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Toreros host Drake Saturday at 1pm
Oct. 10, 2011
GAME #7: The USD Toreros (3-0 PFL; 5-1) play a pivotal Pioneer Football League contest this Saturday, October 15th, when they host the Drake Bulldogs (3-0 PFL; 5-1) in a 1:00 p.m. contest at Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium. San Diego and Drake share the PFL lead in the standings along with the Jacksonville Dolphins (3-0 PFL; 4-2). TICKET INFORMATION: Ticket prices for USD home football games are $12 (reserved), $10 (general admission) and $8 (kids 4-12). Information about Season tickets, Group tickets, and Special offers can be found at www.usdtoreros.com. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the ticket office at (619) 260-755O. SERIES RECORD: This is the 19th meeting between USD and Drake with the all-time series knotted at 9-9... The Drake Bulldogs have won two straight in the series, including last year's 38-17 victory in Des Moines, Iowa... USD turned the ball over five times (4 interceptions, 1 fumble) in the loss... The Toreros were paced by WR John McGough (7 receptions for 107 yards, 1 TD) and QB Mason Mills (27-36 for 294 yards, 2 TDs)... Defensively the Toreros were paced by Al-Rilwan Adeyemi (8 tackles) and Mario Kurn (7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks). WEBCAST: Saturday's contest will be webcast live with Jack Cronin calling the action. Pre-game begins at 12:40 p.m. The audio-video will be streamed at www.usdtoreros.com. Click on the Watch link from the USD website main page. PFL STANDINGS/SCHEDULE FOR OCT. 15TH: San Diego (3-0 PFL; 5-1), Drake (3-0; 5-1), Jacksonville (3-0; 4-2), Butler (1-2; 3-3), Campbell (1-2; 2-3), Dayton (1-2; 3-3), Marist (1-2; 2-4), Morehead State (1-2; 2-4), Davidson (0-2; 2-3), Valparaiso (0-2; 0-5). This week's PFL games (times listed Eastern): Campbell at Maris (12 noon), Valparaiso at Butler (1pm), Davidson at Dayton (1pm), Morehead State at Jacksonville (1pm), Drake at USD. OLIARO NAMED PFL CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore defensive end Blake Oliaro (Folsom, CA) was named this week's Pioneer Football League co-defensive player of the week for his outstanding performance in USD's 55-14 road victory over the Valparaiso Crusaders. Oliaro led the Torero defense with seven solo tackles, 4 quarterback sacks and an interception. He shares this week's honor with Butler junior linebacker Jordan Ridley who tallied 19 tackles against Campbell.Oliaro's four quarterback sacks was just one shy of the school record set by Eric Bakhtiari against Drake in 2007. He matched previous Torero marks by Mario Kurn (vs. Southern Utah, 2010) and David Dunn (vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 1989). Through six games Oliaro ranks fourth on the team in tackles, and first in sacks (7 for -36 yards) and tackles for loss (10.5 for -60 yards). Additionally, he has one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. PFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: USD has had three players this season earn player of the week honors from the Pioneer Football League... Quarterback Mason Mills (Coronado, CA) has been offensive player of the week twice (Sept. 4; Sept. 25) for his performances in road wins over Azusa Pacific and Morehead State. Junior DB Ryan Costa (Gilroy, CA) was tabbed a defensive player of the week (Sept. 11) following USD's home win over Western New Mexico... This week Blake Oliaro (see highlights above) earned his first. TORERO TIDBITS: Including the end of last season, the Toreros have now won 9 of their last 11 games, including a string of 7 wins in its last 8 PFL contests... Running back Ken James collected his first game 200+ yard rushing game, and his first game with 3 rushing TDs... Now with 8 total TDs he leads the team in scoring with 48 points... His 207 yards rushing ranks 9th all-time for single game performances... With his two TD passes at Valpo, Mason Mills has tossed 2 or more TDs in 5 of 6 games this season... His season total improved to 16 TD passes to go with 109-172 passing for 1,451 yards... Last season Mills tallied six games with 2 or more TD passes and finished the season with 18 total... For the second straight game the Scudellari twins each scored a tocuhdown - FB Nick Scudellari scored on a 3-yard run late in the 3rd period; WR Sam Scudellari hauled in a 15-yard pass from back-up Bo Stompro in the 4th quarter... JP Bolwahnn, USD's 34-year-old former NAVY Seal, had his most productive day as he carried the ball 11 times for 74 yards including a long of 28 yards... He now ranks second on the team with 119 yards rushing (5.0 yards per carry)... Senior DE Mario Kurn added 2 more sacks at Valparaiso and now has 5.5 on the season and 27.5 for his career - he is chasing Eric Bakhtiari's career record of 35 (2005-2007). SCOUTING THE DRAKE BULLDOGS: The Drake Bulldogs, under the direction head coach Chris Creighton, bring a 5-game winning streak to Torero Stadium this Saturday... Like USD, they are 5-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the PFL... Since opening the season with a 16-0 road loss at North Dakota (currently ranked #4 in FCS poll), the Bulldogs have earned wins over Grand View (28-21), Missouri S&T (27-23), Butler (24-14), Campbell (31-14) and Morehead State (41-26)... This past Saturday they overcame an