{"id":475671,"date":"2026-09-25T20:22:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T20:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/475671\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T20:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T20:22:13","slug":"san-diego-opens-pfl-play-at-st-thomas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/475671\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego Opens PFL Play at St. Thomas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                        Football&#13;<br \/>\n                         September 25, 2026&#13;<br \/>\n                        &#13;\n                    <\/p>\n<p>                &#13;<br \/>\n                Fresh off a last-second win at Cal Poly, the Toreros close a three-game road swing at the Tommies\u2019 homecoming in the PFL opener for both teams&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<\/p>\n<p>                &#13;<br \/>\n                    Story Links&#13;<br \/>\n                    &#13;<br \/>\n                    &#13;<br \/>\n    &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;<br \/>\n            &#13;<br \/>\n                <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/documents\/2026\/9\/25\/USD_Game_Notes_at_St_Thomas_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">GAME NOTES AT ST. THOMAS (PDF)<\/a> &#13;<br \/>\n            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;<br \/>\n    &#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>                 San Diego (1-2, 0-0 PFL)\u00a0\u00a0 at\u00a0\u00a0 St. Thomas (3-1, 0-0 PFL)<br \/>\nSaturday, Sept. 26, 2026\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 11 a.m. PT (1 p.m. CT)\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 O&#8217;Shaughnessy Stadium\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 St. Paul, Minn.<br \/>\nWatch: Midco Sports Plus \/ FOX9+\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 Listen: USDToreros.com\u00a0 (Jack Cronin)\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 Social: @USDFootball<\/p>\n<p>LAST TIME OUT: SAN DIEGO 38, CAL POLY 35&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/emiliano-salazar\/13325\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13325\" target=\"_blank\">Emiliano Salazar&#8217;s<\/a> 38-yard field goal with 2 seconds left broke a 35-35 tie and gave San Diego its first win of 2026, a 38-35 decision at Cal Poly on Sept. 19 that spoiled the Mustangs&#8217; homecoming in front of 10,259 at Mustang Memorial Field \u2014 the largest crowd the Toreros have played before this season.&#13;<br \/>\n\t<a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/dom-nankil\/13315\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13315\" target=\"_blank\">Dom Nankil<\/a> completed 25 of 30 passes for a season-high 236 yards and two touchdowns, both to <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cole-monach\/13311\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13311\" target=\"_blank\">Cole Monach<\/a> (7 and 22 yards), and added a 1-yard scoring run with 6 seconds left in the half that sent USD to the break up 28-21.&#13;<br \/>\n\t<a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/adam-criter\/13276\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13276\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Criter<\/a> ran 28 times for a career-high 179 yards, 55 of them on a first-quarter touchdown run that put San Diego ahead 14-7. <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/omar-mbakwe\/13309\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13309\" target=\"_blank\">Omar Mbakwe&#8217;s<\/a> 1-yard score capped an 11-play, 75-yard march to open the second half and pushed the lead to 35-21.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego did not turn the ball over for the first time this season, outgained Cal Poly 499-384, picked up a season-high 29 first downs and held the ball for 35:49. The Toreros&#8217; opening possession alone went 16 plays and 88 yards over 8:07.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe defense stopped Cal Poly on fourth-and-goal from the 1 when <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/ruben-lopez\/13305\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13305\" target=\"_blank\">Ruben Lopez<\/a> met Anthony Grigsby Jr. at the line with 12:18 to play, ending a 14-play, 74-yard drive that ate 6:22 without producing a point. <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/shaun-aletor\/13261\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13261\" target=\"_blank\">Shaun Aletor&#8217;s<\/a> 5-yard sack on third-and-18 then forced the punt that gave USD the ball at its 22 with 1:06 left.&#13;<br \/>\n\tEight plays, 57 yards and 1:04 produced the winning points, with Nankil&#8217;s 28-yard completion to <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/christopher-hall\/13290\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13290\" target=\"_blank\">Christopher Hall<\/a> reaching the Cal Poly 24 with 11 seconds left. <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/jack-munro\/13314\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13314\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Munro<\/a> led the defense with eight tackles, <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/josiah-estes\/13281\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13281\" target=\"_blank\">Josiah Estes<\/a> added six, and Salazar was perfect on five extra points to go with the winner.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>SALAZAR NAMED PFL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe Pioneer Football League named <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/emiliano-salazar\/13325\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13325\" target=\"_blank\">Emiliano Salazar<\/a> its Special Teams Player of the Week on Sunday, Sept. 20, after he went 5-for-5 on extra points at Cal Poly and saved his only field-goal attempt for the last play that mattered, a 38-yarder with 2 seconds on the clock. He accounted for eight of San Diego&#8217;s 38 points.