With five minutes left, the Gators sought to give their last umph to keep Santa Clara University at bay. They were exhausted, sweating and had passes slipping, but they regained their grip and solidified the match victory.
As the final seconds ran out, the Gators scored one more try as the clock hit zero at Bellomy Field. San Francisco State University collected their second preseason victory with a 36-24 triumph at Santa Clara.
Santa Clara was among the next-level competition the Gators looked to challenge themselves against in preparation for the 2025-26 season.
The Gators gained momentum from a 29-14 win over the University of San Francisco Dons on Oct. 25 at Negoesco Stadium. Still, club secretary Will Hubbell said the club reminded themselves to be humble after the victory over their city rival.
“We were cloud nine on the win [at USF], but we knew that this was still a DI-A team, despite it being their B side, they’re still legit,” Hubbell said. “We still took it serious. We were working hard, trying to get our cardio in and stay dialed in on the same page.”
Assistant coach Lincoln Mo consistently teaches humility and mindfulness to the club, a message constantly reminded to the team.
“Just because we beat an opponent doesn’t mean we should go around bragging,” Mo said. “They know even if we win, it’s something to be proud of, but at the same time, it shouldn’t stop us from wanting to keep improving in training.”
The Gators broke open the score 13 minutes into the afternoon match. That first strike would jumpstart them to a 19-0 lead after the first 40 minutes.
A big playmaker in the first half was Dominic Morales, who joined the club in the Spring 2025 semester. Morales forced his way through Santa Clara’s defense in an effort to make room for his teammates.
“At the end of the day, it’s a team sport,” Morales said. “I can create those gaps all I want, but if I don’t have the right support and the right team behind me, we’re not scoring, we’re not winning, regardless. It was a full-team effort.”
The club was reminded by head coach Otto Wacker, forwards coach Mark Dillon, Hubbell and teams and backs captain Alec Shelton, to regain and maintain composure heading into the second half.
“We just want to put it out to the world who we are,” Dillon said in the halftime huddle.
A chant boomed from one of the huddles. “Dominate on Three! One, two, three!” in which the other athletes responded, “Dominate!”
(Lindsey Hoang / Golden Gate Xpress)
The purple-and-gold guests carried their first-half momentum into the first 15 minutes of the second half, scoring two tries and one two-point kick to extend their lead to 31-0.
Santa Clara climbed out of their scoreless fever to crack the scoreboard six minutes after the Gators scored. That first try grew to five consecutive tries and two completed kicks to narrow the Gators’ lead to 31-24.
Club president Kiril Gupta wanted the guys to face at least one tough Division I-A opponent in the preseason. Santa Clara was that test, and despite it being on the road, the club succeeded. Mo saw this hard-fought match as a step up for the club.
“It was certainly very competitive, and I think that the boys are just slightly thrilled. They like the competitive drive,” Mo said. “They like facing better opponents every time because when you face and beat the best, you are the best. That’s the kind of drive that the boys have, and I’m very proud of them for the win today.”
Gators rugby has four weeks until they compete against Bay Area Baracus Rugby Club on Dec. 6. The Gators will host the matchup at Cox Stadium and use the extra time to prepare.
Gupta credits the staff from Campus Recreation and Dean of Students Miguel Hernandez for making the home game at Cox Stadium happen.
The home game versus Baracus will hold personal meaning for both clubs, as it will be in memory of a SFSU alum Luciano Ortega, who died in August 2024.
“We officially coined it ‘The Battle of Lu,’” Gupta said. “We have a nice trophy we’re working on with the president of Baracus, Nick Seyer. We’re quite excited to have that game at Cox Stadium, with also a lot of significance around the match.”