early 13-6 deficit by running off 19 unanswered points on their way to a 41-26 victory at Morehead State... Bulldog leaders in the victory included QB Mike Piatkowski (16-27 for 310 yards and 3 TDs), RB Patrick Cashmore (22 carries for 114 yards), WR Nathan Paddock (PFL offensive player of the week with 5 receptions for 163 yards, 2 TDs) and kicker-punter Billy Janssen (4-4 in field goals; 50.0 average on 5 punts)... The defense was paced by junior DB Michael Ratelle (12 tackles)... Season leaders include Piatkowski (134-196 for 1,692 yards, 12 TDs), Cashmore (426 yards, 3 TDs), Paddock (31 receptions for 492 yards, 5 TDs), WR Drew Blackmon (32-for-368, 2 TDs), and Janssen (8-10 in FG's; 44.7 punting average). TOREROS IMPROVE TO 3-0 IN PFL: Behind a 207 rushing yard, three touchdown performance from Ken James and a four-sack performance from Blake Oliaro, the USD football team cruised to a 55-14 Pioneer Football League victory over Valparaiso University Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Toreros improve to 5-1 overall, 3-0 in the PFL and have now won three straight games. With the loss, the Crusaders fall to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in the PFL. James' career-high 207 yards came on 22 carries and is ninth all-time at USD for single-game yards. James also had three rushing touchdowns, and one catch for 25 yards. Mason Mills once again led the USD offensive juggernaut as he threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns, while John McGough had six catches for 75 yards. Oliaro's 4-sacks ranks second all-time at USD in single-game sacks, and as a team USD recorded seven total sacks. The Toreros wasted no time in scoring, as they drove 76 yards on their opening possession and scored a touchdown on a James 4-yard run to give USD a 7-0 lead. The Toreros defense then forced Valpo to punt on their opening offensive possession and Mills in turn drove the Toreros 94 yards down the field to double their lead at 14-0 on a 12-yard TD run himself. The Toreros kept the pressure on in the second quarter, as Mills threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Sam Hoekstra to cap off a 73 yard drive, and USD would then score its fourth touchdown of the game on a 40-yard James run to give USD all the momentum and a 28-0 lead heading into halftime. USD never let its foot off the gas, as they then went on to score 20 points in the third quarter and seven more in the fourth quarter to put the game at its final of 55-14. USD PICKED 4TH IN 2011 PFL PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The USD Toreros, under 5th-year head coach Ron Caragher, have been picked to finish 4th in the ten team Pioneer Football League by a vote of PFL head coaches. Jacksonville, which shared the 2010 PFL championship with Dayton, has been tapped as the 2011 preseason favorite in the league's preseason coaches' poll. JU received 8 first place votes and 80 points and was followed by Dayton (1 first place vote; 69 points), Drake (1 first place vote; 61 points), San Diego (59 points), Butler (47 points), Morehead State (38 points), Campbell (33 points), Marist (31 points), Davidson (23 points) and Valpo (9 points). KURN ON PRESEASON WATCH LISTS/ALL-AMERICA SQUADS: Senior defensive end Mario Kurn (Encinitas, CA), a unanimous All-PFL first team pick, is on numerous 2011 preseason All-America teams and Watch lists... Kurn, who led all FCS players in quarterback sacks (17) in 2010, is on both the Buck Buchanan Award Watch list and the Ted Hendricks Award Watch list... He was sixth in the voting for the Buchanan Award last season while finishing with 66 tackles, 37 solo stops, and 27 tackles for loss... Additionally, he has been named to The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Preseason All-America Team, the College Sporting News Preseason FCS All-America Team, the 2011 FCS Senior Scout Bowl Preseason All-America Football Team, and to Phil Steele's Preseason FCS All-America Second Team. Last year Kurn did the bulk of his work in the opponent's backfield where he posted a PFL-leading 2.45 tackles for loss per game, including a league-leading 1.55 sacks per outing. Through six games in 2011 season, Kurn now has 27.5 career sacks, and ranks second to all-time Torero leader Eric Bakhtiari (35, 2005-07). MERCER & STETSON TO JOIN PFL IN 2013: Mercer University and Stetson University have accepted the league's invitations for membership. Both institutions will begin play with the 2013 season, bringing the league's membership to 12 teams at that time. Mercer, located in Macon, Ga., announced the return of its football program in 2010. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia with NCAA Division I membership. Stetson, located in DeLand, Fla., will return to the football gridiron for the first time in 57 years after a 2011 decision to reinstate the program. The Hatters last competed in football during the 1956 season. UP NEXT FOR THE TOREROS: Following Saturday's contest with Drake the Toreros will head to North Carolina to take on Campbell (10 a.m. PT) on Saturday, October 22nd. The Toreros have a bye the weekend of October 29th before they play a PFL game at Dayton on November 5th. They'll close out the season with back-to-back home games against Marist (Nov. 12th, 1pm) and Jacksonville (Nov. 19th, 1pm).
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