Showing off a high-powered passing attack, USD scored 30 points in the second quarter on the way to a 40-13 win over Davidson on Saturday at Torero Stadium.
Toreros quarterback Grant Sergent completed 19 of 27 passes for a season-high 307 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores went to senior receiver Jaseem Reed, who set career-highs with 14 catches for 186 yards.
USD improves to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Pioneer Football League play.
“Our offense was electric,” USD head coach Brandon Moore said. “We kept (Sergent) upright for most of the day and if you give him time, if you give him an opportunity, hes going to dice you up. He took excellent care of the football today and managed the game perfectly.”
Both of Reeds touchdowns came in a two-minute span. With 2:50 left in the first half and USD facing third-and-7 from Davidsons 31, Reed ran a slant from the right side, caught the pass and was able to break a tackle and run to a score. Reed ran the same route, this time from the left side, to score a 21-yard touchdown in the halfs final minute. Reed made the catch, spun to break a tackle and found the end zone for his eighth score of the season, which leads the Pioneer Football League.
Reed said the connection between him and Sergent is a credit to their preparation.
“It’s the fundamentals weve been working on throughout the week,” said Reed, whose 14 receptions tied the programs single-game record. “We tried to set up shorter routes for me to get in space and go and it worked out.”
USD scored its FCS-leading sixth defensive touchdown, this time on a 73-yard fumble return touchdown by senior Jerry Riggins.
Riggins, a Helix High School graduate, said he was playing the quarterback.
“I can tell they were trying to read me, and then I can tell the quarterback really couldnt make a decision, so they panicked, dropped the ball, and I was in a good position to scoop it, he said, and I had a caravan around me.”
Davidson (5-4, 3-3 PFL), which leads the FCS with 337.6 rushing yards per game, was limited to 228 yards.
“As a linebacker, our main job is to stop the run, and especially as the outside linebackers, never let anything get outside of you,” Riggins said. We know that thats the two things they want to do. So, my job was to shove and then play the option. I think it was a game that all of us had to really be dialed in.”
Next week, the Toreros travel to Dayton, Ohio to take on the Dayton Flyers in the penultimate road match of the 2024 season. Kickoff is slated for 9 a.m. PT inside Welcome Stadium.