&#13;<br \/>\n\tIt is the third PFL weekly honor of his career, all as Special Teams Player of the Week, following selections on Sept. 28 and Oct. 26 of last season.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe kick was his second game-winner in the final seconds as a Torero, and the first came against Saturday&#8217;s opponent: a 25-yard field goal as time expired that finished a 17-point comeback and beat St. Thomas 30-27 on Sept. 27, 2025, a performance that made him Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThrough three games he is 3-for-3 on field goals (34, 37 and 38 yards) and 9-for-9 on extra points, and his 18 points share the team lead with <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cole-monach\/13311\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13311\" target=\"_blank\">Cole Monach<\/a>. He is also averaging 42.6 yards on 17 punts with seven inside the 20, five of 50 yards or longer and no touchbacks.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>ALL-TIME SERIES VS. ST. THOMAS<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSt. Thomas leads the series 3-2, and the home team has won four of the five meetings, all PFL games since the Tommies joined the league in 2021. Saturday is the sixth meeting and the third in St. Paul, where San Diego is 0-2.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe Toreros won the most recent one, rallying from 27-10 down late in the third quarter to beat St. Thomas 30-27 at Torero Stadium in last season&#8217;s PFL opener on Sept. 27. <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/emiliano-salazar\/13325\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13325\" target=\"_blank\">Emiliano Salazar<\/a> kicked three field goals, the last a 25-yarder as time expired; <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/dom-nankil\/13315\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13315\" target=\"_blank\">Dom Nankil<\/a> threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns on 16 attempts; <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/adam-criter\/13276\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13276\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Criter<\/a> ran 28 times for 120 yards and a score; and <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cole-monach\/13311\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13311\" target=\"_blank\">Cole Monach&#8217;s<\/a> nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown gave him his first 100-yard game of 2025.&#13;<br \/>\n\tBoth St. Thomas home wins came with record-setting days: Andrew McElroy&#8217;s 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns, plus a 95-yard kickoff return score, carried the Tommies to a 49-42 win on Oct. 29, 2022, and Hope Adebayo ran for 277 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-14 win on Oct. 26, 2024. Both marks remain St. Thomas Division I-era records.&#13;<br \/>\n\tFour of the five games have been decided by seven points or fewer. San Diego took the first meeting 27-24 at Torero Stadium on Oct. 2, 2021, and St. Thomas won 20-14 in overtime in San Diego on Nov. 11, 2023.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>PFL OPENER<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSaturday pairs the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the league&#8217;s preseason coaches poll. San Diego drew five first-place votes and 90 points, three-time defending champion Drake had five first-place votes and 88, and St. Thomas \u2014 with a first-place vote of its own \u2014 finished third at 87, the tightest top three the poll has produced.&#13;<br \/>\n\tElsewhere in the league&#8217;s opening week Saturday: Drake at Davidson, Presbyterian at Marist and Butler at Valparaiso.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego is 12-4 in PFL play over the last two seasons and finished second both years. St. Thomas went 5-3 in the league in 2025 for its fifth straight top-three finish, and the Tommies&#8217; Glenn Caruso, in his 18th season, is 13-4 in conference openers and 4-1 in them since the program moved to Division I.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego&#8217;s three nonconference opponents are a combined 6-2 in their other games this season, and two of them sit in this week&#8217;s AFCA coaches poll: UC Davis (3-1) is No. 9 and Idaho State (3-0) is No. 16. Both were ranked when the Toreros played them.&#13;<br \/>\n\tCal Poly (2-2) opened Big Sky play with a 38-34 win over Idaho and visits Eastern Washington on Saturday.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe Toreros received votes in the AFCA poll again this week, and St. Thomas picked up a vote as well. The Tommies&#8217; only loss came at North Dakota, 62-26, on Sept. 5 \u2014 the Fighting Hawks are No. 8 in this week&#8217;s poll \u2014 and their 28-26 win over Southern Utah last Saturday was the program&#8217;s second over a Division I scholarship team since moving up from Division III.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>ROAD SWING FINALE<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSaturday is the last of three straight road games \u2014 Idaho State, Cal Poly and now St. Thomas \u2014 and the longest trip of the stretch at roughly 1,530 air miles. San Diego returns to Torero Stadium on Oct. 3 against Davidson.&#13;<br \/>\n\tIt is also the second straight week the Toreros are the visitors on homecoming, one week after spoiling Cal Poly&#8217;s.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>FAMILIAR FACE<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tTight end <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/travis-plugge\/13320\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13320\" target=\"_blank\">Travis Plugge<\/a> spent 2022 and 2023 at St. Thomas, redshirting his first year and then appearing in two games at quarterback in 2023, when he ran for 74 yards and a touchdown against Stetson, before transferring to USD in 2024.