USD Opens In Mid-Season Form

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of San Diego has hit midseason form, and the Toreros are barely one game into the season.

Backed by a precision-like offense and a stingy defense, USD picked apart Azusa Pacific for a 34-13 victory in both teams' season opener Saturday night.

The Toreros scored touchdowns on their first three 3 possessions of the game and sandwiched in the midst a 98-yard kickoff return which translated into 27-10 halftime lead.  The Toreros defense then clinched the victory by smothering the Cougars in the second half, holding them to just 107 yards of total offense in the final two quarters, 37 of which came on the Cougars final drive with less then four minutes left in the game.  Additionally, the Torero defense did not allow Azusa Pacific to cross the midfield stripe until the 5:37 mark of the fourth quarter.

"USD really did a good job," said Azusa Pacific coach Peter Shinnick. "They made big plays when they needed to.  Unfortunately, we never did, and I give them all the credit in the world."

USD quarterback Eric Rasmussen was sharp throughout the game, completing 14-of-19 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, while engineering an offense that produced 337 yards and converted 9-of-13 third down situations.  In the opening half alone, he was 6-for-8 passing for 108 yards, and converted a pair of crucial third-and-long situations on USD's 2 scoring drives of 80 and 81 yards, both of which took 12 plays.

"We didn't know a lot about him, but Rasumussen played great," added Shinnick.  "He stepped up and made big plays.  Of course he had all day, so we have to do a better job of getting pressure from our upfront guys.  Yet, when we did come after him, he found a hole a made plays."

The Cougars appeared to be headed toward a shootout after Lathian Tyler's 11-yard TD scamper pulled Azusa Pacific to within 13-10 with 13:16 left in the second quarter.  However, USD scored on its ensuing drive with a Rasmussen five-yard sprint to the corner of the end zone, and then scored again just 3 minutes later after stopping the Cougars on a fourth-and-one situation at the Azusa Pacific 41-yard line.  Rasmussen's subsequent 12-yard touchdown toss to Dylan Mora gave USD its 17-point halftime cushion.

"I wanted to keep our defense off the field because they had been out there a lot after two 80-yard drives," said Shinnick, "so I went for it at own 41-yard line.  USD did a great job stuffing it.  Had we got it, it could have been a different game.  At least I'd like to think so."

San Diego added an insurance touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a five-yard touchdown strike from Rasmussen to Jeff Incerty.

The loss is Azusa Pacific's first season-opening setback since falling 25-15 to San Diego to begin the 1997 campaign, which is also the last time USD had defeated Azusa Pacific.

Score By Quarters
Azusa Pacific       3 7   0   3  --  13
San Diego          13  14   0   7  --  34

Scoring
USD – Newbrough 3 run (kick blocked)
APU – FG Ryburn 30
USD – Ng 98 Kickoff Return (Mora kick)
APU – Tyler 11 run (Ryburn kick)
USD – Rasmussen 5 run (Mora kick)
USD – Mora 12 pass from Rasmussen (Mora kick)
USD – Incerty 5 pass from Rasmussen (Mora kick)
APU – FG Rybrurn 31

Individual Stats
RUSHING – USD: Newbrough 20-68, Rasmussen 9-68;
APU: Minton 20-52, Travis 2-25, Tyaler 4-23

PASSING – USD: Rasmussen 14-19-0 186;
APU: Winslow 11-28-1 171, McClenahan 1-3-0 27

RECEIVING – USD: Guardia 3-42, Withers 2-50;
APU: Travis 4-63, Minton 2-50, Tortora 2-41

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