San Diego (0-2, 0-0 PFL)   at   Cal Poly (2-1, 1-0 Big Sky)
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026  •  5 p.m. PT  •  Mustang Memorial Field  •  San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+   |   Listen: USDToreros.com  (Jack Cronin)  |   Social: @USDFootball

LAST TIME OUT: NO. 24 IDAHO STATE 59, SAN DIEGO 17

• San Diego outrushed unbeaten No. 24 Idaho State 235-178 on Sept. 12 in Pocatello, but the Bengals turned two interceptions into 14 points, hit touchdown passes of 74, 79 and 90 yards and won 59-17.
• Down 21-0 after one quarter, the Toreros won the second 10-3 behind Dom Nankil's 7-yard touchdown run and Emiliano Salazar's 37-yard field goal.
• CJ Ceron's 53-yard run early in the fourth quarter was the first touchdown of his career and the longest run of the game. Four Toreros ran for at least 45 yards: Omar Mbakwe (63), Adam Criter (61), Ceron (57) and Zamar Reese (45).
• The Toreros held the ball for 35:21 and won time of possession in every quarter, running 71 plays to Idaho State's 57.
• Tim Hays led the defense with seven tackles, Dillon Kellner added five and a sack, and Salazar averaged 43.9 yards on seven punts.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. CAL POLY

• Cal Poly leads the all-time series 9-2. Saturday is the 12th meeting and the sixth in the last six seasons. The Mustangs also opened San Diego's schedule each of the last three years, starting with Brandon Moore's Torero debut in 2023.
• San Diego is 1-6 in San Luis Obispo. Its lone win there came in the first round of the 2016 FCS playoffs, when the No. 24 Toreros beat No. 21 Cal Poly 35-21 on a rain-soaked field behind Jonah Hodges' 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
• The Toreros won the 2024 opener 27-21 before a sellout crowd at Torero Stadium, returning two of their three interceptions for touchdowns and holding Cal Poly to 8 rushing yards.
• Cal Poly won last season's opener 41-17 in San Diego after building a 24-0 lead. Dom Nankil threw a 45-yard Hail Mary touchdown to end the first half, and Adam Criter's 79-yard scoring run on the first carry of his career opened the fourth quarter.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• San Diego's schedule ranks tied for 13th in the FCS in current opponent winning percentage, according to Warren Nolan. The measure combines the records of every Division I opponent a team has played, not counting those opponents' games against the team itself, and San Diego's two opponents are 3-1 against everyone else.
• Both were ranked when the Toreros played them, and both still are: UC Davis (2-1) is No. 11 and Idaho State (3-0) is No. 18 in this week's AFCA coaches poll. The Bengals' 3-0 start includes a 29-17 win at FBS Utah State.
• Cal Poly makes three straight Big Sky opponents to open the season. The Mustangs (2-1) are receiving votes in both national polls this week.
• St. Thomas, San Diego's PFL opener on Sept. 26, sits ahead of the Toreros in the measure on the strength of one Division I opponent: No. 6 North Dakota (3-0). Its other two games, against Division II Winona State and Northern Michigan, don't count in the formula at all. Three more PFL teams have played a non-Division I opponent this season — Butler (Georgetown, Ky.), Dayton (Fairmont State) and Stetson (Webber International).
• Despite going 0-2 in its first two matchups, San Diego was receiving votes in this week's AFCA Coaches Poll, thanks to its strong strength of schedule.

THREE-GAME ROAD SWING

• Saturday is the second of three straight road games, between last week's trip to Idaho State and the PFL opener at St. Thomas on Sept. 26. San Diego returns to Torero Stadium on Oct. 3 against Davidson.
• It is also the nonconference finale for both teams.

PICKED FIRST IN THE PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

• San Diego was picked to win the PFL for a second straight year, edging three-time defending champion Drake 90-88 in the preseason coaches poll, with St. Thomas third at 87.
• The Toreros placed a league-best nine players on the Preseason All-PFL Team, filling 10 of the 31 spots, with Emiliano Salazar the only player selected at two positions.

