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Another milestone win for USD

By: TOM SHANAHAN - For the North County Times | Sunday, September 16, 2007 12:35 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Maybe it's unfair that University of San Diego schedules games between its kids that play football for love of the game against an opponent with scholarship athletes.

After all, not many scholarship schools have an NFL prospect at quarterback that has as much fun as USD's Josh Johnson.

The Toreros' senior rang up 428 yards of total offense in only three quarters before he was pulled as he led a team that always seems to be smiling to 49-13 rout Saturday night of the University of Northern Colorado before 3,017 fans at Toreros Stadium.

The win gives USD (3-0) a playoff push toward earning an at-large bid to the 16-team Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). No non-scholarship school ever has been invited, although the Toreros were considered last year when the were 11-1.

"This means a lot for the program," USD coach Ron Caragher said. "USD has wanted some national respect, and this shows we can play with teams from the Big Sky Conference and those respected conferences in the FCS."

USD is a non-scholarship FCS program and UNC (0-3) can offer up to 65 scholarships. It was USD's first win over a scholarship school after losing their first try last year at UC Davis, 37-27.

"I wanted to be a scholarship school this year," Johnson said. "Now, we've got to beat Davis, the next (scholarship) team. But first we got to get through conference. That's the No. 1 objective and everything else will fall into place."

Johnson completed 23-of-31 passes for 281 yards for six touchdowns and rushed nine times for 147 yards. But his most spectacular play would be re-playing on ESPN highlights today if there were cameras at the game.

On USD's second series, he ran 89 yards to the UNC 1-yard line to set up a 2-yard touchdown pass to Wes Doyle, one of four touchdown catches on the night.

Johnson might have covered 160 yards on his scramble from the pocket. He broke 10 yards up field and 20 yards to the left sideline, then covered 50 yards across the middle of the field, receiving a key block from running back J.T. Rogan, turned up the right sideline, broke a tackle at the UNC 45-yard line and lunged from the 5 for the end zone before he was ruled down at the 1.