USD at Full Strength for Claremont-Mudd

The biggest concern of the University of San Diego football team this week was the bruised right shoulder of Michael Bennett, the Toreros’ starting and only non-freshman quarterback.

It wasn’t known for certain until Wednesday that Bennett would play in this afternoon’s game at Claremont-Mudd.

Bennett, a junior out of Point Loma High, injured his throwing shoulder when he was tackled after a 10-yard run late in the first half of a 31-7 victory Saturday over Whittier.

The questions mounted early this week as Bennett rested his arm in practice.

Would Bennett be able to throw? Would he be able to throw well enough to start against Claremont-Mudd? Would it matter either way?

After all, USD (3-2) should beat Claremont-Mudd with the quarterback’s arm tied behind his back.

The Stags are 0-5 this year and 2-12 in the 1990s, including a 31-7 loss to USD in last year’s season opener.

Unlike USD, which has lost to two higher-division teams, all five of Claremont-Mudd’s opponents have been NCAA Division III members. Three of the losses have come against teams USD has handled rather decisively, including a 15-3 loss to Whittier.

Against Whittier, USD needed only 11 plays to take a 21-0 lead 14 seconds into the second quarter. Ten Toreros combined to rush 46 times for a season-high 312 yards, and Coach Brian Fogarty took out almost every starter after freshman Willie Branch scored his school-record tying third touchdown 50 seconds into the second half.

Branch, who finished with a career-high 179 yards in eight carries, is averaging 83.2 yards per game and 9.5 yards per carry. Senior fullback Scott Sporrer is averaging 91.8 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry.

And Claremont-Mudd has not proven it can stop the run. The Stags have given up 213 more yards on the ground (893) than it has through the air (680) simply because teams have not had to throw to beat them.

“They’re capable of beating us,” Fogarty said, “but I’d be very disappointed if they did.”