Key to USD Football Lies With Jackson’s Successor

Before the question could even be asked on the first day of football practice at the University of San Diego Monday, Coach Brian Fogarty addressed the loss of Todd Jackson.

Jackson, a four-year starter at fullback, had been the quiet leader of the Toreros for two years.

USD returns 48 lettermen this fall, including 16 starters, but Jackson has graduated.

“Obviously, the toughest guy to replace is Todd Jackson,” Fogarty said. “It remains to be seen how much it will affect our offense.”

Jackson gained 1,003 yards and led USD to a 7-2 mark last season. In his career, he gained 2,176 yards, a school record by 165 yards.

He was reliable, fumbling just twice in 189 carries last season, with USD recovering both. He led the Toreros in receiving, with 12 catches for 141 yards, and scored nine touchdowns.

The USD offense--the Delaware wing-T--relies on many factors, chiefly a good, strong fullback.

So who will try to fill Jackson’s shoes?

“Right now, Charles Taumoepeau is the heir-apparent to the job,” Fogarty said. “He’s a big guy (5-feet-11, 232 pounds), but he doesn’t have quite the speed as Todd.”

Can he handle the constant pounding the way Jackson did the past two years?

“It think Charlie is capable of doing that part of it,” Fogarty said. “But it remains to be seen whether he can get that 35-yarder every once in a while like Todd did.”

Taumoepeau, a junior from Mills High in Millbrae, was a backup to Jackson for two years. He gained 168 yards (4.2 yards per carry) in 1988 and 99 (3.5) last season.

Backing up Taumoepeau will be sophomore Scott Sporer, who is from the same high school--Placentia--as Jackson.

But the fullback probably will not be asked to carry as much a load as Jackson did.

“It’s our job to adjust the offense to our strengths,” Fogarty said. “It may be going to the halfbacks more. It may be passing more. We’ll see. Our halfbacks will probably get more work. We just won’t be as much of a one-dimensional type offense.”

One of the starters will be senior Ty Barksdale from Fallbrook High, the leading returning halfback (297 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, last year). John Eck, the fourth-leading rusher last year with 179 yards (6.2 average), will probably be the other starter, taking the place of Todd Whitley, who has graduated.

At quarterback, senior Brendan Murphy returns for his third season as starter and will be backed up by sophomore Mike Bennett (Point Loma). Bennett throws better, Fogarty said, but Murphy runs and handles the wing-T better.

Senior Mike Hintze came to USD as a quarterback but start for the third consecutive year at tight end. Hintze (6-2, 225) caught 10 passes for the second year in a row for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s going to be a real key to our passing game,” Fogarty said. “The wing-T features the tight end in the passing game, like it does the fullback in the running game.”

Junior Zac Fielder (Hoover) and senior Chris Redlew split time at receiver last year and are the expected starters this season.

With three starters returning, the offensive line figures to be strong. Senior tackle Ray Smith (USDHS) is being billed as an All-American candidate. Smith (6-2, 255), sophomore guard Sean Parks (6-0, 235) and junior center Gene Fontana (6-0, 240, Grossmont) consistently opened big holes for Jackson last year.

“We’ve got some seniors in some key spots,” Fogarty said. “We should be pretty good on offense.”

Like Jackson on offense, nose tackle Dave Dunn was the leader of the defense the past two years. He is now coaching the defensive line, which returns two starters: junior Jim Washam (6-1, 245, Valhalla) and senior Rick Salazar (6-0, 205).

Inside linebacker is solid with juniors Lenny Territo (6-2, 237) and Dan Chandler (6-0, 210) returning. Territo led USD in tackles with 81 last year, and Chandler was sixth with 45. Outside linebacker remains a question mark.

The strength of the defense figures to be the secondary, which returns all four starters: seniors Darryl Jackson, Scott Bradley (San Marcos) and Darby Barrett (San Pasqual) and junior Dave Paladino. Jackson was second on the team in tackles in 1989 with 62, and Barrett was third (58).

“They’re all good tacklers,” Fogarty said. “None of them have great speed, but they’ve been together for a few years. They really work well together.”

Special teams were exactly that in 1989, and Fogarty has three of the main reasons returning.

Dave Bergmann led NCAA Division III kickers and set a school record by making 14 of 18 field goals. He also made 24 of 25 conversions and led the team in scoring with 66 points.

Junior Greg Frinell (Fallbrook) was fourth in Division III in kickoff returns averaging 32.4 yards and seventh in punt returns (13.0).

Senior John Gillis (37.1 average) needs just 13 punts to break the Toreros’ all-time record of 170 set by Pat McNamara from 1983-88.

All things considered, USD figures to enjoy its fourth consecutive winning season, but the Toreros will be tested early.

The season opener is Sept. 8 at home against Occidental, a team USD has yet to beat in Fogarty’s seven years at the school. The teams opened with a 13-13 tie 1987.

With a 23-17 loss to the Tigers last season, USD was knocked out of playoff contention. The Toreros, whose only other loss was to Division II UC Santa Barbara, ended up sixth in the final Division III West Region poll.