Crusaders dropped the ball in 1100AD and again in 2008

Rubin Resnick / Chief Copy Editor / The USD Vista

While it may appear to be off-topic, instead of jumping right into the specifics of the most recent homecoming football game, let’s begin with a quick history lesson.

The Catholic Crusades of the 11th and 12th century that were directed by the pope have been widely regarded as unsuccessful papal policy that resulted in no positive outcome whatsoever. So what do the crusaders of an era long past have in common with the Valparaiso Crusaders who faced the Toreros this past Saturday? The answer is the same aura of failure.

The hapless Crusaders fell to the Toreros offense in a 42-14 decision that produced 578 yards of offense, 246 of which were gained on the ground by three different backs.

Like a Swiss Army knife that is known for its versatility, the Toreros offense demonstrated its ability to attack the enemy by using different specialty tools to accomplish its goal of victory. Redshirt freshman running back Phil Morelli pounded out 72 yards on 15 carries and was aided by an explosive performance by true freshman Matt Jelmini who gained 130 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, including a run that he broke open for 87 yards. Later, fullback Vincent Atofau threw all 250 pounds of his frame into a goal line carry that gave the Torero’s their second rushing touchdown of the game.

The passing game fared even better than the running game with quarterback Sebastian Trujillo dropping in passes all over the opposing defense like bombs over Baghdad. He completed 80 percent of his passes, 20 of 25 attempts, for 295 yards and three touchdowns.

Currently, he is the third most efficient passer in the Football Championship Subdivision with a quarterback rating of 178.3 and the second most touchdown passes at this level with 16.

Wide receiver Ben Hannula demonstrated his potential to be a threat on several different levels by catching four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown and by throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to receiver Godfrey Smith.? Receiver John Matthews had another productive game by catching seven passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 10.

The Valparaiso offense initially kept the Toreros off guard by producing over 200 yards rushing through a running back by committee approach.? A total of eight running backs had carried the football but only three receivers made four receptions the whole game.

The statistics indicate that Crusader quarterback Zack Denny had obviously struggled with the concept of the forward pass but had far more success handing off the ball.

Using this approach, Valpo University had kept the score even 14-14 at halftime. However, USD stepped up their efforts in the second half and turned four out of their next five possessions into touchdowns and easily sealed the game.

The Toreros now at 5-0 (3-0 PFL) look to protect their nation-best home winning streak of 27 games when they host the Morehead State University Eagles this Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m.