Toreros Try for Victory, Finish Point Short Again

For the second consecutive Saturday, the University of San Diego wound up on the short end of a one-point football game by yielding a late fourth-quarter touchdown.

The Toreros’ 21-20 loss to NCAA Division II Cal State Hayward, however, was slightly different than last week’s setback at Cal Lutheran, when the Kingsmen scored with 13 seconds left to win by the same score.

In this one, USD had a chance to win--or at least tie--with 2:13 left but failed on a two-point conversion try and fell to 2-2.

With the game tied at 14, CSUH (2-2) drove 68 yards in 10 plays to go up, 21-14, with 2:29 left. Receiver Samuel Bernstine capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown on a reverse.

USD’s Michael Henry, a sophomore out of San Dieguito High, then carried the ensuing kickoff 79 yards up the middle, along the right sideline and into the end zone to make it 21-20.

It was USD’s first kick return touchdown in two years and forced Coach Brian Fogarty into a quick and rare decision.

Fogarty chose to go for the victory and selected a play that had worked well for the Toreros over the past three seasons--an option pass from halfback John Eck, who was a quarterback at Carson High in Carson City, Nev., before coming to USD four years ago.

The right-handed Eck took a pitch from quarterback Michael Bennett, rolled to his right and had initial thoughts of aiming for Bennett along the opposite sideline. Bennett, however, had been knocked down, so Eck turned his attention to Henry in the back right side of the end zone.

Henry managed to get a hand on Eck’s high throw but was hit and the ball fell incomplete.

Since 1956, USD had been in only five one-point games before this season and had lost all but one of them. In that same span, the Toreros have tied five opponents.

“I would do it again,” Fogarty said of his decision to go for the victory.

USD got the ball back on their 34-yard line with 14 seconds left, but Bennett’s long pass to Willie Branch was knocked out of Branch’s hands and Greg Edwards intercepted.