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHe started at tight end in his first appearance of 2026 at Cal Poly and caught three passes for 23 yards, the first receptions of his Torero career, and his 4-yard run on fourth-and-3 kept the Toreros&#8217; opening touchdown drive alive.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>BALL CONTROL<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego has won time of possession in all three games and is holding the ball for 33:56 a game \u2014 35:21 at Idaho State and 35:49 at Cal Poly \u2014 while running 216 offensive plays to its opponents&#8217; 176.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe Toreros are averaging 214.7 rushing yards on 5.1 per carry through three games, and four players have run for a touchdown: <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/omar-mbakwe\/13309\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13309\" target=\"_blank\">Omar Mbakwe<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/dom-nankil\/13315\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13315\" target=\"_blank\">Dom Nankil<\/a> twice each, <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/adam-criter\/13276\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13276\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Criter<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cj-ceron\/13268\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13268\" target=\"_blank\">CJ Ceron<\/a> once apiece. Criter&#8217;s 55-yarder at Cal Poly and Ceron&#8217;s 53-yarder at Idaho State are the two longest runs of the season.&#13;<br \/>\n\tCriter leads USD with 294 rushing yards through three games, Mbakwe has 143 and two of the team&#8217;s six rushing touchdowns, and Ceron has 99 on six carries.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>PICKED FIRST IN THE PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego was picked to win the PFL for a second straight year, edging three-time defending champion Drake 90-88 in the preseason coaches poll, with St. Thomas third at 87.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe Toreros placed a league-best nine players on the Preseason All-PFL Team, filling 10 of the 31 spots, with <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/emiliano-salazar\/13325\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13325\" target=\"_blank\">Emiliano Salazar<\/a> the only player selected at two positions.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025 IN REVIEW<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego went 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the PFL, finishing second in the league for a second straight season.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe Toreros closed on a four-game winning streak, outscoring Dayton, Valparaiso, Butler and Stetson by a combined 145-55.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThe fourth quarter belonged to San Diego. The Toreros scored 137 of their 341 points in the final period \u2014 more than they managed in the first and third quarters combined (98) \u2014 and outscored opponents 137-72 after three.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego turned takeaways into points better than anyone it played, scoring 64 points off turnovers against seven the other way, and finished plus-12 in turnover margin with 18 takeaways to six giveaways.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>PLAYERS TO WATCH<br \/>\n#9\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/dom-nankil\/13315\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13315\" target=\"_blank\">Dom Nankil<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 QB\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Senior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 175\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Chula Vista, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Mater Dei Catholic HS<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas completed 52 of 83 passes (62.7%) for 535 yards and three touchdowns through three games, has run for two more scores, and his 572 yards of total offense lead the team.&#13;<br \/>\n\tThrew for 177 yards and a 22-yard score to <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cole-monach\/13311\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13311\" target=\"_blank\">Cole Monach<\/a> against No. 6 UC Davis, ran 7 yards for a touchdown at No. 24 Idaho State, then completed 25 of 30 for a season-high 236 yards and two touchdowns \u2014 and added a 1-yard scoring run \u2014 in the 38-35 win at Cal Poly.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tStarted all 12 games and ranked fourth in the PFL in completions (157), attempts (246), passing yards (1,945) and touchdown passes (13), and third in passing efficiency (145.2).&#13;<br \/>\n\tCompleted 63.8% of his throws and was intercepted three times \u2014 tied for the fewest in the league and tied for the eighth-fewest in a single season in program history (minimum 100 attempts).&#13;<br \/>\n\tThrew 147 passes before his first interception of the season, which did not come until Oct. 25 at Davidson.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSeason-high 288 passing yards in the 40-28 win at Davidson; completed 81% (13-of-16) at Princeton on Sept. 20.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRan for both of his rushing touchdowns against Southern Utah on Sept. 6.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHis 2,058 yards of total offense led the team by more than 1,100.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tA Jerry Rice Award finalist as a freshman in 2023, finishing 15th in the voting after throwing for 1,158 yards and five touchdowns in eight games.&#13;<br \/>\n\tEntered 2026 ninth in program history with 452 career pass attempts and has 535 through three games.