Toreros Edge Hayward in Season Opener

Talk about falling off and jumping right back on.

Defensive back William Kobayashi, burned on a touchdown pass only moments earlier, batted away a pass attempt for a two-point conversion Saturday night that secured the University of San Diego football team’s 14-13 victory against Cal State Hayward at Torero Stadium.

With 35 seconds left in the game, Kobayashi barely had time to figure how he had allowed the touchdown pass from Brad Bretz to Eric Jennings that made it 14-13.

So he didn’t.

He simply remembered what happened on the play and adjusted his field position when it became apparent that Hayward was going for the victory.

“It kind of looked like they were running the same play. I was expecting it,” Kobayashi said.

On the touchdown, Jennings faded to the corner and caught the pass.

The next time he was ready, took the inside position against Jennings and when the pass came his way, Kobayashi was there.

He batted it away with his left hand to end the game.

“I just told myself to key to the inside position and remember where he went,” said Kobayashi, a freshman from Hawaii.

It was Kobayashi’s first college game, and if it weren’t for injuries to key USD defensive players, he wouldn’t have been on the field in the first place.

But Kobayashi took over for Stephen Crandall, who sustained a hamstring pull, after the second series.

“He had a lot of heart to come back after that touchdown was scored on him,” USD Coach Brian Fogarty said.

Beside having few bodies to replace him with, defensive coordinator Kevin McGarry said he never considered replacing Kobayashi.

“We go with the people who have gotten us there,” McGarry said. “Besides, he had a great game outside of that one play.”

A year ago, it was a similar play that haunted USD in a 21-20 loss to Hayward. After tying the game on a kickoff return, the Toreros failed on a pass conversion.

“I heard about that,” Kobayashi said. “I guess it’s pay-back. They won it there, and we won this here.”

After a scoreless first half, USD opened the third quarter with a seven-minute, 79-yard drive capped by Scott Sporrer’s one-yard dive over a pile of players. Robert Ray’s kick made it 7-0.

“It took us a while to get going, but then some holes started to open up,” said Sporrer, who rushed 31 times for 152 yards.

Four minutes later, the Toreros made it 14-0 when tight end Aaron Pingel scored on a six-yard pass from quarterback Michael Bennett.

Bennett completed five of 14 pass attempts for 54 yards.

Both of Hayward’s touchdowns came via the air. Bretz found James Smith from 43 yards out with 14:33 left in the fourth quarter.

USD’s only scoring opportunity in the first half was aided by a roughing-the-punter penalty. The Toreros advanced to the Hayward 29 before Ray tried a 46-yard field goal. Hayward’s Marc Walker blocked the attempt.

Hayward, an NCAA Division II school, finished the game with 332 yards from scrimmage, 207 passing. The Division III Toreros had 300 total yards, only 54 passing.