Tommies Blog: St. Thomas Preps For La Crosse In Home Opener
The St. Thomas football team entered the 2015 season ranked No. 18 in the country in Division III, coming off an 8-3 season and returning several starters.
The Tommies lived up to that billing, and then some, in their season opener at UW-Eau Claire last Saturday night. St. Thomas led 38-0 at half, scored the game's first 59 points and cruised to a 62-7 victory to open the season. St. Thomas moved up to No. 14 in Division III in this week's latest poll after Saturday's win.
The Tommies piled up 471 yards in total offense in limited the Blugolds to just 240. John Gould and Charlie Dowdle formed their chemistry in the passing game early and each had a big day. Gould was 15-of-27 passing for 335 yards and three touchdowns. All three went to Dowdle. The scores went for 36, 38 and 71 yards. Dowdle finished the night with four catches for 203 yards.
St. Thomas also got a balanced rushing attack as Jordan Roberts had 12 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Jack Kaiser, expected to be one of the featured backs, ran nine times for 29 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tommies also got a big night out of their defense, highlighted by Jordan Young's interception and 100-yard return for a touchdown. It came in the third quarter and gave St. Thomas a 52-0 lead. Ryan Winter, Jesse Addo and Eric Sutton all recorded sacks as St. Thomas had 11 tackles for a loss and forced four Blugold turnovers.
With the win, St. Thomas improved to 8-0 in season-opening games under Glenn Caruso. The Tommies get one more non-conference test Saturday, hosting UW-La Crosse in its home opener at O'Shaughnessy Stadium.
When the two teams met last year in St. Paul, the St. Thomas defense was the story. The Eagles managed just 133 total yards of offense. The Tommies had a 21-0 lead at the half and scored 22 points in the third quarter on the way to a 46-0 victory. UW-La Crosse finished last year 3-7, including 2-5 in WIAC play. Their league victories came against Stout and Eau Claire.
In its season opener, La Crosse earned a 26-19 victory over Luther College. The Eagles collected 389 yards of total offense. They were led by quarterback Trent Cummings, who threw for 226 yards and three scores. His favorite receiver was Mike Santucci, who had nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles also had a balanced run game as Tyler Jenkins had 11 carries for 63 yards and Austin Mancosky had 13 carries for 52 years. It appears the Tommies will be tested defensively by the depth and balance La Crosse can feature.
La Crosse also has two clear leaders on defense. Ryan Weber led the Eagles with 15 tackles in the victory and Jon Becker added 11.
St. Thomas should be amped up to play in front of its home crowd for the first time this season, but it's also a game where it can't afford to look ahead. After Saturday, the Tommies get an early bye week before opening the MIAC slate Sept. 26 at rival St. John's in Collegeville, looking to end a two-game losing streak. First and foremost, St. Thomas needs to take care of its business against La Crosse for that game to mean anything.
Kickoff against UW-La Crosse is set for 1:10 p.m. in St. Paul. Tune into WCCO Radio 830 AM at about 1 p.m. as Dave Lee will have the play-by-play and Eric Nelson will provide color commentary.