2025 IN REVIEW

• San Diego went 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the PFL, finishing second in the league for a second straight season.
• The Toreros closed on a four-game winning streak, outscoring Dayton, Valparaiso, Butler and Stetson by a combined 145-55.
• The fourth quarter belonged to San Diego. The Toreros scored 137 of their 341 points in the final period — more than they managed in the first and third quarters combined (98) — and outscored opponents 137-72 after three.
• San Diego turned takeaways into points better than anyone it played, scoring 64 points off turnovers against seven the other way, and finished plus-12 in turnover margin with 18 takeaways to six giveaways.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
#9  Dom Nankil   QB  •  Senior  •  6-0  •  175  •  Chula Vista, Calif.  •  Mater Dei Catholic HS
2026

• Has completed 27 of 53 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown through two games, and his 297 yards of total offense lead the team.
• Threw for 177 yards and a 22-yard score to Cole Monach against No. 6 UC Davis, then ran 7 yards for a touchdown at No. 24 Idaho State.

2025

• Started all 12 games and ranked fourth in the PFL in completions (157), attempts (246), passing yards (1,945) and touchdown passes (13), and third in passing efficiency (145.2).
• Completed 63.8% of his throws and was intercepted three times — tied for the fewest in the league and tied for the eighth-fewest in a single season in program history (minimum 100 attempts).
• Threw 147 passes before his first interception of the season, which did not come until Oct. 25 at Davidson.
• Season-high 288 passing yards in the 40-28 win at Davidson; completed 81% (13-of-16) at Princeton on Sept. 20.
• Ran for both of his rushing touchdowns against Southern Utah on Sept. 6.
• His 2,058 yards of total offense led the team by more than 1,100.

Career

• A Jerry Rice Award finalist as a freshman in 2023, finishing 15th in the voting after throwing for 1,158 yards and five touchdowns in eight games.
• Entered 2026 ninth in program history with 452 career pass attempts and has 505 through two games.

#4  Adam Criter   RB  •  Graduate  •  6-3  •  205  •  Downers Grove, Ill.  •  St. Francis HS
2026

• Leads San Diego with 30 carries, 115 rushing yards and 128 all-purpose yards through two games.
• Ran for 61 yards on a team-high 16 carries at No. 24 Idaho State after his 31-yard run sparked the first touchdown drive against No. 6 UC Davis.

2025

• All-PFL First Team. Led the league in rushing attempts (180) and rushing touchdowns (12) and finished second in rushing yards (921) in his first season at the position after moving over from wide receiver.
• PFL Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 21 and an Opta Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week honorable mention the following day.
• Four 100-yard rushing games, topped by 120 yards and a touchdown in the 30-27 win over St. Thomas on Sept. 27.
• Career-best 35 touches at Princeton on Sept. 20 — 25 carries for 105 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns, plus 10 catches for 68 yards in a 42-35 comeback.
• Added 23 receptions for 136 yards and led the team in all-purpose yards (1,129, 94.1 per game).
• His 79-yard run against Cal Poly on Aug. 30 was the longest by a Torero in 2025.

Career

• Preseason All-PFL First Team in 2026.

#17  Cole Monach   WR  •  Graduate  •  6-1  •  185  •  San Juan Capistrano, Calif.  •  San Juan Hills HS
2026

• Leads San Diego with eight catches for 95 yards and a touchdown through two games: six for 72 yards and a 22-yard score against No. 6 UC Davis and two for 23 yards at No. 24 Idaho State.
• Also the holder on Emiliano Salazar's placekicks.

2025

• All-PFL Second Team. Led USD in receptions (55), receiving yards (822) and receiving yards per game (68.5), and tied for the team lead with six touchdown catches.
• Ranked among the PFL's top 10 in seven receiving categories, including fourth in yards and third in yards per game.
• His 14.9 yards per catch led every Torero with at least 19 receptions.
• Four 100-yard games, headlined by 119 yards on four catches against Butler on Senior Day, Nov. 15.
• Scored in five straight games from Sept. 27 to Nov. 1 and caught at least three passes in eight of his final nine.
• His 73-yard catch against Drake on Oct. 11 was San Diego's longest reception of the season.

Career

• Preseason All-PFL Second Team in 2026.
• Has 97 career receptions for 1,352 yards and 10 touchdowns across four seasons, including 29 catches for 362 yards and three scores in 2024.

