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THIS WEEK: Azusa Pacific resumes the longest rivalry in program history when the Cougars visit power University of San Diego, Saturday (Sept. 6) for a 6 p.m. kickoff in Torero Stadium.

RADIO: Azusa Pacific’s student-run radio station KAPU will cover the Azusa Pacific-USD game live from Torero Stadium. Robert Schwandt and Trevor Fulkerson will call all the action beginning at 5:55 p.m. The game can be heard via the Internet at http://kapu.apu.edu.

LIVE STATS: Lives stats of the Azusa Pacific-USD game can be viewed through the University of San Diego website at www.usdtoreros.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/.

TICKETS: Tickets for the USD-Azusa Pacific game can be purchased on the day of the game at the Torero Stadium ticket office. Prices are $10 general admission and $8 children (4-12).

DIRECTIONS TO USD: (going south on Interstate 5) — exit Tecolate Road/Sea World Drive and turn left at signal. Right on Morena Blvd. Left on Napa. Left on Linda Vista Road. Second light turn left onto campus.

(going south on Interstate 15) — Go to 163 South. Exit Genesee Ave and turn right. Left on Linda Vista Road. Go 2 miles. Turn right at main entrance into campus.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Azusa Pacific is ranked No. 23 in the NAIA Coaches Preseason Poll and No. 20 in this week’s Victory Sports Network Poll.

No preseason poll for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Mid-Major was conducted for the 2008 season. USD was ranked No. 2 in its final poll of 2007.

SERIES NOTES: Azusa Pacific leads the all-time series with USD, 21-19.

Oftentimes a tight contest, 23 of the 40 previous meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, including last year’s 42-32 USD verdict in Azusa.

In San Diego, the Toreros hold a 12-10 advantage over Azusa Pacific and have won the past 2 meetings by a combined 57-6 score.

USD has won 3 straight over the Cougars and since 1989 is 12-7 vs. Azusa Pacific. Included in that run is a 6-game win streak from 1992 to 1997.

Azusa Pacific won 13 of 14 games from 1976 to 1988 which includes a series-best 8-game winning streak from 1982 to 1988.

LAST YEAR IN AZUSA: San Diego turned a pair of early turnovers into 2 touchdowns in a matter of 20 seconds, and then parlayed an 87-yard kickoff return into another score as USD constructed a big lead and then held on to beat Azusa Pacific, 42-32, in Ron Caragher’s first game as a collegiate head coach.

The Toreros rolled out to a 42-10 lead, using a 93-yard interception return and 4 Andrew Rolin TD strikes to seemingly put away the Cougars. However, Azusa Pacific scored 3 TDs in 3 minutes, forcing Caragher to put his first unit back in to run off the final 2 minutes and secure the win.

For USD, JT Rogan rushed for 118 yards on 23 carries and registered a pair of TD receptions, while Rolin, in his first-ever collegiate start, completed 12-of-16 passes for 177 yards and 4 TDs.

Cougar QB Rudy Carlton completed 23-of-42 passes for 284 yards and 3 TDs, including a pair of fourth-quarter scoring strikes to WR Todd Wilson. Trent Sakioka’s 77-yard punt return for a touchdown with 2:01 left in the game pulled Azusa Pacific to within 10.

LAST TIME IN SAN DIEGO: USD held Azusa Pacific to just 113 yards total offense and JT Rogan and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Josh Johnson each rushed for a pair of TDs to lead the Toreros to their third shutout of Azusa Pacific in series history, a 27-0 win.

Johnson completed just 11-of-21 passes for 138 yards, but he rushed for 67 yards on 7 carries and engineered drives of 80 and 72 yards for the Toreros final 2 scored to clinch the win.

BIG ROSTER: The 2008 season opened with the largest Cougar roster in the program’s 44-year history — 114 players to be exact. Some previous Cougar squads surpassed the century mark but never before has any team had more than 110 players.

MADE IN CALIFORNIA: Of the 114 Cougars on the roster, 97 hail from the "Golden State," leaving just 17 out-of-state players. There are 4 from Arizona, 3 each from Washington and Oregon, 2 from Illinois and 1 each from Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Illinois, Texas, and Montana.

DOUBLE VISION: Azusa Pacific’s 114-player roster includes a pair of Matt Davises and 2 Chris Browns, neither of which are related to the other. Matt J. Davis (fr., Acampo, Calif.) is a wide receiver while Matt P. Davis (fr., Frelton, Calif./San Lorenzo Valley HS) is a linebacker. Chris N. Brown (jr., Fresno, Calif./Carmel HS) is a running back, and Chris T. Brown (fr., Crows Landing, Calif./Modesto Christian HS) is a linebacker.

To add to the name complexity of the Cougar roster there are 4 Davises (Jon & Matt J., who are brothers, along with Tyler and Matt. P), 2 Morenos (Mike and Eric, not related) and 2 Thompsons (Dominic and John, not related). Though not identical in name, John Van Den Raadt, Michael Van Gorden and David Vander Laan have created their own confusion.

LAST WEEK: Defending NAIA national champion Carroll College of Helena, Mont., ran it’s nation-leading winning streak to 16 straight with a 41-22 victory over Azusa Pacific at Cougar Stadium.

In his first collegiate start, junior QB Gary Wagner threw for 3 TDs and ran for another to lead a Saint offense that accumulated 440 yards. With Carroll clinging to a 14-7 lead, Wagner engineered back-to-back scoring drives (the final one of the first half and the first one of the second half) that covered 146 yards over 26 plays and chewed up 12 minutes and 32 seconds of the clock, eventually pushing the Carroll lead to 28-7 while leaving the Cougars with just a quarter-and-a-half to rally.