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#4\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/adam-criter\/13276\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13276\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Criter<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 RB\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Graduate\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-3\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 205\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Downers Grove, Ill.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 St. Francis HS<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tLeads San Diego with 58 carries, 294 rushing yards and 316 all-purpose yards through three games.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRan 28 times for a career-high 179 yards at Cal Poly, including a 55-yard touchdown that is the longest run by a Torero this season, after 61 yards on 16 carries at No. 24 Idaho State and a 31-yard run that sparked the first touchdown drive against No. 6 UC Davis.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL First Team. Led the league in rushing attempts (180) and rushing touchdowns (12) and finished second in rushing yards (921) in his first season at the position after moving over from wide receiver.&#13;<br \/>\n\tPFL Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 21 and an Opta Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week honorable mention the following day.&#13;<br \/>\n\tFour 100-yard rushing games, topped by 120 yards and a touchdown in the 30-27 win over St. Thomas on Sept. 27.&#13;<br \/>\n\tCareer-best 35 touches at Princeton on Sept. 20 \u2014 25 carries for 105 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns, plus 10 catches for 68 yards in a 42-35 comeback.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAdded 23 receptions for 136 yards and led the team in all-purpose yards (1,129, 94.1 per game).&#13;<br \/>\n\tHis 79-yard run against Cal Poly on Aug. 30 was the longest by a Torero in 2025.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPreseason All-PFL First Team in 2026.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#17\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cole-monach\/13311\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13311\" target=\"_blank\">Cole Monach<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 WR\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Graduate\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-1\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 185\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 San Juan Capistrano, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 San Juan Hills HS<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tLeads San Diego with 16 catches for 182 yards and three touchdowns through three games, capped by eight receptions for 87 yards and scores of 7 and 22 yards in the 38-35 win at Cal Poly.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAlso the holder on <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/emiliano-salazar\/13325\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13325\" target=\"_blank\">Emiliano Salazar&#8217;s<\/a> placekicks, including the game-winner at Cal Poly.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL Second Team. Led USD in receptions (55), receiving yards (822) and receiving yards per game (68.5), and tied for the team lead with six touchdown catches.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRanked among the PFL&#8217;s top 10 in seven receiving categories, including fourth in yards and third in yards per game.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHis 14.9 yards per catch led every Torero with at least 19 receptions.&#13;<br \/>\n\tFour 100-yard games, headlined by 119 yards on four catches against Butler on Senior Day, Nov. 15.&#13;<br \/>\n\tScored in five straight games from Sept. 27 to Nov. 1 and caught at least three passes in eight of his final nine.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHis 73-yard catch against Drake on Oct. 11 was San Diego&#8217;s longest reception of the season.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPreseason All-PFL Second Team in 2026.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas 105 career receptions for 1,439 yards and 12 touchdowns, including 29 catches for 362 yards and three scores in 2024 and 55 for 822 and six in 2025.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#41\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/emiliano-salazar\/13325\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13325\" target=\"_blank\">Emiliano Salazar<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 K\/P\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Junior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-1\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 170\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Orange, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Villa Park HS<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 20 after his 38-yard field goal with 2 seconds left won at Cal Poly, 38-35.&#13;<br \/>\n\tIs 3-for-3 on field goals (34, 37 and 38 yards) and 9-for-9 on extra points through three games, and his 18 points are tied for the team lead.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAveraging 42.6 yards on 17 punts with seven inside the 20, five of 50 yards or longer and no touchbacks, including a season-long 55-yarder at No. 24 Idaho State.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPFL Special Teams Player of the Year. All-PFL First Team as a punter and honorable mention as a placekicker.&#13;<br \/>\n\tLed the league with 85 points and 40 extra points and tied for the league lead with 15 field goals in 18 attempts (83.3%).&#13;<br \/>\n\tPerfect on extra points \u2014 40-for-40.&#13;<br \/>\n\tMade a season-long 47-yarder twice, against Drake on Oct. 11 and Dayton on Nov. 1, and hit three field goals in a game on three occasions.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAveraged 44.8 yards on 37 punts, a single-season program record (minimum 15 punts), with a league-high 16 downed inside the 20 and 13 traveling 50 yards or more.