Saturday, November 8
Davidson, N.C.
1:00 p.m.
Davidson College
24
vs
28
San Diego
Justin Williams returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
Photo by: Sideline Sports
San Diego Overcomes Early Deficit to Top Davidson 28-24
11/8/2008 5:34:51 PM | Football
DAVIDSON, N.C. – San Diego running back Matt Jelmini rushed for 133 yards, and defensive back Derek Pilkington had a key interception late in the game to lead the Toreros to a 28-24 Pioneer Football League victory over Davidson at Richardson Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Trailing by four points, Davidson drove 54 yards down to the San Diego 15-yard line, but on 2nd-and-10, Pilkington intercepted a Ryan Alexander pass at the 11 and returned it 45 yards with 3:55 to play.
The Toreros tried to run the ball to take time off the clock, and Davidson linebacker Tyler Lemons shot through the line to tackle Jelmini for a 4-yard loss to set up 3rd-and-12. But San Diego ran a draw play, and Jelmini got 16 yards and a first down with just over two minutes to play.
Torero quarterback Sebastian Trujillo converted a 3rd-and-4, by rushing for six yards, putting the game away for San Diego (7-2, 5-2 PFL). The Toreros finished the day 8-for-13 on third down conversions.
Trujillo completed 22-of-27 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns, and receiver John Matthews had 11 receptions for 140 yards and all three TD catches.
“They have two of the best receivers we'll see all year, and for the most part, we did a good job against them,” said Davidson coach Tripp Merritt. “We didn't give up many big plays and made them drive the field.”
Alexander completed 21-of-27 passes for 214 yards and two scores to lead the Wildcats (3-6, 2-5 PFL). Andrew Aldrich caught six passes for 68 yards, and Chad Barnes led the squad with 51 yards on the ground.
Justin Williams took the opening kickoff back 98 yards for a touchdown to spark Davidson to a 21-0 lead. The Toreros closed the margin to 21-14 at halftime with the two TDs coming in a total of 2:12 midway through the second quarter.
“We knew they were going to come back at some point,” said Merritt, “but that deflates you a little bit.”
The Toreros tied the score with 9:49 left in the third quarter when Matthews caught a 9-yard pass from Trujillo, but Davidson retook the lead with a Ben Behrendt 24-yard field goal with 2:19 left in the period.
Following the field goal, San Diego ate up 8:19 on the clock with a 16-play, 63-yard drive. The Wildcats stopped three straight rushing attempts from their own 1-yard line, but Trujillo got in on a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-goal to put the Toreros ahead to stay.
Williams took the opening kickoff through a hole on the right side and raced up the right sideline for the first Davidson kickoff return for a touchdown since John Leverett returned one 96 yards for a score against Emory & Henry Sept. 28, 2002.
An Aldrich 7-yard pass from Alexander with 4:04 left in the first quarter made the margin 14-0, and Michael Blanchard caught his first career TD pass from Alexander 2:39 into the second period for a 21-0 cushion.
The Wildcats return to action against Marist at home next Saturday, with kickoff set for noon. It will be the first meeting between the Red Foxes and Wildcats on the gridiron.
Game Notes: Alexander set a new single-game pass completion mark with 77 percent, besting last week's mark of 76 percent… He's completed 40 of his last 52 passes… Konert surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for his career… The school record for a kickoff return for touchdown is 100 yards, which was accomplished twice and last by John Leverett against Randolph-Macon in 2001.
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