Nov. 7, 2004

In a game worthy of one that would decide a championship, the University of Dayton Flyers fell in the 2004 season finale to the University of San Diego Toreros 38-35 Saturday night in San Diego. UD finished the season 7-3 overall and 2-2 in the Pioneer Football League North. San Diego improves to 6-4, and 3-1 in the PFL with one game remaining. The win lifted the Toreros into second place in the PFL, while Dayton finished third.

The Flyers' three losses were all by a touchdown or less, and all were decided in the red zone in the game's final minute.

UD did not hold a lead until the 9:18 mark in the fourth quarter, when Casey Klaus picked up a fumble and returned it 79 yards and put the Flyers up 35-31. The Dayton defense forced its only three-and-out of the day, giving the ball back to UD with 8:03 left. The Flyers took 5:21 off the clock, but turned the ball over on downs at the USD 29-yard line with 2:42 left in the game.

The Toreros drove 71 yards on seven plays for the game-winning score by running back Evan Harney on and fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. Harney had scored earlier in the game by jumping over the pile, and this time the Flyers were ready. Linebacker John Hoppe got to Harney at the top of his jump, but when Harney came back down, he landed on both feet and was able to twist and just get into the end zone with 35 seconds left.

Jack O'Dell gave the Flyers a chance with a 51-yard kickoff return, and Brandon Staley moved the chains with an 11-yard pass to Ryan Wrobleski. But after stopping the clock by spiking it, Staley's pass under a heavy rush was picked off with 12 seconds left.

The two teams combined for 953 yards, and that does not include the 79-yard fumble return by Klaus. USD had 520 yards and averaged 6.2 yards per play, while Dayton had 433, and averaged 6.7 yards a play.

Individually, the star on the UD side of the ball was senior safety Doug Jones. Jones had a career-high 19 tackles, forced three fumbles (including the one resulting in the go-ahead fourth-quarter TD), had two tackles in the backfield and broke up two passes. Quarterback Kevin Hoyng completed his first ten passes and was 12-of-15 for the game. He had 193 yards, one touchdown and threw one interception.

Wrobleski had six receptions for 119 yards and a TD. O'Dell had four catches for 65 yards, and he also punted five times for a 43.0 yard average, and returned six kickoffs for 170 yards.

USD quarterback Todd Mortensen completed 37 of 54 passes for 464 yards. Michael Gasperson caught 11 of those passes for 218 yards.

Saturday's game was the final game wearing the Red & Blue for twenty-one senior Flyers--Wayne Artuso, John Bosse, Chris Cowan, Chris Dearth, Brian Gooding, Bill Groetsema, Grahm Halcomb, Eric Heideloff, Doug Jones, Kyle Magoteaux, Jared McQuiston, Ryan Morris, Mike Neuberger, Steve Norton, Andrew Ottmar, Jason Resch, Jeff Schmidt, Robby Schwab, Brandon Staley, Trent Warren, Willy Will. UD's senior class had a 36-7 four-year record.