This week in history: USD football wins first ever overtime in 2003
The Toreros engineered a 14-point comeback before going on to beat Holy Cross in double overtime, 46-45
ERIC BOOSE / SPORTS EDITOR
On paper, the University of San Diego should have beaten Holy Cross handily. The Toreros came into week four of the 2003 season having outscored their last two opponents 99-14, while the Crusaders came to San Diego a week after suffering a 20-point loss to Harvard. But football is played on grass, not paper, and with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Holy Cross led 31-17.
With time running out and needing a pair of touchdowns, USD’s offense did what it needed to, engineering a pair of quick scoring drives to force overtime — the first overtime ever for the Toreros. The boys in blue navigated the uncharted territory comfortably, finding the endzone in the first and second overtimes. In that second overtime, the Toreros made the bold decision to attempt a two-point conversion. If USD scored, they would win, completing their fourth-quarter comeback. If they failed, Holy Cross would hold on and leave Torero Stadium with their first away win of the young season.
With the game on the line, senior quarterback Eric Rasmussen connected with receiver Nick Garton in the endzone, capping the comeback and giving the Toreros the win, 46-45.
The overtime winner was not the first time Rasmussen and Garton had connected for a crucial score. With 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter and in need of a touchdown, Rasmussen found Garton for a seven yards and a score. However, due to an extra point missed earlier by kicker Adam Williams, Garton’s touchdown only brought the Toreros to within two points, not one, so even if Williams could redeem himself, it would not be enough. Instead, USD attempted their first two-point conversion of the evening, turning to sophomore running back and reigning Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week Evan Harney. Rasmussen hit Harney with a short pass, tying the score at 31 with almost no time left.
But there was time left. Just enough time, in fact, for USD defensive back Bryan Newbrough to intercept Holy Cross quarterback John O’Neill’s pass and set up a 42-yard field goal attempt to win the game in regulation. With a chance to redeem himself from the earlier missed extra point, Williams put enough power behind his kick, but couldn’t coax the ball between the uprights. Williams had a shot to be the hero, but his kick missed wide left, and the teams headed to overtime.
Overtime was the Evan Harney show. The Torero running back punctuated USD’s first overtime drive with a one-yard run to give the hosts their first lead since the early second quarter, when Harney himself had found the endzone from 10 yards away. Holy Cross leveled the score in their half of the first overtime, then led off the second overtime with another touchdown, meaning the Toreros needed a touchdown just to avoid defeat. Needing three yards on fourth down, Rasmussen hit Harney on a four-yard pass to move the chains and keep USD alive. From there, Harney finished things. The running back carried the ball on the next three plays, covering 14 yards and scoring his third touchdown of the day.
While his quarterback Rasmussen put up three touchdowns and 239 yards passing in a solid performance, Harney was undoubtedly San Diego’s hero. He put up 199 yards rushing, added 50 more on only four catches, and accompanied his three touchdowns with that crucial two-point conversion to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Harney’s 43 rushing attempts in the game are still a USD record, and he would go on to set two more records by the end of the season. His 17 rushing touchdowns, a record in 2003, are still good for third overall, and his 1,475 rushing yards that season remain the most in Torero history.
USD would finish the 2003 season with eight wins and only two losses, and the Toreros would not see another overtime until 2013, when they came up short against the Dayton Flyers, also in double overtime.