&#13;<br \/>\n\tFCS National Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 29; PFL Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHandled kickoffs as well, averaging 61.9 yards on 65 attempts with 27 touchbacks.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPreseason All-PFL selection at both placekicker and punter in 2026, the only player in the league chosen twice.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas two game-winning field goals in the final seconds as a Torero: a 25-yarder as time expired to beat St. Thomas 30-27 on Sept. 27, 2025, and the 38-yarder at Cal Poly on Sept. 19.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\n#6\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/ruben-lopez\/13305\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13305\" target=\"_blank\">Ruben Lopez<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 FS\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Graduate\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 180\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Mission Viejo, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Mission Viejo HS<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas 11 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup through three games. Made San Diego&#8217;s only interception of the season in the end zone against No. 6 UC Davis, then stopped Cal Poly quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 12:18 left to protect a tie in the 38-35 win.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL Second Team and All-PFL Academic Second Team. A captain who played all 12 games in the heart of the defense.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRecorded 53 tackles (37 solo), three tackles for loss and a sack.&#13;<br \/>\n\tTied for second in the PFL with five interceptions, returning them 50 yards, and added four pass breakups and a forced fumble.&#13;<br \/>\n\tIntercepted a pass in three consecutive games from Oct. 25 to Nov. 8 and in four of his final five.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSeason-high seven tackles twice \u2014 at Montana State on Sept. 13 and at Stetson on Nov. 22.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tEntered 2026 tied for fourth in program history with 11 career interceptions; the pick against UC Davis was his 12th.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL Second Team in 2024 and PFL Co-Defensive Player of the Week that Oct. 6, after an 87-yard walk-off fumble return for a touchdown in overtime against Presbyterian.&#13;<br \/>\n\tPreseason All-PFL Second Team in 2026.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#49\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/cayden-gibson\/13287\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13287\" target=\"_blank\">Cayden Gibson<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 OLB\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Junior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-2\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 220\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Chandler, Ariz.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Arizona College Prep<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas played in two of San Diego&#8217;s three games, starting at LEO at Cal Poly, and has two tackles.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPlayed all 12 games and tied for seventh on the team with 41 tackles (24 solo), including 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSeason-high eight tackles in the 29-7 win over Butler on Nov. 15.&#13;<br \/>\n\tForced a fumble and recorded an interception at Marist on Oct. 4, then forced another the following week against Drake.&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll 2.5 of his sacks came in a three-game stretch between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Before San Diego<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPiled up 285 tackles, 61 tackles for loss and 50 sacks at Arizona College Prep, with three blocked punts as a senior.&#13;<br \/>\n\tA two-time all-region defensive player of the year and four-time Arizona all-state honoree who also wrestled, placing second in the state as a senior.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#96\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/river-abenroth\/13260\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13260\" target=\"_blank\">River Abenroth<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 DT\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Junior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-2\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 270\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 San Diego, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Point Loma HS<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas four tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss through three games. At Cal Poly he shared a tackle for loss with <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/jae-von-reels\/13322\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13322\" target=\"_blank\">Jae&#8217;Von Reels<\/a> on the Mustangs&#8217; opening series, dropping Anthony Grigsby Jr. for a 2-yard loss on third-and-1.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL Honorable Mention. Appeared in all 12 games with 32 tackles (14 solo), five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSeason-high six tackles against Butler on Nov. 15.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRecorded at least half a tackle for loss in four consecutive games from Sept. 27 to Oct. 25.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tA 2026 Preseason All-PFL selection, one of two Toreros among the league&#8217;s five preseason defensive linemen.&#13;<br \/>\n\tA San Diego native who played at Point Loma High, roughly 10 minutes from campus.