#41  Emiliano Salazar   K/P  •  Junior  •  6-1  •  170  •  Orange, Calif.  •  Villa Park HS
2026

• Is 2-for-2 on field goals (34 and 37 yards) and 4-for-4 on extra points through two games.
• Averaging 43.6 yards on 14 punts with seven inside the 20, five of 50 yards or longer and no touchbacks, including a season-long 55-yarder at No. 24 Idaho State.

2025

• PFL Special Teams Player of the Year. All-PFL First Team as a punter and honorable mention as a placekicker.
• Led the league with 85 points and 40 extra points and tied for the league lead with 15 field goals in 18 attempts (83.3%).
• Perfect on extra points — 40-for-40.
• Made a season-long 47-yarder twice, against Drake on Oct. 11 and Dayton on Nov. 1, and hit three field goals in a game on three occasions.
• Averaged 44.8 yards on 37 punts, a single-season program record (minimum 15 punts), with a league-high 16 downed inside the 20 and 13 traveling 50 yards or more.
• FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 29; PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.
• Handled kickoffs as well, averaging 61.9 yards on 65 attempts with 27 touchbacks.

Career

• Preseason All-PFL selection at both placekicker and punter in 2026, the only player in the league chosen twice.

 
#6  Ruben Lopez   FS  •  Graduate  •  6-0  •  180  •  Mission Viejo, Calif.  •  Mission Viejo HS
2026

• Has six tackles through two games, four of them at No. 24 Idaho State, and made San Diego's only interception of the season in the end zone against No. 6 UC Davis.

2025

• All-PFL Second Team and All-PFL Academic Second Team. A captain who played all 12 games in the heart of the defense.
• Recorded 53 tackles (37 solo), three tackles for loss and a sack.
• Tied for second in the PFL with five interceptions, returning them 50 yards, and added four pass breakups and a forced fumble.
• Intercepted a pass in three consecutive games from Oct. 25 to Nov. 8 and in four of his final five.
• Season-high seven tackles twice — at Montana State on Sept. 13 and at Stetson on Nov. 22.

Career

• Entered 2026 tied for fourth in program history with 11 career interceptions; the pick against UC Davis was his 12th.
• All-PFL Second Team in 2024 and PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week that Oct. 6, after an 87-yard walk-off fumble return for a touchdown in overtime against Presbyterian.
• Preseason All-PFL Second Team in 2026.

#49  Cayden Gibson   OLB  •  Junior  •  6-2  •  220  •  Chandler, Ariz.  •  Arizona College Prep
2025

• Played all 12 games and tied for seventh on the team with 41 tackles (24 solo), including 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks.
• Season-high eight tackles in the 29-7 win over Butler on Nov. 15.
• Forced a fumble and recorded an interception at Marist on Oct. 4, then forced another the following week against Drake.
• All 2.5 of his sacks came in a three-game stretch between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.

Before San Diego

• Piled up 285 tackles, 61 tackles for loss and 50 sacks at Arizona College Prep, with three blocked punts as a senior.
• A two-time all-region defensive player of the year and four-time Arizona all-state honoree who also wrestled, placing second in the state as a senior.

#96  River Abenroth   DT  •  Junior  •  6-2  •  270  •  San Diego, Calif.  •  Point Loma HS
2025

• All-PFL Honorable Mention. Appeared in all 12 games with 32 tackles (14 solo), five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
• Season-high six tackles against Butler on Nov. 15.
• Recorded at least half a tackle for loss in four consecutive games from Sept. 27 to Oct. 25.

Career

• A 2026 Preseason All-PFL selection, one of two Toreros among the league's five preseason defensive linemen.
• A San Diego native who played at Point Loma High, roughly 10 minutes from campus.

#76  Sean Scheck   DT  •  Senior  •  6-3  •  260  •  Batavia, Ill.  •  Marmion Academy
2025

• All-PFL Honorable Mention. Recorded 20 tackles in 10 games with six tackles for loss and five sacks, second on the team in both.
• Season-high 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in the 31-13 win over Dayton on Nov. 1 — the best single-game sack total by a Torero in 2025.
• Got to the quarterback in back-to-back games at Princeton (Sept. 20) and against St. Thomas (Sept. 27).

Career

• A 2026 Preseason All-PFL selection.
• Earned four all-conference honors at Marmion Academy, two in football and two in wrestling, and was an all-state wrestler.

