Azusa Pacific at San Diego, Saturday (Sept. 3)

2004 Records:

Azusa Pacific – 11-3

San Diego – 7-4

THIS WEEK: Azusa Pacific kicks off its 41st season of football when the Cougars visit the University of San Diego for 7 p.m. kickoff in Torero Stadium on the campus of USD. It’s the ninth consecutive year that Azusa Pacific and San Diego have kicked off a new season against each other and the sixth time in San Diego.

SERIES NOTES: By winning 6 of the past 7 meetings including the past 3 in a row, Azusa Pacific leads the all-time series with San Diego, 21-16. The 2 programs have split 20 previous meetings in San Diego, but the Cougars have taken 3 of 4 down south, including a 24-14 verdict in their last visit there in 2003.

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 6-1 Cougar run.

Typically close contests, 16 of the previous 37 meetings have been decided by a TD or less, including 4 of the past 7.

Cougar coach Peter Shinnick is 5-1 vs. USD, while Torero mentor Jim Harbaugh is 0-1, dropping his collegiate head coaching debut last year in Azusa, 24-17.

LIDLIFTERS: All-time Azusa Pacific is 20-20 in season openers, but since 1980 the Cougars are a fine 17-9 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 7-3 is season openers, including last year’s 24-17 decision in Azusa. Overall, Azusa Pacific is 8-15 in season-openers on the road.

LAST MEETING: In the 2004 season-opener, the NAIA’s No. 11-ranked Azusa Pacific scored 10 points in the final 4 minutes to rally for a 24-17, over San Diego. Cougar RB Ben Buys plowed into the end zone from 5 yards out with 57 seconds remaining to cap a 6-play, 51-yard drive that lifted the Cougars to the come-from-behind win.

LAST TIME IN SAN DIEGO: >: In the 2003 season-opener in San Diego, Azusa Pacific used a stifling defense to corral what would prove to be one of the best offenses in the NCAA that year, defeating San Diego 24-14, before a capacity crowd of 4,143 at Torero Stadium. Behind the running of Ben Buy, 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.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Azusa Pacific head coach Peter Shinnick, son of former Baltimore Colt linebacker and UCLA All-American Don Shinnick, is now in his seventh season at the Cougar helm. Shinnick has just brought Azusa Pacific through its best 6-year span in program history, guiding the Cougars to victory in 47 of the past 65 games, which includes an impressive 28-6 record over the past 3 seasons. In Shinnick’s tenure, the Cougars have appeared in 64 of 75 NAIA Coaches Top 25 Polls, including the 37 in a row, which has translated into 4 NAIA playoff berths, 2 of which had the Cougars advance to the semifinals. Shinnick has coached 22 All-Americans, 11 scholar-athletes and 73 school records have been broken since his 1999 arrival.

Former Michigan great and 15-year NFL veteran Jim Harbaugh is in his second season as the USD mentor. Harbaugh came to San Diego last year after spending the previous 2 seasons as the quarterback coach for the Oakland Raiders. He guided the Toreros to a 7-4 record in which USD won its final 5 games.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Azusa Pacific is ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll that was released Aug. 16. The Cougars have appeared in 37 consecutive NAIA Polls dating back to Sept. 17, 2002.

USD is not nationally ranked but has been picked to finish third in the Pioneer Football League.

ABOUT THE COUGARS: Azusa Pacific returns 36 players from last year’s 11-3 team that advanced to the NAIA semifinal playoffs. Thirteen starters are back, including 8 from what was arguably the best defense in NAIA last year. The Cougars rated among the NAIA’s top 5 in rushing defense (66.5 avg., first), quarterback sacs (55, second), scoring defense (9.6 avg., second, school record) and total defense (210.6 avg., third). On offense, the Cougars lose 3 starters across the front and 2 receivers, but the entire backfield is back, including third-year starting QB Sean Davis.

Heading the Cougar defense is NAIA All-American first team LB Stephen Holte, who has led the Cougars in tackling each of the past 3 years. His partner in wreaking havoc on opposing offenses is fellow senior DE Chuck Asiodu, an honorable mention NAIA All-American last year after finishing third in the nation with 14 QB sacks.

The entire starting secondary is back as well to comprise what could be the best set of defensive backs in Azusa Pacific history. Seniors Troy McPeak, Coba Canales, Gabe Higerd and sophomore Cameron Tucker combined for 12 interceptions last year.

The Cougars employ an “odd-front” scheme that created confusion for opposing teams. The end results was a unit that was extremely strong over the second half of the season, with a first unit that surrendered just 3 TDs over the final 6 games.

