Sporrer Gets USD Mark in Dramatic Win : College football: He becomes Toreros’ career rushing leader in 42-35 victory over Azusa Pacific.

Once the business at hand was complete, offensive lineman Sean Parks waded through a sea of players to find out the news.

The University of San Diego had put an exclamation point on its fourth consecutive victory of the season. Tied with 6 1/2 minutes to play, the Toreros drove 92 yards and scored with 45 seconds remaining to take a 42-35 victory over Azusa Pacific (1-5) Saturday afternoon.

But now that victory was secure, Parks turned his focus toward fullback Scott Sporrer.

“How many did he get? How many did he get?” Parks asked no one in particular.

Parks and a handful of curious teammates were assured that Sporrer indeed had surpassed USD’s career rushing record of 2,176 yards, set from 1986 to 1989 by Todd Jackson. Sporrer, of Placentia, needed 108 yards to break Jackson’s record. He got 143, bringing his four-year total to 2,212 yards.

“It feels good. Now people won’t have to ask me every week, ‘Hey, how many more (yards) do you have to go?’ ” Sporrer said with a laugh.

Since the beginning of the season, when the record appeared within his grasp, Sporrer has downplayed its importance and stressed team results.

“He deserves it; he’s so unselfish,” USD Coach Brian Fogarty said. “He doesn’t think in terms of his numbers, he thinks of winning the ballgame.

Said Sporrer: “It’s nice, but it’s nicer because now we’re 5-1. . . . It’s a relief, but I don’t think it has set in yet. It probably won’t until (this) morning when I read about it.”

Jackson, who is a friend of the Sporrer family and attended the same high school, El Dorado High, won’t have to read about it. He was there.

“Todd was here, and my grandma flew out from Colorado,” said Sporrer, flanked by his family. “This is as good as anything.”

So was the game.

As the clock wound down with the score tied at 35-35, Tim Lynch and Daniel Furleigh sacked Azusa Pacific quarterback Paul Ulibarri on a third down. On fourth and eight at USD’s 41, the Cougars punted and the Toreros got the ball on the eight-yard line.

USD quarterback Michael Bennett immediately went to work, rushing for five yards on the first play and getting an extra 15 on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Azusa Pacific. On the next 12 plays, USD’s Sporrer, Jamie Gutierrez, Michael Henry and John Lambert all gained yardage, but it was Bennett who ran on five plays. The 13-play march culminated in Bennett’s four-yard touchdown dash.

“We were very confident,” said Bennett, who rushed 18 times for 57 yards. “We know our defense is good, but the way (the offenses) were going back and forth, we knew we had to drive all the way down and score.”

Fogarty wasn’t surprised at the manner in which Bennett rallied.

“That’s the way this bunch has been all year,” he said. “They really believe in themselves.”

Bennett said the Toreros’ first successful two-minute drill in practice two days ago didn’t hurt their effort.

“We finally put it all together,” Bennett said.

USD took a 28-21 halftime lead, with Henry, Sporrer and Gutierrez scoring on runs and Aaron Pingel catching a four-yard touchdown pass from Bennett.

After Azusa Pacific tied the score, USD took a 35-28 lead on another Sporrer touchdown run.

The Toreros (5-1-1) equaled their season-high scoring production of a month ago, when they beat Claremont-Mudd, 42-13. USD’s offense totaled 423 yards, up from its previous high of 414 yards against Claremont-Mudd.