USD Goes to 7-2 With Victory Over Menlo, Awaits Playoff Fate

The University of San Diego, searching for a promotional theme for the athletic department’s 1989-90 school year, decided on “A Quiet Tradition of Excellence.”

It just as well could be the theme for Todd Jackson and the Torero football team.

Jackson, a senior fullback, rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns to lead USD to a resounding, 31-19, victory over Menlo College Saturday in front of a standing-room-only homecoming crowd of over 4,000 people.

Jackson’s big day, on 30 carries, gives him 1,003 yards for the season and increases his school-record career total to 2,175.

USD concluded its regular season 7-2 and will find out this morning if it has made the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Toreros, whose two losses were to traditional powers Occidental and UC Santa Barbara (a Division II team), were informed before the game they are still very much in the playoff picture.

But of the six teams ranked in the West Region (USD was unranked), only No. 3 Simpson lost Saturday, and that was to No. 1 Central of Iowa. The NCAA chooses four teams from each region for the 16-team playoffs.

Menlo, which USD defeated for the first time, fell to 3-6.

USD, as has been its trademark all year, raced to a 17-0 first-half lead. The Toreros have led at the half in eight of their nine games--UCSB being the exception--outscoring their opponents, 141-58.

Jackson, who topped the 100-yard mark for the fifth time, has averaged nearly 70 first-half rushing yards. Amazingly, in 189 carries this season, Jackson has lost only 10 yards and has fumbled just twice--both coming Saturday, with USD recovering both.

Jackson had 52 yards and a touchdown in the first half against Menlo, and quarterback Brendan Murphy added 55 yards on seven carries. Murphy also completed three of five passes for 45 yards.

Menlo scored just before the extended homecoming intermission to make it 17-7. That was the same halftime score as in the Occidental game, which ended in a 23-17 Occidental victory.

“There was a lot of talk at halftime, ‘Let’s not have another Oxy,’ ” Murphy said.

Jackson and the Torero defense saw to that. Running behind the offensive line of Mark Garcia, Jeff Carpenter, Gene Fontana, Sean Parks and Ray Smith, Jackson had 97 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

“I owe a lot to my line,” said Jackson, who is a strong candidate for the Division III All-American team.

The last USD runner to gain 1,000 yards was Jerome McAlpin in 1983, Coach Brian Fogarty’s first year at USD. McAlpin accomplished that in a 10-game season.

Defensive stars were multiple but headed by linebackers Don MacInnes, who batted down four passes at the line of scrimmage, and Lenny Territo, who had two sacks.

With Todd Whitley gaining 66 yards and Ty Barksdale 38, USD rushed for 357 yards to Menlo’s 37. Dave Bergmann, who entered as the Division III leader in field goals, kicked a 23-yarder, increasing his school-record to 14.

“It was a total team effort,” Territo said. “We really wanted to go to the playoffs.”