DAYTON - The University of Dayton football team put together a second-half rally over the University of San Diego that ultimately led to a 13-12 victory on Saturday afternoon at Welcome Stadium.
Dayton, who trailed 9-3 at halftime, got a 55-yard touchdown pass from
Alex Jeske to backup running back
Tucker Yinger in the third quarter to take the lead for good.
The victory moves Dayton to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Pioneer Football League (PFL). San Diego came into the day's match-up undefeated and coupled with a Butler loss at Morehead State, the Flyers are the lone unbeaten team in the PFL.
SCORING • Dayton opened the scoring with a 48-yard field goal by
William Will in the first quarter.
• A dropped punt snap and run on 4th and 10 led to a Torero first down, San Diego's Anthony Lawrence connected with receiver Brian Riley for a 42-yard touchdown.
• San Diego made it 9-3 just before halftime thanks to a 49-yard field goal.
• Dayton jumped back in front 10-9 in the third quarter thanks to a 55-yard connection from
Alex Jeske to
Tucker Yinger.
• Will added his second FG, this time from 22 yards out, in the third quarter to make the score 13-9.
• The Toreros cut the lead to 13-12 with a 32-yard field goal in the fourth.
• On 4th and a yard from the 28 yard line, San Diego came up short as
Christopher Beaschler and
Jack Crain stopped backup QB Chris Wilson short of the first down and put the game on ice. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Wilson gained three yards on a similar play earlier in the game.
STATS• Jeske finished the game 13-for-30 for 188 yards with a touchdown and interception.
• Redshirt senior
Cory Stuart led the Flyers in receptions with four, while Yinger finished the game with 82 yards through the air.
• After managing just 57 yards in the first half, the Flyers' offense went for 180 in the second stanza.
• Dayton, who had been averaging 175.5 yards rushing per game, had only 49 rushing yards in the game in the absence of the FCS's top rusher,
Connor Kacsor.
• Redshirt freshman
Jared Ruffing started in place of Kacsor for today's game.
• The Flyer defense allowed only 160 yards in the air against a Torero offense that averaged 204.8 yards per game this season.
• Crain led the defense with 16 total tackles, posting 10 solo and adding a pass break up as well.
• Beaschler and
Travis Nees finished with 13 and 11 tackles respectively.
• Senior
Cameron Stubbs kept his FCS-leading pace of 1.0 interceptions per game with his fifth on the season.
• Freshman punter
Sean Smith averaged 44.0 yards on seven punts with three inside the 20. The game-saver was his last of the day, a 74-yarder to the USD 5 that flipped the field for San Diego's final possession. The Toreros drove 67 yards, but were still not in field goal range and had to try the QB sneak on fourth down.
NOTES• UD has not been shut out in an FCS record 436 straight games, the best such active string in all of college football
• Dayton's victory snapped a nine-game league winning streak by San Diego.
• The Flyers are now 9-4 all-time at home against the Toreros.
• USD came into game converting 50% of its third-down attemps, but was held to just three of 18 in the game.
UP NEXT• Dayton returns to action on the road on Saturday, October 17th when the Flyers travel to Valparaiso for more PFL action. Game time is 2 p.m. ET.
• UD returns to Welcome Stadium Saturday, October 24th for its second night game of the season when the Flyers host Butler at 6 p.m. ET.
