PC Falls to Toreros After 87-Yard Scoop & Score in OT
October 7, 2024
The Presbyterian College football team never trailed at any point in regulation on Saturday afternoon against the San Diego Toreros, although a 26-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left and a defensive TD in overtime allowed USD to rip the victory away, 27-21.
Playing in California for the third time ever, PC stayed one step ahead of San Diego for virtually the entire contest until the waning moments. Possessing the ball first in OT, the Blue Hose marched the ball down to the 3-yard line, where the game-flipping turnover took place.
In four of the five meetings between the Scotsmen and San Diego, the winning side has been held under 30 points. Saturday’s PFL meeting was another case of a tight finish, PC’s eighth conference game in the past two seasons to be decided by under 10.
The Blue Hose remain on the road next Saturday for their third league encounter, traveling to Morehead State on October 12. Kickoff will be held at 2:00 PM on ESPN+.
FINAL SCORE – San Diego, 27 – Presbyterian, 21 (OT)
RECORDS – Presbyterian (2-4, 0-2) – San Diego (3-2, 1-1)
LOCATION – Torero Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
NOTABLES
– Head coach Steve Englehart‘s club outgained USD by nearly 100 yards (333-246). The bout was tied at the end of all four quarters, as the largest lead of the entire game never grew over seven points.
– Both combatants posted identical numbers in the back-and-forth affair, scoring one touchdown in three consecutive quarters which led to overtime.
– Two of Presby’s three TD’s came on quarterback keepers, one by Ty Englehart and another from Collin Hurst. The latter occurred with 10:06 in the 4th, although the Toreros ensured the game would continue on their last-second lob.
– That Hurst / Englehart duo combined for 99 rushing yards while the team put together 186 altogether in the ground attack.
– Hurst was the primary passer on the day, going 11-for-18 which amounted to 122 throwing yards and a 3rd-quarter touchdown to star receiver Dominic Kibby.
– Recently becoming the third player in Presbyterian’s Division I history (since 2007) to surpass 300 career tackles, Alex Herriott led the way in that department once again by reaching eight stops and 1.5 sacks.
– Neither team committed a turnover throughout the whole 60-minute runtime. San Diego forced the lone takeaway after being flagged for two facemask penalties in overtime, popping the ball loose on a QB draw and racing in the other direction to end the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
– The game’s first six drives ended in either a punt or a missed field goal attempt, translating to a scoreless opening period.
– Following a shanked kick from USD that gave Presby some opportune field position, Englehart cashed in with a 50-yard touchdown sprint for the game’s first blow with 11:42 until intermission.
– San Diego took their time en route to their own touchdown on the next series, trudging 73 yards on 13 snaps to even it up.
– The Toreros converted a 3rd-and-goal situation from the eight-yard line to send the game into the halfway mark at 7-7. PC nearly surged ahead once more, although a 4th-down gamble inside the red zone did not pay off.
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
– Forcing USD to punt again in the early moments of the 3rd quarter, PC went 53 yards in nine plays to cap off a five-and-a-half minute drive with a touchdown toss to Kibby.
– It was the second straight game with a TD reception for the All-PFL’er, having hauled in an earlier score in the last matchup at Davidson (which coincidentally was from the same distance of 23 yards).
– With fewer than three minutes to go in the 3rd, San Diego managed another tie with an 8-yard touchdown pass. Both of SD’s first two scores were from the same length, indicating a 14-all deadlock approaching the last stanza.
– Starting the next series at their own 25, the Blue Hose steadily made their way into scoring range as the 3rd quarter came to a close. Hurst zipped to the end zone on a 19-yard rush nearly five minutes into the last chapter, keeping the home side at bay.
– It seemed that a Presbyterian victory was getting likelier with each play, making the Toreros punt for the eighth time and getting a massive stop with less than two minutes left.
– On 2nd down at the PC 16, San Diego signal-caller Grant Sergent was sacked by Carter Szydlowski for a loss of 15 yards. Safety Anthony Thornton deflected a heave to the pylon on the next snap, putting USD at a difficult decision with 1:48 on the board.
– They elected for a field goal while trailing by seven, a 48-yard try that was off the mark from Aidan Lehman.
– The bad news for coach Englehart’s group: San Diego had still stashed all three of its second-half timeouts, enabling them to get the ball back after three Blue Hose runs that totaled four yards.
– Sergent completed a deep pass to Josh Heverly on 2nd-and-15 with eight ticks on the clock, tying the contest for the third time and bringing PC to their first overtime scenario since the Dayton win last fall.
– Although they stood just three yards from paydirt, a cruel twist took place on the 87-yard scoop and score, the only time in the entire game where San Diego had the lead.
UP NEXT
– Coach E and company will venture to Kentucky next weekend to battle Morehead State, a unit who was hammered by Butler 40-6 in Indianapolis on Saturday.
– That blowout by the Bulldogs ended MSU’s momentum from a 17-5 Pioneer League win over Valparaiso the week prior, positioning the Eagles at 3-3 overall.
– Each of the last two games between the Blue Hose and Morehead went right down to the wire. The Eagles escaped with a 14-10 decision in 2022, before PC returned the favor last November with a 31-27 triumph at Bailey Memorial Stadium.
Photo source: Presbyterian College
