Sporrer Nears USD Mark, but Who’s Counting?

Beans he can count. Yardage? Now that’s another matter entirely.

University of San Diego fullback Scott Sporrer is sitting poolside, hours removed from the suit and tie he wore for an interview with a local accounting firm Friday morning.

Sporrer, a senior accounting major, has interviewed with four firms--he has one more interview Monday--and hopes to land a job with one of them come graduation day in May.

“Everyone thinks accountants are a bunch of bean counters,” he said. “I’m getting a little worried, though, because I’m starting to laugh at all the stupid accounting jokes.”

Let’s assume Sporrer is better at auditing others than he is himself. Going into today’s 1:30 p.m. homecoming game against Cal Lutheran (0-2) at USD’s Torero Stadium, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior is 330 yards shy of breaking USD’s career rushing record of 2,176 yards established by Todd Jackson.

Sporrer, who has gained 1,847 yards in three-plus seasons, estimated he needed at least five hundred to break the mark Jackson set from 1986 to 1989.

“No way. Really?” he said. Somebody buy this guy a calculator. Better yet, an ego.

It comes as no surprise to Sporrer’s coaches and teammates that individual records and achievements run a distant second to team victories and accomplishments.

“Personally, I don’t think it matters to him when (the record) happens,” said sophomore running back Michael Henry. “But with six games left, no one’s going to stop him.”

Running back coach Jack Rubidoux hopes not. He described Sporrer as one of the hardest working--and most popular--team members.

“You want to see any individual who works that hard achieve something special,” Rubidoux said. “But he really wants to, in my opinion, be an asset to this team.”

Sporrer is averaging 97.3 yards a game for the Toreros (2-1-1)--his 152 against Cal State Hayward were a season best, and Rubidoux said his best is yet to come--and his three touchdowns are second only to quarterback Michael Bennett.

But statistics aside, Sporrer also acts as an unofficial cheerleader. Rubidoux said it isn’t unusual to see Sporrer pop up out of a tackle with a mile-wide grin.

“That enthusiasm carries over to the linemen,” he said. “They know he’s not afraid to take a hit and that he can give one.”

Henry recalled a game early in the season in which Sporrer was stuffed at the line of scrimmage and proceeded to leap out of the tackle and throw his fist in the air.

“He takes this huge hit, and he gets up and gives us a big ‘yeah,’ ” Henry said. “Then he got the ball the next four times and rushed for at least seven yards on every one.”

When reminded of the incident, Sporrer broke out in a smile: “There’s a difference when you take a hit that hurts and when you take one that feels good. That one felt good. Then I started yelling and screaming to get the team going, and they started catching on.”

Sporrer caught on early to the reality that his senior year marks the end of his football career, and he decided to do something different to prepare for it.

In the past, Sporrer used his summers to concentrate on lifting weights and bulking himself up. This time, he ran with members of the soccer team and dropped 15 pounds.

“I guess I just wanted to try something different,” Sporrer said. “My senior year I felt really loose, really flexible. When your muscles feel that way, you can cut quick and you can perform better . . . It’s helped bring out my best talent.”

Too often, seniors realize too late that their college careers are winding down and they’ve run out of time to do anything that will leave a lasting impression.

“Scott didn’t wait for that to happen,” Rubidoux said. “He realized before the season that every game, every practice is one less that he’s going to have. He really worked hard for his senior year. That’s a tribute to what kind of player, what kind of person he is.

“He’ll do well whatever he does, whether it’s on or off the football field.”

Take that to mean that Sporrer will make one heck of a bean counter.

Torero Notes

Cal Lutheran holds a 9-1 lead in the head-to-head series against USD. Against the Kingsmen last year, USD led, 20-14, before losing, 21-20. “The thing I remember most is that we were up, 17-0,” USD Coach Brian Fogarty said. “We don’t want that to happen again.” Cal Lutheran comes off a 34-33 loss to Azusa Pacific. The Kingsmen led, 33-31, in the finals seconds, but instead of running out the clock, Cal Lutheran tried to run the ball, fumbled, and Azusa Pacific recovered and kicked a 45-yard field goal.