Davis, who is only the eighth Cougar QB to throw for over 3,000 yards in a career, will engineer an offense that is expected to be even better than the one that averaged 34 points and 335 yards a contest over the final 8 games of 2004. Running backs Marcus Lampkin and Alex Peltier are back after combining for 1,149 yards and 11 TDs a year ago. Senior TE Ricky Burgan leads a talented and deep set of receivers who are varied in their ability. Juniors Micah Staley and Jeremy Lugbill are sure-handed wide-outs who bring a physical element to their game. Meanwhile, newcomers Nathaniel Nasca and Paul Hardiman bring an element of speed to enhance Davis’ ability for quick strikes.

Though the Cougars lose 3 starters across the offensive front, the current starting unit is perhaps more athletic and quicker than ones in the past. Juniors Keith Ornelas and Steve Mejia are able-body returnees who understand the Cougar system. Fellow junior Cameron Nazemzadah, who played the second and fourth quarters of each game last year, moves into the starting line-up. Former TE Erik Arevalo, who cuts quite an imposing figure, moves to a tackle spot opposite of Ornelas. Junior college transfer Justin Magallanez has the tools to be one of the best offensive linemen in school history, but the 5-foot-11, 265-pound center will have to wait his turn as he recovers from a slight injury suffered during 2-a-days. In his stead, veteran junior Mike Hauser will start at center against San Diego.

FOR PETE’S SAKE: “I think we’re a little ahead of where we were this time last year,” said Cougar coach Peter Shinnick. “Offensively, we know what we have and what we’re building it around. This time last year we were still searching a bit. Defensively, it’s our second year with this scheme, and you can tell the guys understand it better. It’s a difficult defense to run and manage, and the guys have to know it well. Even though it’s the second time around for us using it, I still like our prospects. When you’re aggressive like we are, it’s hard to pick up everyone we bring at you, and we’re still going to get after you.

“Having a third-year starting quarterback like Sean Davis is crucial for us. It just puts us ahead of where we’ve been, and he is coming off an amazing 2 weeks of 2-a-days.

“We have a nice set up with the athleticism of our offensive line and the experience we have at the skill positions. We have the potential to score points in bunches.

“As I’ve been telling the team all fall, we have a very difficult road ahead of us. We’re playing a lot of good teams on the road, beginning this week with San Diego. It’s going to take everything we have to win on the road this year. However, we know what is in front of us, and we’re excited to get after it.”

ODDS & ENDS: Alex Peltier is coming off the best season ever by a Cougar freshman running back (true or redshirt), rushing for a team-leading 743 yards and 9 TDs last year … Cougar PK Mike Betancourth enters the 2005 season having made 10 straight field goals, including a career-best 52-yarder. He led the NAIA with 19 field goals made (out of 25 attempted) last year … In 2 previous starts vs. San Diego, Cougar QB Sean Davis is 24-for-49 for 352 yards and 2 TDs … Cougar receivers Micah Staley and Jeremy Lugbill will be starting together as wide outs for the first time since their 2001 senior season at Concord High in Elkhart, Ind. … Junior LB Scott Ellis had a career-high 12 tackles vs. USD last year, his first-ever collegiate start … The Cougars are 13-5 on the road over the past 3 seasons.

CONNECTIONS: Cougar sophomores Alex Peltier and Casey Roel played their high school football in the San Diego are at Santa Fe Christian in Solana Beach, Calif., where they played for former NFL QB Brian Sipe … Other Cougars who prepped in the San Diego area include: Steve Mejia at La Costa Canyon High, Chris Oxidine at Mt. Carmel High, Nick Kilmer at Horizon High, and Yemi Atiba at Carlsbad High

ABOUT THE TOREROS: USD returns 55 players and 13 starters from last year’s 7-4 team that won its final 5 games and 6 of it’s final 7 of the season. Though the Toreros will go with a new signal-caller in sophomore QB Josh Johnson, they have plenty of strong returnees to help bring Johnson up to speed. Heading the list of offensive returnes are receivers Adam Hannula (58 rec, 680 yards, 5 TDs), Nick Garton (34, 473, 5) and TE Dustin Owen (26, 235, 3 TDs).

Former NFL defensive coach Dave Adolph is his second season guiding the Torero defense and will relay on junior LB Kyson Hawkins, the team’s top returning tackler (73) who is at full health after missing the final 3 games a year ago with a season-ending knee injury.

DIRECTIONS TO GAME: (from Azusa Pacific): Take the 210 east to the 57 south to the 5 south toward San Diego. Exit Sea World Dr. & Tecolote Rd. and proceed left at stoplight toward Morena Blvd. Turn right on Morena, left on Napa, and left on Linda Vista Rd. At the second stoplight turn left into USD's East Entrance and enter the campus.