come against teams that are a combined 28-11: UC Davis (5-3), Idaho State (5-3), St. Thomas (6-2), Butler (6-2) and Dayton (6-1). UC Davis was No. 6 in the AFCA coaches poll and Idaho State No. 24 when the Toreros played them.
• The Toreros' first eight opponents are a combined 39-25, and Dayton, at 6-1, has the best record of any team on the schedule.
• Last week, UC Davis beat Northern Colorado 33-6, Idaho State beat Portland State 38-8 and Cal Poly fell to 4-5 with a 43-26 loss to Utah Tech.
BALL CONTROL
• San Diego has won time of possession in all eight games, averaging 32:53, and has run 594 offensive plays to its opponents' 463. Its 86 plays at Dayton were a season high.
• The Toreros are averaging 154.6 rushing yards on 4.2 per carry, and five players have combined for 17 rushing touchdowns: Adam Criter eight, Omar Mbakwe four, Dom Nankil three, and CJ Ceron and Zamar Reese one each. Criter's 63-yarder against Valparaiso is the longest run by a Torero this season, ahead of his 55-yarder at Cal Poly and Ceron's 53-yarder at Idaho State.
• Criter leads San Diego with 629 rushing yards (78.6 per game), Mbakwe has 274, Reese has 126 at 5.5 per carry and Ceron has 114 on just nine carries — a 12.7-yard average.
THROUGH THE AIR
• Dom Nankil has thrown for 300 or more yards three times this season — 354 at St. Thomas, 321 against Davidson and a season-high 471 at Dayton — and San Diego is averaging 267.4 passing yards per game.
• Elijah Taylor and Cole Monach have combined for 99 of the Toreros' 188 receptions and 1,301 of their 2,139 receiving yards. Taylor has four 100-yard games this season and Monach has two.
• Nankil spread his 37 completions at Dayton among 10 receivers and has not thrown an interception in either of the last two games, a span of 81 attempts.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
• San Diego did not turn the ball over at Dayton, its third turnover-free game in the last four, and is plus-4 in turnover margin for the season, with 13 takeaways and nine giveaways. The Toreros are plus-9 in their three wins and minus-5 in their five losses.
• All 35 of San Diego's points off turnovers have come at home: 28 against Davidson and seven on Thomas Bailey's pick-six against Valparaiso. The Toreros forced three fumbles at Dayton and recovered two but did not score off either.
• Ezekiel Swayne has had a hand in four of the 13 takeaways, recovering three fumbles and intercepting a pass, and Ruben Lopez and CJ Castille have two interceptions apiece. Jaden Williams and Nolan Story each recovered a fumble at Dayton.
SALAZAR'S PAT STREAK REACHES 67
• Emiliano Salazar has made all 67 extra points he has attempted in his career — 40-for-40 in 2025 and 27-for-27 this season.
• He leads San Diego with 54 points and is 9-for-13 on field goals this season, 3-for-3 from 40 yards and beyond, and 24-for-31 for his career.
• The junior also handles punts and kickoffs: he is averaging 41.1 yards on 39 punts with 16 inside the 20, eight of 50 yards or longer and one touchback, and his kickoffs average 55.1 yards with eight touchbacks. Five of his seven punts at Dayton pinned the Flyers inside their 20, a season high.
• A Preseason All-PFL pick at both placekicker and punter — the only player in the league selected twice — Salazar owns two game-winning field goals in the final seconds as a Torero, including this season's 38-yarder at Cal Poly that made him PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 20.
FRESHMAN IMPACT
• Five freshmen are on this week's two-deep: Joe Bolder, the first-team STAR, and second-teamers Thomas Bailey (STAR), Cade Smith (WILL), Maximus Tufugafale (NT) and Nikolai Procopio (TE).
• Bolder leads San Diego with three sacks, two of them against Davidson, and Bailey returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown against Valparaiso. Glenn Baranoski has a sack and two quarterback hurries.
