SAN DIEGO, Calif. – In a PFL matchup that featured everything from an interception returned for a touchdown, a fumble in the end zone that led to another fumble less than two seconds later for a touchback ruling, and an atypical Southern California storm that delayed the second half for nearly 80 minutes, the Presbyterian College football team struggled to find an offensive rhythm in a bizarre outing against San Diego on Saturday evening. The Toreros finished up their second straight league victory by posting a 28-3 W over the Blue Hose.
Not relying on a bevy of explosive offensive plays while choosing to wear down the PC defense with lengthy possessions and consistent yardage instead, USD was able to manage seven points in each period to create enough distance for a comfortable win over a Presbyterian squad making their second-ever trip to the Golden State. The Blue Hose were last seen in California 11 years back, competing with Cal-Berkeley at a San Francisco site.
Following the conference setback on the banks of the Pacific Ocean, PC and first-year head coach Steve Englehart will fly back to the friendly confines of Martin Stadium next weekend, welcoming St. Thomas on Homecoming in seven days. Kickoff in Clinton is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., broadcasted by ESPN+.
FINAL SCORE: San Diego, 28 – Presbyterian, 3
RECORDS: Presbyterian (1-6, 0-4 PFL) – San Diego (3-3, 2-1 PFL)
LOCATION: Torero Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
OPENING KICK:
– Accounting for 144 total yards as the team’s ring-leader after taking over the reins from an injured Nate Hayen last weekend, true freshman quarterback Tyler Wesley embarked on a season-best 91-yard rushing performance on a high volume of 16 carries. Resembling PC’s last road trip to Morehead State on the first day of October, both teams’ defenses set up camp in the opposing side’s backfield with an increasing number of sacks and TFL’s as the game wore on.
– Overcoming two 4th-down scenarios on their second drive of the 3rd frame, the Blue Hose registered their third field goal of the year with 5:11 left in the period, keeping kicker Parker Maddrey’s perfect percentage intact on a 33-yarder. Although the team put together many bursts offensively, mostly in the ground game, it would unfortunately be the only scoring occasion for PC in the ballgame.
– Presbyterian was able to make the Toreros cough up the football on three separate instances, although only the fumble on the game’s last series worked in PC’s favor. The Blue Hose were unable to turn any of those USD miscues into points in the other direction, held out of the end zone for the full four quarters.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
– Coach Englehart’s club held the USD offense out of the end zone over the entire 1st period, getting off to the ideal start after a minimal gain on a 3rd-down screen pass that was pressured by Alex Herriott and blown up by George Wilder and Keegan Halloran in the opening series. One drive later, with the Toreros sniffing their first points of the day, Herriott recorded his 4th sack of the fall for a loss of 10 yards, pushing the Toreros out of field goal range for a punt.
– A chaotic sequence of events unfolded in PC’s second drive of the contest, turning what would have been a fumble and six points the other way into a touchback and a fresh start of sorts thanks to recovering the loose ball in their own end zone. This ruling worked out to PC’s benefit by pushing them out to the 20-yard line for some breathing room, although the Toreros ended up with the defensive TD they had initially let slip away just three snaps later, going for a 29-yard interception return score with 3:01 left in the opening period.
– Back-to-back rushes from Wesley gave the Blue Hose some leverage for a possible answer, bringing the ball forward 26 yards to midfield in the first two plays of the next series. However, the drive would stall at that point, leaving the visitors with no choice but to punt again.
– This gave way to the first of three time-consuming possessions from San Diego that ended in paydirt, as the Toreros began their third set with seven seconds left in the 1st and ended it 12 plays later on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Judd Erickson to tight end Derek Kline.
– Both teams traded uneventful drives over the remainder of the first half, as PC was unable to take advantage of the game’s best field position at the 44-yard line on a three-and-out with under three minutes until the break. Sophomore linebacker Sebastian Conwell helped prevent USD from extending on their two-score lead right before the intermission, tallying his first career sack for a loss of nine yards when the Toreros were creeping into Presbyterian territory.
– Just as the 2nd quarter horn sounded, the light rain that had settled into the stadium increased to a more rapid pace, giving way to a one-hour and 20-minute lightning delay. From that point, San Diego controlled most of the final two chapters, beginning the 3rd quarter with a 37-yard touchdown strike to Michael Carner that made it 21-0.
– A 12-play series that started at their own 15-yard line allowed the Blue Hose their lone scoring sequence of the evening, opened by a 30-yard Wesley scramble. Converting a 4th-and-2 on a six-yard completion to rookie Shawn Lodge that kept the drive alive, Wesley duplicated that effort by breaking free for a 17-yard rush on a 4th-and-10 call at the San Diego 41.
– Still within reach approaching the 4th behind another near-midfield positioning with 15 minutes left, Presbyterian couldn’t move the chains enough the rest of the way. San Diego put a bow on the victory with a five-yard fade in the corner of the end zone from Erickson to Vance Jefferson, accounting for the 28-3 final decision.
UP NEXT:
Hoping to gain an opposite result to that of a 54-15 final in Minnesota that served as 2021’s season finale and the first meeting between the two programs, the Blue Hose will host St. Thomas on Oct. 22 for the first time in school history. The Tommies will enter the PFL battle with five consecutive W’s after a season-opening loss to Southern Utah, winning four of those five matchups at home in St. Paul.
Averaging a 20-point margin of victory over the five-game streak which included a 26-14 triumph over Drake on Saturday, St. Thomas will serve as another intriguing mid-season test for a Presbyterian unit that has already been faced with a challenging schedule.
Be the first to comment