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Composed Flyers top Toreros in tense football game

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer 9:57 PM Saturday, October 31, 2009

DAYTON — If University of Dayton football coach Rick Chamberlin questioned whether his players could keep their composure in tense situations, he has no doubts anymore.

The Flyers are as cool as high-rise welders walking across steel beams 1,000 feet in the air.

They’re like those nerveless “Animal Planet” adventurers taking video cameras into the wild.

Playing against PFL preseason favorite San Diego, UD scored with 1:09 to go in the first half to draw even but gave up a touchdown 59 seconds later and lugged a seven-point deficit into the locker room.

The Flyers, though, were unruffled.

“At halftime, you didn’t see any panic in their eyes,” Chamberlin said. “I hated that touchdown right before halftime because we had some momentum going, and we let it get away from us. But our guys were focused in.”

Quarterback Steve Valentino ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead the Flyers to a 21-14 comeback victory Saturday, Oct. 31, to set up a showdown between first-place teams next week against unbeaten Butler. Drake also has a share of the lead.

With the wind at their backs, the Flyers (7-1, 5-0 PFL) abandoned their ineffective running game and came out flinging in the third quarter. Valentino passed for 185 yards and rushed for 107, giving UD a 21-14 lead on a one-yard sneak with 13:23 to go in the game.

“The quarterback is a very good scrambler,” San Diego coach Ron Caragher said. “That’s their run game. When he gets pressure on drop-back passes, he’s a weapon.”

The Toreros (3-5, 2-4 PFL) have been snakebit this year. Their first-string QB left the team for personal reasons, and their backup fractured his leg last week.

Third-stringer Bo Stompro tried to rally his team late in the fourth quarter, but San Diego was thwarted by the UD defense and perhaps an unfavorable spot.

Down to one timeout, the Toreros gambled on fourth-and-4 from their own 33 with 3:30 to go, and receiver Godfrey Smith caught a sideline pass near the marker. But he was pushed backward, and the officials ruled his forward progress was one yard shy of the first down.

“I thought he was short. ... He went for the stick, but he had to come back for the ball, and we hit him right there,” Chamberlin said.

But Caragher, who was on the opposite sideline, disagreed.

“I didn’t have a good angle, but I know it’s a six-yard route, and it was fourth-and-4. I don’t understand the spot.

“It would have been nice for everyone, including the Flyer fans, to see what happens. It’s a shame it had to end that way.”

UD fans, which numbered 3,471, probably were happy to be spared the drama.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com

Next game

Who: Butler (8-0, 5-0 PFL) at Dayton (7-1, 5-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Welcome Stadium

Radio: WHIO-AM (1290), WHIO-FM (95.7)

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Also, it ought to read "UD fans, who numbered..." in the last sentence, NOT "...which numbered...".
Go back to grammar school.

tbill
12:03 PM, 11/1/2009

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Why did the DDN print edition have the score as "Dayton 21, San Diego 24"??????
Nice job, guys! And you wonder why you sell fewer newspapers these days?

tbill
11:59 AM, 11/1/2009

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I can't believe the San Diego coach is whining about a supposed bad spot at the end of the game... The officiating on spots was horrendous all game long particularly against Dayton. Had San Diego not committed stupid personal foul penalties they may have had a better chance. Undisciplined football can make or break your season. The USD QB though will be a great one by the time he is done.

Go Flyers!

Duke
11:53 AM, 11/1/2009

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