• On offense, Zamar Reese has 126 rushing yards at 5.5 per carry, including a 26-yard touchdown run against Davidson, and Luke Morgan's 43-yard catch at Dayton set up San Diego's first touchdown.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
#9 Dom Nankil | Senior | 6-0 | 175 | QB | Chula Vista, Calif. | Mater Dei Catholic HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Has completed 184 of 289 passes (63.7%) for 2,116 yards and 10 touchdowns, has run for three scores, and his 2,195 yards of total offense (274.4 per game) lead San Diego by more than 1,500.
• Completed 37 of 56 passes for a season-high 471 yards at Dayton, with a 39-yard touchdown to Elijah Taylor and no interceptions, then led a 94-yard drive in 1:24 that put San Diego ahead 32-31 with 1:32 left, throwing to Cole Monach for the two-point conversion.
#4 Adam Criter | Graduate | 6-3 | 205 | RB | Downers Grove, Ill. | St. Francis HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Leads San Diego with 134 carries, 629 rushing yards (78.6 per game) and eight rushing touchdowns, and ranks second on the team with 684 all-purpose yards and 48 points.
• Scored three times at Dayton — on runs of 5, 1 and 7 yards — the last putting San Diego ahead 32-31 with 1:32 left. Ran 28 times for a season-high 179 yards at Cal Poly, including a 55-yard touchdown, and 20 times for 136 yards and two scores against Valparaiso, including a 63-yarder, the longest by a Torero this season.
#17 Cole Monach | Graduate | 6-1 | 185 | WR | San Juan Capistrano, Calif. | San Juan Hills HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Leads San Diego with six touchdown catches, of the team's 10, ranks second with 43 receptions and 563 receiving yards, and is third with 38 points.
• Caught eight passes for 101 yards at Dayton, his second 100-yard game of the season, including a season-long 45-yarder on second-and-5 that set up Adam Criter's go-ahead touchdown two plays later, and caught Dom Nankil's pass for the two-point conversion.
• Also the holder on Emiliano Salazar's placekicks, including the game-winner at Cal Poly and all three field goals against Valparaiso.
#3 Elijah Taylor | Graduate | 6-0 | 190 | WR | Phoenix, Ariz. | Higley HS | Northern Arizona
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Started his Torero debut at wide receiver against No. 6 UC Davis and leads San Diego with 56 catches, 738 receiving yards and 738 all-purpose yards, with two touchdowns.
• Caught 15 passes for 204 yards and a 39-yard touchdown at Dayton, season highs for any Torero. Has four 100-yard receiving games, including three straight from Sept. 26 to Oct. 10: 10 catches for 144 yards at St. Thomas, eight for 114 against Davidson and six for 100 at Butler.
#41 Emiliano Salazar | Junior | 6-1 | 170 | K/P | Orange, Calif. | Villa Park HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 20 after his 38-yard field goal with 2 seconds left won at Cal Poly, 38-35.
• Is 9-for-13 on field goals, with makes from 29, 30, 31, 34, 37, 38, 40, 44 and 47 yards, and 27-for-27 on extra points. His 54 points lead the team.
• Averaging 41.1 yards on 39 punts with 16 inside the 20, eight of 50 yards or longer and one touchback, including a season-long 55-yarder at No. 24 Idaho State, and put five of his seven punts at Dayton inside the 20. Also handling kickoffs at 55.1 yards per boot, with eight touchbacks.
#22 Yosei Takahashi | Senior | 5-7 | 170 | WR | Osaka, Japan | Saint Louis HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• The first-team punt returner on this week's two-deep is averaging 10.6 yards on nine punt returns and 19.3 yards on nine kickoff returns, and has 21 catches for 164 yards.
• Caught five passes for 47 yards at Dayton, converting two third downs on the opening drive. His 48-yard punt return against Valparaiso, the longest by a Torero this season, set up Emiliano Salazar's 31-yard field goal in the second quarter.
