USD Football 2003

Meet The Toreros -~---~---13

Josh Noga returns for his fourth and final season with the Toreros ... he is projected to start at defensive tackle again for the second straight season ... last year he was 9th on the team with 39 tackles ( 15 solo), and he also chipped in with 1 sack, 5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries ... he closed out the 2002 campaign with a personal-best 12 tackles against Dayton ... one of three Toreros to earn the 2002 Strength Coaches Award ... is a two-time PFL Academic Honor Roll pick .. . in 2001 he chipped in with 9 tackles (5 solo) and one tackle for loss (-3 yards vs. Drake) ... he tallied three tackles against Fairfield, and was credited with a fumble recovery at Valparaiso .. . in 2000 he had six solo tackles, including 2 sacks (-12 yards) and 3 tackles for loss, and one pass break-up ... prior to USD he prepped at Farrington HS where he earned I st Team OJA Red Conference honors and All-State Honorable Mention ... chose USO for academics and location ... also recruited by Western Kentucky, Montana State and Nevada-Las Vegas. Major: History.

Josh Noga #94 SR DT

Kyle O'Connor returns for his senior season where he will see considerable pl aying time at the tight end position ... last year he hauled in 13 passes for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns

... hi s two scores came in the first two games of the season against Azusa Pacific (2 yards) and La Verne (64 yards) ... he also caught a 41-yarder in the La Verne game ... he tallied a personal-best 3 receptions against Butler that went for 53 yards ... came to USD from Phoenix, Arizona where he attended Brophy College Prep ... senior year was tabbed the team's Most Valuable Receiver with 17 receptions for 377 yards ... also earned First Team All-Region recognition as a tight end ... junior year team went 9-4 and were state runner-up ... also lettered in track where he was the MVP Field Athlete, First Team All -Regi on in the shot put and garnered State Honors ... chose USD for its location. Major: Communications; Minor: Business.

Kyle O'Connor #86 SR TE

Kyle Sager is in hi s senior season where he will again compete for playing time with the offensive line unit ... last year he appeared in every game playing the guard position, including starts against Butler and Dayton ... in 200 I he appeared in two contests ... a three-year member of the Torero football program, Sager came to USD from Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Arizona where he was a two-year varsity starter for the Huskies ... he was selected to the All-Scottsdale Team and was also an All-Region pick ... sen ior year team went 8-4 and reached the state quarterfinal s ... junior year team went 11-2 and advanced to state semifi nal s ... also recruited by Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, Valparaiso and the Naval Academy ... chose USD for its strong academics and football tradition. Major: Mathematics.

Kyle Sager #75 SR OL

Adam Williams returns for hi s senior year where he will again be one of the top kickers in the PFL ... last season he earned Honorable Mention All-America honors by Don

Hansen's Football Gazette after ranking 20th in the nation in I-AA kicking ... he led USD in scoring with 67 points after converting 11 of 16 field goals and 34 of 35 PAT kicks .. . against Jacksonville he made 3-of-4 field goals and 5-of-5 PAT kicks for 14 points ... he was named PFL Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 2) in USD's win over Drake when he nailed a 26 yard field goal and made all 8 of hi s PAT kicks ... for the season he averaged 34.5 yards per punt on 17 punts, including a long of 45 yards twice (Drake & So. Oregon) ... before USD he played JC ball at Saddleback ... he prepped at Mission Viejo HS where he was named Special Teams Player of the Year hi s senior season when he was 18-for-18 in PAT kicks and 3-of-3 in field goals ... also lettered in track and soccer ... was recruited by San Diego State ... chose USD for academics, location and athletics. Major: Sociology.

Adam Williams #19 SR Kicker

Steve Williams returns for his senior season where he will compete for playing time with the defensive line unit ... the past two seasons has seen playing time in a back-up role at defensive end ... came to the USD football program from Mt. San Antonio Junior College where he competed in the Mission Conference ... he attended Charter Oak High School where he was Defensive Lineman of the Year his senior campaign with 13 quarterback sacks ... he tallied IO quarterback sack's his junior season ... also lettered in wrestling where he was a CIF champion and state qualifier .. . was also recruited by Yale and Butler ... chose USD for its location, football and quality education. Major: Business.

Steve Williams #53 SR DL

Ashur Benjamin returns for his fourth year with the Toreros, and third season of competition .. . he is expected to see playing time at the defensive end position ... last

season he totaled 18 tackles with 8 solo stops .. . totaled 7 tackles in last game of season versus Dayton ... in 200 I he tallied a solo tackle against Fairfield, then assisted on a quarterback sack (-9 yards) against Wagner .. . prior to USD he prepped at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, CA ... his senior year was All-Metro League, and was also voted the MVP at the Holy Bowl ... junior year received the Athletic Director's Award and was Honorable Mention All-League ... chose USD for academics and athletics ... also recruited by Saint Mary's and Sacramento State ... is Assyrian and speaks the Aramaic language. Major: Industrial Engineering; Minor: Mathematics.

...___________. Ashur Benjamin #97 JR DE