Toreros Get an Early Score, Hold On for a 7-0 Victory

The University of San Diego football team scored on its first possession and then let a stingy defense and muddy field conditions take over in a 7-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon at Goleta.

USD quarterback Brendan Murphy capped a 46-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring run early in the first quarter as the Toreros won their third consecutive game and improved to 6-1-1. Santa Barbara, which entered the game with a four-game winning streak, dropped to 6-2.

Santa Barbara’s last drive ended when quarterback Paul Wright’s pass into the end zone was knocked away by USD freshman cornerback Chris King (two interceptions) with two seconds left. On the drive, which began on Santa Barbara’s 10-yard line with 1:15 to play in the game, Wright completed four consecutive passes to advance his team to the USD 31.

“We knew we would have trouble with the muddy field,” said Brian Fogarty, USD coach. “We were fortunate we scored early before the field got too bad.”

It rained throughout the first quarter and for much of the fourth quarter as both teams had trouble moving the football.

Santa Barbara turned the ball over six times, three on interceptions, and never drove inside the USD 20.

The Toreros were limited to 134 yards in total offense, with Murphy gaining 71 of those yards on quarterback keepers.

“The offense did just enough,” Fogarty said.

The USD defense did the rest. The shutout was USD’s fourth of the season.