Azusa Pacific scored a pair of fourth-quarter TDs to pull to within 2 scores at 35-22 before Carroll recovered an onside kick and closed out the game with a late TD.

For the game Wagner was 17-for-25 for 237 yards and rushed for 73 yards on 12 carries (6.1 avg.). Travis Browne had 6 catches for 147 yards with 3 TD catches.

In his first collegiate start, Cougar freshman QB Aaron Strazicich completed 12-of-18 passes for 110 yards before leaving the game late in the third quarter with an injury.

Junior RB Chris Brown rushed for 55 yards and 2 TDs, a 43 yarder for the Cougars’ first score and a 4-yarder that pulled the Cougars to within 14 at 28-14 early in the fourth.

San Diego ran its home field winning streak to 25 straight with a season-opening 40-22 win over Marist College last Friday.

Torero QB Seb Trujillo completed 16-of-23 passes for 191 yards and 4 TDs, including a 42-yard bomb to John Matthews that gave USD a 27-9 lead less than a minute into the second half. A 33-yard TD pass from Trujillo to Ben Hannula followed less than 2 minutes later by a blocked punt for a TD pushed the Torero advantage to an insurmountable 40-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

All-conference running back JT Rogan, who has rushed for 278 yards in 3 prior contests vs. Azusa Pacific, left the Marist game early with a knee injury after rushing for 46 yards on just 3 carries and scoring the game’s first TD on a 29-yard toss from Trujillo.

QUICK HITS: Senior RB Alex Peltier needs just 171 yards to move into tenth place on Azusa Pacific’s all-time rushing chart with 1,548 … At 6-foot-10, freshman TE Luke Marquardt is the tallest-ever Cougar … Punter Corey Lenahan (28 on Oct. 8) is the oldest Cougar while lineman Ahsohn Williams (won’t be 18 until Jan. 25) is the youngest ... True freshman Paul Royster is the younger brother of former USC standout running back and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mazio Royster … Freshman FB Garrett Borden’s father is Steve Borden, better known by his ring name “Sting” in the world of professional wrestling ... Junior DE James Brunt was a 4-year starting fullback at state power Mater Dei High, even as a 13-year old freshman … The announced attendance of 5,003 for the Carroll game is believed to be the largest home crowd for an Azusa Pacific game.

SANTA CRUZ SAYS : (on the Carroll game) "Defensively we didn’t play very well," said Cougar coach Victor Santa Cruz. "There are some issues on which we have to take a big step forward and grow, and we will. Offensively, we have to be a lot better on third downs. Carroll’s offense seemed to be clicking and converting third downs. We could not get them off the field, and that eventually wore out our defense. We have to be able to do the same on our offensive end and clean up our third down conversions.

"Obviously we were playing the No. 1 team in the nation, and we’re critical of ourselves because we have high standards. On the flip side, our guys did some pretty good things. We showed some promise and bright spots that we can grow on."

"Jon Davis was great. Eight catches is a good game. He is a big play receiver and defenses are not unaware of him. You always want to get the ball into the playmaker’s hands, but there has to be a balance, and being able to balance our play-calling is key.

"Chris Brown is a great player to coach. I’m excited about him. He loves the game and loves being physical. He is a tremendous and hard-working individual, who provides a big burst and a different type running game for us, something similar to our days when we had Ben Buys. Chris teams well with Alex Peltier to give us a good 1-2 punch in the backfield.

"Jay York is getting more comfortable with his role as a leader on defense. He’s a ‘yes sir/no sir’ type of guy who is fun to watch. He is playing with a strong confidence right now, and you can see that he is taking another step forward in his career.

"We’re in good shape as a team. We just have to take big strides every week.

"We really enjoy playing San Diego. It’s a terrific, long-standing rivalry that has a deep history.

"They are an athletic, good-sized team. Ron Caragher does a good job coaching them. It will be another challenge for us, and it should be a very good game."

ABOUT SAN DIEGO: San Diego has been picked to win its fourth straight Pioneer Football League title. The Toreros return 14 starters and 36 letterman in all from last year’s 9-2 team that led the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in scoring at 44.3 points a game.

Second-year Torero coach Ron Caragher, a former UCLA player and assistant coach, is working with 2 new coordinators this year, promoting veteran Torero assistant Jimmie Dougherty to offensive coordinator while bringing in George Darlington from Southeast Missouri State to oversee the defense.

USD is without 3-year starting QB Josh Johnson, who was drafted in the fifth-round this past spring by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after guiding the Toreros to a 31-4 record. Linebacker Eric Bakhtiari, who led the nation with 20 QB sacks last year, also graduated.

In as replacement at QB is Saddleback Junior College transfer Sebastian Trujillo, this week’s PFL Player of the Week after completing 16-of-23 passes for 191 yards and 4 TDs in his USD debut last week, a 40-22 victory over Marist.

Trujillo had hoped to lean on senior RB JT Rogan, who had fashioned back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, but the fifth-year senior went down with torn knee ligaments against Marist and is out for the season. Nick Coppedge and Kyle Sullivan are expected to carry the load in Rogan’s absence.

Cornerbacks Patrick O’Neill and Gabriel Derricks, a 2007 All-PFL first team honoree, anchor a defense that returns 7 starters from last year.

USD’s 11-game schedule in 2007 features 7 home games in Torero Stadium, a place where the Toreros have not lost since Sept. 25, 2004, falling 24-17 to Princeton. Since then, San Diego has won 25 straight at home, including last week’s 40-22 win over Marist.

USD is 61-24 since 2000 and a more impressive 46-10 over the past 5 seasons.