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Unbeaten Toreros keep rolling toward I-AA berth

By: TOM SHANAHAN - For The North County Times | Saturday, October 14, 2006 11:32 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- The University of San Diego football team is another week and another win closer to forcing some difficult decisions next month in the NCAA Division I-AA football playoff picture.

The Toreros, bidding for a playoff berth that was once considered improbable for a nonscholarship program, enhanced their No. 21 national ranking with a 68-7 rout of Valparaiso on a Saturday night when the school also renamed its home turf Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium.

USD improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Pioneer Football League after winning its 14th straight game ---- a streak matched only by Ohio State in college football ---- as junior quarterback Josh Johnson completed 18-of-23 passes for 286 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a score before sitting out the fourth period.

The Toreros hope to move into the top 16 of The Sports Network's Division I-AA poll before the 16-team playoff bracket, with eight automatic berths and eight at-large entries, is selected on Nov. 19.

That's when the tough decisions could be faced. The Toreros are scheduled to play their regular-season finale against UC Davis on Nov. 25, the date of the first round of the playoffs. In addition, if USD wins the PFL title, it is scheduled to play a bowl game, the Gridiron Classic, on Nov. 18 against the Northeastern Conference champion.

"We never want to come out and look past a team," Johnson said. "We take pride in winning with a dominating performance."

USD faces its toughest PFL test against Drake on Saturday at Des Moines, Iowa.

Drake (6-1, 2-0) defeated Butler 29-0 Saturday for its sixth straight win.

A year ago Johnson threw seven touchdown passes in the first half of a 63-21 romp at Valparaiso, and 2006 wasn't any tougher for the Toreros. USD sophomore running back J.T. Rogan took the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.

Johnson, a Walter Payton Award candidate, was 9-for-9 for 112 yards and three touchdowns by the end of the first quarter as the Toreros led 28-0 en route to a 42-7 halftime advantage.