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#76\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/sean-scheck\/13326\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13326\" target=\"_blank\">Sean Scheck<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 DT\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Senior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-3\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 260\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Batavia, Ill.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Marmion Academy<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas five tackles and half a tackle for loss through three games.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL Honorable Mention. Recorded 20 tackles in 10 games with six tackles for loss and five sacks, second on the team in both.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSeason-high 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in the 31-13 win over Dayton on Nov. 1 \u2014 the best single-game sack total by a Torero in 2025.&#13;<br \/>\n\tGot to the quarterback in back-to-back games at Princeton (Sept. 20) and against St. Thomas (Sept. 27).&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tA 2026 Preseason All-PFL selection.&#13;<br \/>\n\tEarned four all-conference honors at Marmion Academy, two in football and two in wrestling, and was an all-state wrestler.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#95\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/jae-von-reels\/13322\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13322\" target=\"_blank\">Jae&#8217;Von Reels<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 NT\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Senior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-1\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 280\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 San Jose, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Bellarmine College Prep<br \/>\n2026<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tHas eight tackles and half a tackle for loss through three games, five of the tackles at Cal Poly, where he stuffed Jaden Green for no gain on third-and-goal from the 1 a play before <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/ruben-lopez\/13305\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13305\" target=\"_blank\">Ruben Lopez&#8217;s<\/a> fourth-down stop.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2025<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tPlayed nine games with 10 tackles and a tackle for loss.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRecorded half a tackle for loss against St. Thomas on Sept. 27 and again at Davidson on Oct. 25.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>2024<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tAll-PFL Honorable Mention. Put up 19 tackles (10 solo) in nine games with three tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and a pass breakup.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Career<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tW-Cal Defensive Lineman of the Year at Bellarmine College Prep in 2023.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>NEW FACES<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\tSan Diego brought in 10 transfers for 2026: <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/doug-williams\/13375\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13375\" target=\"_blank\">Doug Williams<\/a> (Stetson\/Glendale CC), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/elijah-taylor\/13374\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13374\" target=\"_blank\">Elijah Taylor<\/a> (Northern Arizona), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/nolan-story\/13373\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13373\" target=\"_blank\">Nolan Story<\/a> (Moorpark College), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/alex-whitman\/13402\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13402\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Whitman<\/a> (Notre Dame), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/robert-tucker-iii\/13600\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13600\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Tucker III<\/a> (Cornell), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/michael-roni\/13405\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13405\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Roni<\/a> (San Diego State), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/tim-hays\/13597\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13597\" target=\"_blank\">Tim Hays<\/a> (Boston College), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/jake-arellano\/13369\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13369\" target=\"_blank\">Jake Arellano<\/a> (Bentley), <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/mansfield-owsley\/13393\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13393\" target=\"_blank\">Mansfield Owsley<\/a> (Georgetown) and <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/jack-hinchey\/13596\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13596\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Hinchey<\/a> (Modesto JC).&#13;<br \/>\n\tFour are on the two-deep \u2014 Taylor and Hays as starters, Story and Williams on the second unit \u2014 and all four played in the opener, along with <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/robert-tucker-iii\/13600\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13600\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Tucker III<\/a>.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#3\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/elijah-taylor\/13374\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13374\" target=\"_blank\">Elijah Taylor<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 WR\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Graduate\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 190\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Phoenix, Ariz.