Pair Leads USD Past Claremont : All-American Candidates Provide Punch in Victory

Todd Jackson and Dave Dunn are being billed this year as All-America candidates in the NCAA’s Division III.

Their team, the University of San Diego, is making an early bid for the Division III playoffs, something it has not attained since 1973.

Saturday afternoon at Claremont, Jackson, Dunn and teammates played as if being witnessed by a committee member for All-American and playoff selections.

It was. John Zinda, Claremont’s coach, is a member of such committees.

And he probably saw enough to sway his vote as USD scored 20 fourth quarter points to defeat Claremont, 30-13. Coach Brian Fogarty’s Toreros, an independent, are 3-0 for the first time since 1983, his first year at USD. Claremont is 0-2.

Jackson, a senior fullback, rushed for 156 yards on 21 carries, including a 63-yard touchdown run with 5:32 left to give USD its first comfortable lead, 23-13.

Quarterback Brendan Murphy added 98 yards rushing, including a 28-yard score on an option keeper to close the scoring with just over a minute to play.

USD’s offense is averaging 24.3 points and 348 yards. Saturday’s season-high 382 included 300 rushing yards on 50 carries.

Dunn, a senior nose tackle, had four sacks, including three in four plays late when Claremont tried to rally, and he will probably need at least that many stitches once he visits a hospital. A kick to the chin on the first play of the second half left a lengthy gash and a bloodied jersey, but Dunn’s inspired play helped spark a defense that is allowing just 6.3 points per game.

“I wasn’t playing well up to that point,” said Dunn, with a bloodied gauze bandage covering the wound. “We just needed a boost and that was it. I don’t know if we fell asleep or what, but we woke up.”

USD, which led 10-7 at the half, fell behind, 13-10, heading into the fourth quarter. After a one-yard touchdown run by Charles Taumoepeau with 10:41 left gave USD a 17-10 lead, Claremont drove 43 yards to the USD 22. Pressure on quarterback Mike Pembroke (16 of 36, 210 yards) and good coverage in the secondary (primarily by cornerback Scott Bradley, who had an interception earlier) resulted in four consecutive incompletions.

Two plays later, Jackson was plunging through the left side of the line and into open field where he outran Tony Ferrentino for the longest touchdown of his career.

“I thought the offense was picking up and we were about to break something open,” Jackson said. “I got some good blocks and once I got through, I just saw the end zone.”

With Claremont again attempting a rally, three Dunn sacks and an incompletion negated the Stags’ drive.

“Having a defense like that, it’s really reassuring,” Jackson said. “We rely on them a lot.”

The Toreros rely on Jackson a lot, too. Said Fogarty, “I’ve been saying it all along. Todd Jackson is one of the best backs in Division III.”