#6 Ruben Lopez | Graduate | 6-0 | 180 | FS | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Mission Viejo HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Leads San Diego with 49 tackles, including a team-high 38 solo, and has three tackles for loss, two interceptions and four pass breakups.
• Made a season-high 11 tackles at Dayton, eight of them solo, with a tackle for loss, and has led San Diego in tackles in four of the last five games. Also made an end-zone interception against No. 6 UC Davis, picked off Davidson on the Wildcats' second snap to set up a touchdown and stopped Cal Poly quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to protect a 35-28 fourth-quarter lead.
#42 Tim Hays | Graduate | 6-1 | 227 | OLB | Concord, Mass. | Carlisle HS | Boston College
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Started at WILL in his Torero debut, is the first-team MIKE on this week's two-deep and ranks second on the team with 44 tackles, including team highs of eight against No. 6 UC Davis and seven at No. 24 Idaho State. Has forced two fumbles, against Valparaiso and at Dayton, and has three quarterback hurries.
#20 CJ Castille | Sophomore | 5-11 | 180 | CB | Eastvale, Calif. | Centennial HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• PFL Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4 after intercepting two passes against Davidson — the first two of his career — and returning the second 42 yards for a touchdown, San Diego's first defensive score of the season.
• His first pick, on the opening play of the second quarter, set up Cole Monach's 28-yard touchdown catch two plays later. Has eight tackles in six games, three of them against Valparaiso, where he also had half a tackle for loss, and moves up to first-team right cornerback on this week's two-deep.
#50 Joe Bolder | Freshman | 6-0 | 200 | OLB | Gardena, Calif. | Junipero Serra HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Leads San Diego with three sacks — all three of his tackles for loss — and has 10 tackles in seven games. Is the first-team STAR on this week's two-deep.
• Had two sacks against Davidson, when the Toreros had a season-high five, and sacked Bryce Schondelmyer for an 8-yard loss at Dayton to help force a punt. Made four tackles at Dayton.
#28 Thomas Bailey | Freshman | 6-2 | 200 | OLB | Rochester, N.Y. | McQuaid Jesuit HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Returned his first career interception 52 yards for a touchdown against Valparaiso, one play after sharing a sack with Jaden Williams, for San Diego's second defensive touchdown of the season.
• Has four tackles, half a sack and the interception in six games and is the second-team STAR on this week's two-deep.
#49 Cayden Gibson | Junior | 6-2 | 220 | OLB | Chandler, Ariz. | Arizona College Prep
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Has played in seven of San Diego's eight games, with starts at LEO in five of the last six, and has 18 tackles. Made five at Butler, four against Valparaiso and four at Dayton, with half a tackle for loss against both Butler and Valparaiso.
#93 Shaun Aletor | Junior | 6-2 | 235 | DE | Goodyear, Ariz. | Desert Edge HS
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Moves into the first-team DT spot on this week's two-deep and is also the second-team RE. Has 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in seven games.
• Started at Dayton and stripped Bryce Schondelmyer on a fourth-and-4 scramble, a 7-yard loss that Jaden Williams recovered at the San Diego 33. Had a sack among his 1.5 tackles for loss against Valparaiso.
#76 Sean Scheck | Senior | 6-3 | 260 | DT | Batavia, Ill. | Marmion Academy
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Shares the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss, with River Abenroth, and has 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His 2.5 tackles for loss at Butler, including a sack, are the most by a Torero in a game this season, and he and Glenn Baranoski pressured the quarterback on CJ Castille's pick-six against Davidson.
#95 Jae'Von Reels | Senior | 6-1 | 280 | NT | San Jose, Calif. | Bellarmine College Prep
Through 8 Games (2026)
• Has 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, including four tackles and 1.5 for loss at Butler. Broke up a third-down pass at the San Diego 19 against Valparaiso to force a field goal, and made five tackles at Cal Poly, where he stuffed Jaden Green for no gain on third-and-goal from the 1 a play before Ruben Lopez's fourth-down stop.
