Dolphins nail last second 50 yarder for the win

Rubin Resnick / Chief Copy Editor / The USD Vista

Despite having a win within their grasps, the Toreros lost to the Dolphins this past Saturday, at D.B. Milne Field, 30-29. The loss came as a result of a kick that sailed true through the uprights in the final two minutes of the game, sealing the Toreros’ fate. Jacksonville ascended to a 5-3 overall record and 3-1 in the Pioneer Football League while San Diego fell to a 6-1 record and 4-1 in the PFL.

The offense, led by quarterback Sebastian Trujillo, produced 372 yards of offense, 278 of which were gained through the passing game. Trujillo completed 23 out of 43 attempts for 278 yards and four touchdowns. The lion’s share of the passing game production came from wide receivers John Matthews and Ben Hannula who combined for 18 receptions totaling 239 yards and three touchdowns. Godfrey Smith contributed with a touchdown reception along with running back Phil Morelli who carried 19 times for 64 yards.

These offensive statistics don’t reveal the fact that the seven Torero possessions in the first half resulted in one field goal made and one missed field goal that ended the first half.

In the second half, they scored on four out of their first five possessions, but they had a blocked point after touchdown attempt as well as a missed point after touchdown. These two mistakes, combined with the missed field goal, hurt the Toreros in the final tally.

The defense had trouble containing the Dolphins’ running game that produced 170 rushing yards. It was led by the linebacker corps of Loka Kanongotaa, Derek Marten and Derek Pilkington who totaled 26 tackles. Kanongotaa stood out with four out of his nine tackles for loss and two sacks.

The defense faced a difficult situation when they had to stop a Jacksonville drive within their own 40-yard line with 2:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins drove three yards and then called in their kicker on USD’s 34-yard line to kick the go-ahead field goal. Donovan Curry of Jacksonville nailed the kick from 50 yards out to give the Dolphins the lead and the win.

Taking into consideration the recent loss, USD is still on pace to finish first within the WCC if they manage to top the visiting Dayton Flyers next game.

The University of Dayton was the first team to hand USD a loss last season and then managed to gain the title of co-champions of the PFL as the result of that win. This year, the Toreros are in a compromised position because of the accumulated loss of several key starters across the offense and defense. In light of these factors, this game will ultimately determine the fate of the PFL and is the most important matchup of any two teams in the PFL this year. USD’s nation best 28 home game win streak will be placed on the line this Saturday when they host the Dayton Flyers at Torero Stadium at 6 p.m.