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Higley HS\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Northern Arizona<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n\tStarted his Torero debut at wide receiver against No. 6 UC Davis and is second on the team with 11 catches for 94 yards through three games, including a season-high six for 47 yards at Cal Poly.&#13;<br \/>\n\tSpent five seasons at Northern Arizona, playing 11 games in 2025 largely on special teams with three special teams tackles and two catches for 28 yards.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHis most productive year came in 2022: 20 receptions for 198 yards in 10 games, including a season-high six catches for 57 yards against Montana State and his first career rushing touchdown at Idaho State.&#13;<br \/>\n\tMade seven starts in 2023 and averaged 21.8 yards on four catches, among them a 60-yard reception against Sacramento State.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRecovered a blocked punt for a touchdown against Lincoln in 2024.&#13;<br \/>\n\tBig Sky All-Academic in 2025. Pursuing a graduate degree in educational leadership.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#5\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/nolan-story\/13373\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13373\" target=\"_blank\">Nolan Story<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 OLB\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Sophomore\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 210\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Thousand Oaks, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Newbury Park HS\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Moorpark College<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n\tRanks fifth on the team with 12 tackles as the second-team STAR \u2014 six in his Torero debut against No. 6 UC Davis, five at No. 24 Idaho State and one at Cal Poly.&#13;<br \/>\n\tPut up 199 tackles in 19 games across two seasons at Moorpark College \u2014 10.5 per game \u2014 with 17.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, six interceptions and two sacks.&#13;<br \/>\n\tJunior College Gridiron All-American First Team and National Northern All-Conference First Team in both 2024 and 2025.&#13;<br \/>\n\tMoorpark&#8217;s defensive MVP in 2024, then team captain and team MVP in 2025.&#13;<br \/>\n\tUnanimous Southern California Football Association Defensive Utility Player of the Year and an All-California Community College First Team Defense pick in 2025. Named MVP of the 2025 Patriotic Bowl.&#13;<br \/>\n\tA First Team All-Canyon League linebacker and First Team All-Ventura County running back as a senior at Newbury Park.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#42\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/tim-hays\/13597\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13597\" target=\"_blank\">Tim Hays<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 OLB\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Graduate\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 6-1\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 227\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Concord, Mass.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Carlisle HS\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Boston College<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n\tStarted at WILL in his Torero debut and leads San Diego with 19 tackles through three games, topping the team in each of the first two \u2014 eight against No. 6 UC Davis and seven at No. 24 Idaho State \u2014 before adding four tackles and a quarterback hurry at Cal Poly.&#13;<br \/>\n\tPlayed 12 games at Boston College over three seasons, at linebacker and on special teams, recording tackles against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.&#13;<br \/>\n\tACC All-Academic Team in 2025. Graduated magna cum laude with a degree in finance and computer science.&#13;<br \/>\n\tMajoring in applied artificial intelligence at USD.&#13;<br \/>\n\tHis cousin, Garrett Reilly, punted at Boston College in 2018.&#13;<\/p>\n<p>#2\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/usdtoreros.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/doug-williams\/13375\" rel=\"smarttag nofollow noopener\" rev=\"13375\" target=\"_blank\">Doug Williams<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 CB\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Junior\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 5-9\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 180\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Hollywood Hills, Calif.\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Heritage Christian\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0 Stetson \/ Glendale CC<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n\tSecond-team left cornerback who played in his Torero debut against No. 6 UC Davis.&#13;<br \/>\n\tArrives by way of Stetson \u2014 the PFL opponent San Diego closes the regular season against on Nov. 21 \u2014 and Glendale Community College.&#13;<br \/>\n\tNamed Community College Student Athlete of the Year at Glendale, where he carried the highest grade-point average of any athlete on campus.&#13;<br \/>\n\tRecorded 50 tackles at Heritage Christian with six pass breakups, five tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a blocked punt, earning First and Second Team All-Conference honors.&#13;<br \/>\n\tA first-generation college athlete. Both of his parents work in entertainment \u2014 his father as an actor and comedian, his mother as an actress \u2014 and his younger brother, Adan, plays cornerback at Glendale.&#13;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"&#13; &#13; Football&#13; September 25, 2026&#13; &#13; &#13; Fresh off a last-second win at Cal Poly, the Toreros&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475672,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[74,76,75],"class_list":["post-475671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}