Box Score SAN DIEGO  – The University of Dayton football team traveled cross country to take on the University of San Diego Saturday afternoon and suffered a 31-13 defeat.

The Flyers (6-3, 4-2 PFL) drop their second Pioneer League contest while the Toreros (5-4, 3-2 PFL) move above .500.

GAME RECAP
1^st Quarter – Dayton 0, San Diego 0

• UD tested out the USD defense on the first drive, but the Toreros were not budging as the Flyers were forced to punt.
• San Diego managed to move the chains on its first drive, mixing it up with the pass and rush. The Flyers stepped up though and a sack on third and long by fifth-year defensive end Andrew Yanoshak ended the drive for the hosts.
• The second drive for Dayton started off a lot better with a tough run by junior Luke Hansen and a sideline reception by redshirt sophomore Donovan Weatherly, but the visitors stalled after that and punted once again. San Diego had a big return on the ensuing kick, but a penalty moved it all the way back to the 14-yard line.
• On their first three drives, the Toreros had three first downs while the Flyers had zero going into its third, but a pair of carries by junior Gavin Lochow gave them their first two of the game.
• Dayton held San Diego to zero rushing yards in the first quarter.

2^nd Quarter – Dayton 0, San Diego 14

• As the clock ticked over into the second quarter, UD was forced to punt for the third time on the day. But the Flyer defense answered once again and got the ball back on a three-and-out of their own.
• Both defenses dictated the flow of the game over the first 24 minutes of the contest with Dayton's group flying all over the field to makes think challenging for San Diego.
• With 8:10 on the clock and the Flyers starting their drive deep in their own territory, junior Drew VanVleet hit redshirt junior Dominic Vrbancic for 16-yards to give Dayton some room and a first down.
• San Diego was the first to strike with a five-yard rushing touchdown with 5:06 to go in the quarter to take the 7-0 lead.
• After another Dayton punt and a big punt return, the Toreros started their drive in UD territory, but redshirt junior Eli Kirk forced a fumble that was recovered by the Flyers.
• VanVleet found Lochow for another big completion as UD looked to get on the board just before half.
• An interception by USD ended Dayton's hopes though and gave them the ball back. The Toreros weren't happy enough with the lead and converted a hail mary as the clock expired to lead 14-0.
• Total offense was 159-56 in favor of San Diego despite Dayton having a time of possession advantage of 4:52.

3^rd Quarter – Dayton 0, San Diego 21

• USD deferred and got the ball to start the second half. Dayton's defense responded to the poor finish to the first half, led by redshirt sophomore Vincent Firenze, who broke up a pass and had multiple tackles on the drive.
• With the lead in hand, the Toreros were happy to run the ball, eat up the clock, and chew up yards a few at a time as the clock ticked under seven minutes to go in the third.
• Busted coverage on the play resulted in San Diego's third touchdown as it made it 21-0 in favor of the Toreros.
• Dayton's offense still struggled to get things going with its eighth punt of the game.
• The Flyers only had the ball for one possession in the third quarter as the Toreros ate up most of the clock.

4^th Quarter – Dayton 13, San Diego 31

• The Toreros scored quickly in the fourth to make it 28-0 as the Flyers were running out of time.
• Redshirt freshman Leroy Lewis IV returned a kickoff 36 yards for Dayton's biggest play of the game up to that point.
• That return sparked the Flyer offense who had a couple of big completions from VanVleet to put UD at the seven-yard line and just under 13:00 on the clock.
• He finished the drive with a touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore Michael Mussari to put UD on the board.
• Vrbancic made a couple of big catches on Dayton's drive starting at the 6:15 mark, including an acrobatic catch on a tipped ball at midfield, keeping UD's hopes alive.
• VanVleet connected with Lochow with 1:25 left in the contest for Dayton's second touchdown.
• It would not be enough though as the Toreros defended their home field in the victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
7 – Dayton punted the ball seven times, tying a season high for the Flyers.
47 – The Flyers had a season-low 47 yards through three quarters.
6 – Michael Mussari's touchdown catch was his sixth score of the year, which is third on the team.
8 – Defensive lineman Mirko Jaksic had a career-high eight tackles.
8 – Gavin Lochow caught his eighth touchdown of the season, which leads the team.

UP NEXT
The Flyers will head into the bye week before returning to action in the home finale on Saturday, Nov. 15 against Drake University. Kick-off is at 12 p.m. for Senior Day.

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