SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – The USD Toreros dealt the visiting UDLAP Aztecas from Mexico a 49-25 defeated Saturday night before 1,786 fans at Torero Stadium.
Behind two rushing scores from RB Jonah Hodges, USD used a 28 point second quarter to gain control of the game. Anthony Lawrence finished the game 16-for-20 for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Torero defense was paced by Nic Henson with 9 tackles.
For the game USD totaled 416 yards of offense while the Aztecas finished with 390 yards (54 rush, 336 pass). Jereke Armstrong was the top rusher with 72 yards on 17 carries with one score. Freshman Jordan Charles tallied 8 rushes for 53 yards and one score. Justin Priest hauled in a 7 receptions for 49 yards and a score, while TE Ross Dwelley pulled down 4 balls for 81 yards and a score. Besides Henson, the defense was paced by safety Colton Giorgi (6 tackles) and CB Devyn Bryant (4 stops, 2 pass breakups).
The Toreros got on the scoreboard first when Justin Priest hauled in a 2-yard pass from QB Anthony Lawrence with 6:03 left in the first quarter. It was USD’s third drive of the game and was set up by a 44-yard punt return by Jamal Agnew. On their first play of the drive, Lawrence connected with WR Brian Riley for 21 yards to the 2-yard line. Priest scored on the very next play. The Aztecas knotted the score at 7-all when QB Alfredo Linares connected with WR Jean-Claude Cerezo for a 20-yard score that closed out a 7-play, 80-yard drive with 44 seconds left in the quarter.
It was all USD in the second quarter as they outscored the Aztecas 28-0 to take a 35-7 lead into the halftime break. Jonah Hodges scored on a 13-yard run with 12:56 to go; Zack Holland pulled down an 8-yard pass from Lawrence with 9:43 left; Dwelley scored on a 1-yard reception from Lawrence; and Hodges closed out the quarter with a 16-yard run up the middle.
In the third quarter UDLAP added two points on a safety with 9:07 to go following a bad snap on a punt attempt that sailed into the endzone and was recovered by Jack Flatau. UDLAP made it 35-17 with 3:10 left in the quarter when Linares connected with Jose Noriega for a 2-yard score that finished off a 5-play, 59-yard drive. USD closed out the quarter with a drive that would reach the final quarter. Jereke Armstrong’s 11-yard TD run culminated a 6-play, 61-yard drive to extend USD’s lead to 42-17.
The Toreros would get their final score on an impressive 41-yard touchdown run from freshman back Jordan Charles. The Aztecas would close out the scoring with the play of the game, a 99-yard touchdown pass from QB Alfredo Linares to WR Robin Gonzalez with 3:04 left in the game. The Toreros would run out the clock from there.
The Aztecas were paced by QB Alfredo Linares (25-52 for 336 yards, 3 TDs), RB Kevin Correa (9 carries for 62 yards), WR Jose Noriega (12 catches for 94 yards and 1 TD) and WR Robin Gonzalez (4 catches for 113 yards, including his 99-yard TD). UDLAP was led on defense by Emmanuel Serna with 8 tackles, 1 sack and 3 tackles for loss.
Toreros Head Coach Dale Lindsey on playing a team from Mexico:
“They were tough and physical and they knew what they wanted to do against us. They gave us a good fight and they did not quit. I would not want to play them every week.”