#95  Jae'Von Reels   NT  •  Senior  •  6-1  •  280  •  San Jose, Calif.  •  Bellarmine College Prep
2025

• Played nine games with 10 tackles and a tackle for loss.
• Recorded half a tackle for loss against St. Thomas on Sept. 27 and again at Davidson on Oct. 25.

2024

• All-PFL Honorable Mention. Put up 19 tackles (10 solo) in nine games with three tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and a pass breakup.

Career

• W-Cal Defensive Lineman of the Year at Bellarmine College Prep in 2023.

NEW FACES

• San Diego brought in 10 transfers for 2026: Doug Williams (Stetson/Glendale CC), Elijah Taylor (Northern Arizona), Nolan Story (Moorpark College), Alex Whitman (Notre Dame), Robert Tucker III (Cornell), Michael Roni (San Diego State), Tim Hays (Boston College), Jake Arellano (Bentley), Mansfield Owsley (Georgetown) and Jack Hinchey (Modesto JC).
• Four are on the two-deep — Taylor and Hays as starters, Story and Williams on the second unit — and all four played in the opener, along with Robert Tucker III.

#3  Elijah Taylor   WR  •  Graduate  •  6-0  •  190  •  Phoenix, Ariz.  •  Higley HS  •  Northern Arizona
 

• Started his Torero debut at wide receiver against No. 6 UC Davis and has five catches for 47 yards through two games, including a team-high three for 34 at No. 24 Idaho State.
• Spent five seasons at Northern Arizona, playing 11 games in 2025 largely on special teams with three special teams tackles and two catches for 28 yards.
• His most productive year came in 2022: 20 receptions for 198 yards in 10 games, including a season-high six catches for 57 yards against Montana State and his first career rushing touchdown at Idaho State.
• Made seven starts in 2023 and averaged 21.8 yards on four catches, among them a 60-yard reception against Sacramento State.
• Recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown against Lincoln in 2024.
• Big Sky All-Academic in 2025. Pursuing a graduate degree in educational leadership.

#5  Nolan Story   OLB  •  Sophomore  •  6-0  •  210  •  Thousand Oaks, Calif.  •  Newbury Park HS  •  Moorpark College
 

• Ranks second on the team with 11 tackles as the second-team STAR — six in his Torero debut against No. 6 UC Davis and five at No. 24 Idaho State.
• Put up 199 tackles in 19 games across two seasons at Moorpark College — 10.5 per game — with 17.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, six interceptions and two sacks.
• Junior College Gridiron All-American First Team and National Northern All-Conference First Team in both 2024 and 2025.
• Moorpark's defensive MVP in 2024, then team captain and team MVP in 2025.
• Unanimous Southern California Football Association Defensive Utility Player of the Year and an All-California Community College First Team Defense pick in 2025. Named MVP of the 2025 Patriotic Bowl.
• A First Team All-Canyon League linebacker and First Team All-Ventura County running back as a senior at Newbury Park.

#42  Tim Hays   OLB  •  Graduate  •  6-1  •  227  •  Concord, Mass.  •  Carlisle HS  •  Boston College
 

• Started at WILL in his Torero debut and leads San Diego with 15 tackles, topping the team in both games: eight against No. 6 UC Davis and seven at No. 24 Idaho State.
• Played 12 games at Boston College over three seasons, at linebacker and on special teams, recording tackles against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.
• ACC All-Academic Team in 2025. Graduated magna cum laude with a degree in finance and computer science.
• Majoring in applied artificial intelligence at USD.
• His cousin, Garrett Reilly, punted at Boston College in 2018.

#2  Doug Williams   CB  •  Junior  •  5-9  •  180  •  Hollywood Hills, Calif.  •  Heritage Christian  •  Stetson / Glendale CC
 

• Second-team left cornerback who played in his Torero debut against No. 6 UC Davis.
• Arrives by way of Stetson — the PFL opponent San Diego closes the regular season against on Nov. 21 — and Glendale Community College.
• Named Community College Student Athlete of the Year at Glendale, where he carried the highest grade-point average of any athlete on campus.
• Recorded 50 tackles at Heritage Christian with six pass breakups, five tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a blocked punt, earning First and Second Team All-Conference honors.
• A first-generation college athlete. Both of his parents work in entertainment — his father as an actor and comedian, his mother as an actress — and his younger brother, Adan, plays cornerback at Glendale.