San Diego at Azusa Pacific, Saturday (Sept. 4),
Cougar Stadium, 7 p.m.

2003 Records:

Azusa Pacific – 8-2

San Diego – 8-2

THIS WEEK: Nationally-ranked Azusa Pacific, which is coming off its best back-to-back regular seasons in program history, kicks off the 2004 season and its 40th year of intercollegiate football on Saturday (Sept. 4) when the Cougars host the University of San Diego for 7 p.m. kickoff in Cougar Stadium on the campus of Azusa Pacific. It’s the eighth consecutive year that Azusa Pacific and San Diego have kicked off a new season against each other and the third time in Azusa.

ON THE NET: The Azusa Pacific-San Diego game can be heard live through a radio broadcast on the Internet. Mike Dennis and Alex Charles will call the game on KAPU of Azusa Pacific, while Jack Murray and Rick Hill will broadcast for San Diego's usdtoreros.com.

SERIES NOTES: By winning 5 of the past 6 meetings, Azusa Pacific leads the all-time series with San Diego, 20-16. In the Canyon City, the Cougars are 10-6 vs. USD, which includes a rather convincing 41-25 verdict over the Toreros in 2002, the last time USD came to Azusa.

From 1976 to 1988 Azusa Pacific won 13 of 14 meetings from the Toreros to take a 14-7 lead in the series. USD rebounded by taking 8 of the next 9 games, including 6 in a row from 1992 to 1997. The Cougars seemingly turned the tide in their 1998 NAIA championship season by downing the Toreros, 14-10, to spur the current 5-1 Cougar run.

Typically a close contest, 15 of the previous 36 meetings have been decided by a TD or less, including 3 of the past 6 contests.

Cougar coach Peter Shinnick is 4-1 vs. USD, while Torero mentor Jim Harbaugh is making his collegiate head coaching debut tonight.

LIDLIFTERS: All-time Azusa Pacific is 19-20 in season openers, but since 1980 the Cougars are a fine 16-9 in lid-lifters. They lost their first 9 season openers until ironically they knocked off San Diego, 15-7, to start the 1974 campaign. Against San Diego, the Cougars are 6-3 is season openers, including last year’s 24-14 decision in San Diego. Overall, Azusa Pacific is 11-5 in season-openers at home.

LAST MEETING: In the 2003 season-opener, Azusa Pacific used a stifling defense to corral what would prove to be one of the best offenses in the NCAA last year, and defeated San Diego24-14, before a capacity crowd of 4,143 in San Diego. Behind the running of Ben Buys, Azusa Pacific raced out to 21-0 halftime lead with Buys scoring a pair of TDs along the way. Cougar QB Sean Davis, who was making his first collegiate start, connected with Jon Miller on a 16-yard slant for the other first-half score. The rest was up the Cougar defense, which didn’t allow USD across the Azusa Pacific 44-yard line until 7 minutes left in the game.

THE LAST VISIT: In 2002, the last time San Diego made the trek to Azusa, the Cougars beat the Toreros, 41-25, tallying the most points against USD since the 2 squads christened Cougar Stadium in Oct. of 1987 (49-19 Cougar win).

The Cougars used big plays, sustained drives, a balanced offense and a harassing defense to befuddle a San Diego squad that returned 15 players from a team that drubbed Azusa Pacific in last year's season-opener in San Diego. The Cougars returned the favor this time.

Led by senior QB Luke Winslow, Azusa Pacific amassed 460 yards in total offense, balancing the numbers with 235 rushing and another 225 through the air. Winslow himself accounted for 289 yards, completing 15-of-21 passes for 225 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for another 64 yards on just 6 carries.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Azusa Pacific head coach Peter Shinnick, son of former Baltimore Colt linebacker and UCLA All-American Don Shinnick, begins his sixth season at Azusa Pacific. He has fashioned a 36-15 record to date and only Cougar Hall-of-Famer Jim Milhon (1978-94) has won more game at Azusa Pacific (81). Shinnick led Azusa Pacific to the 1999 NAIA semifinals and put the Cougars back in the NAIA playoffs in 2000. He has guided the Cougars to a 17-3 mark the past 2 seasons, which includes another NAIA playoff berth last year. Known for an offensive flare, Shinnick’s teams have averaged 30 points and nearly 400 yards a game the past 5 seasons.

Former Michigan great and 15-year NFL veteran Jim Harbaugh takes over the helm at San Diego for his first-ever head coaching assignment. Harbaugh came to USD last spring after spending the previous 2 seasons as the quarterback coach for the Oakland Raiders.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Azusa Pacific is ranked No. 11 in the NAIA Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll that was released Aug. 17. The cougars have appeared in 24 consecutive NAIA Polls dating back to Sept. 17, 2002.

USD is ranked NO. 4 in the Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major Preseason Poll.

ABOUT THE COUGARS: Azusa Pacific returns 50 players, including 11 starters, from last year’s 8-2 squad. Heading the list is All-American candidate Ben Buys, who in 7 games last year rushed for 996 yards and 12 TDs before going down for the season with an ankle injury. Now at full strength, Buys is sixth on Azusa Pacific’s all-time rushing chart 1,851 yards and is second with 28 rushing touchdowns. Last year, Buys rushed for 133 yards on 32 carries with 2 TDs in the Cougar victory over USD. Junior QB Sean Davis returns after starting all 10 games last year. In fact, Davis made his first-ever collegiate start in last year’s opener in San Diego, completing 9-of-21 passes for 159 yards. He closed 2003 in a strong fashion, completing 47-of-88 (.534) passes for 616 yards and 3 TDs over the final 4 games. On defense, the Cougars return 5 starters including senior Peder Moore who will anchor what should be a very strong defensive front. High on the list of newcomers are WR Micah Staley, a starter last year for NCAA Division II champ Grand Valley State (Mich.), NCAA Division I transfers DT Chuck Asiodu (Colorado State) and OTs Keith Ornales (Cal) and Kyle Sweeney (Fresno St.)

DIRECTIONS TO GAME: From San Diego … Take the 5 north to the 57 north in Orange County. Take the 57 to the end and exit onto 210 West. Exit Citrus Ave and turn left on frontage road. Go 1 block and turn right on Citrus. After second light, turn right onto campus, stadium will be on the left.