University of St. Thomas Athletics
Davidson
St. Thomas Football takes to the road for the first of back-to-back road PFL road games
11/4/2021 1:09:00 PM | Football
Coming Up
St. Thomas Football (5-2, 4-1 PFL) will add to its frequent flier status this week as it takes its third long-distance trip in six weeks, traveling to Davidson, N.C. to face league leading Davidson (6-1, 5-0 PFL).
Davidson is on a six-game winning streak after dropping its first contest of the year, 45-24 at VMI. Davidson sits at the top of the FCS in rushing with 2,250 yards. The 'Cats are averaging 321.4 yards per game. The Tommies sit atop the conference and rank 11th nationally in rushing defense allowing 101.7 rush yards per game.
Four PFL teams -- Davidson, Morehead State, San Diego, and St. Thomas -- are within one game of first place with three games remaining in the regular season.
The Tommies are entering with a three-game win streak, which included a 20-13 win over Valpo before the bye week; a road victory at Stetson, 38-7 and an impressive 27-7 win over Marist at home this past weekend. The Toms are 3-0 this season at home and have a 30-game regular-season win streak on campus dating back to October 2014.
Sophomore Hope Adebayo has emerged as a major force to be reckoned with in the last two games. In his first two collegiate starts, at Stetson, vs. Marist, Adebayo has amassed 373 rushing yards on 47 attempts, averaging just shy of 8 yards per rushing attempt. Adebayo posted 182 yards at Stetson with four touchdowns and 191 yards and two touchdowns against Marist. His day against the Hatters was the best rushing day by a Tommie in his first start in the 13 seasons under Coach Glenn Caruso.
The St. Thomas defense is in the top 10 of 128 FCS teams in fewest points allowed (15.3). Of the nine touchdowns the Purple defense has allowed, four came against top-20 ranked Northern Iowa and five have come in the four PFL contests. The defense also ranks 11th in FCS in third-down conversions allowed at .294.
This is the first of back-to-back road games for the Tommies -- at Davidson and at Drake -- before they finish the regular season at home Nov. 20 against Presbyterian.
The contest can be heard live on AM-1500 Radio Skor North, with Corbu Stathes on the play-by-play call. The game will be live-streamed at https://davidsonwildcats.com/watch/?Live=1202&type=Live
Dissecting Davidson
Coming off their ninth road trip in their last 14 games, Davidson sits at the top of the FCS in rushing with 2,250 yards. The 'Cats are averaging 321.4 yards per game, an increase from the week before following their highest-rushing performance of the season at Morehead State. Davidson sits third in third-down conversions and ninth in fourth-down conversions.
Individually, the Wildcats are all over the board. Running back Coy Williams sits seventh overall in the FCS with his 11 rushing touchdowns. Defensive lineman Jonathan Hammond finds himself with the sixth most sacks in the FCS and sits tied for 16th in TFLs.
Amongst themselves, Williams' 548 rushing yards are the most for the Wildcats. Dylan Sparks is about 100 yards behind him with 469. So far this season, QB Louis Colosimo has thrown for 580 yards and 8 touchdowns, completing 33 of 50 passing attempts. His longest was a 64-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jackson Sherrard, whose five catches mark the highest receiving total for Davidson.
Most recently, Davidson's running backs Sparks and Coy Williams had themselves a day against Morehead State, rushing over 100 yards on 19 carries apiece. Overall, the Wildcats rushed for a total 397 yards, compared to the Eagles' 17 yards on 14 carries.
Morehead State's first two scores came from a pair of field goals, giving the Eagles a 6-0 lead with just under 11 minutes to go in the second quarter.
With 4:48 remaining in the second quarter, Sparks burst through the line for a 61-yard touchdown run to give Davidson its first score and lead of the afternoon. The Wildcats found their groove, and quarterback Louis Colosimo led a 10-play, 64-yard drive, before connecting with tight end Lucas Raber on an 8-yard catch for another Davidson touchdown.
Morehead State blocked the PAT and ran it back 98 yards for two extra points, but the Wildcats still had the lead at halftime, 13-8. Halfway through the third quarter, the Eagles scored again and took their final lead of the game, 15-13, but not for long as Davidson kicker Caden Bonoffski notched a 35-yarder to give the Wildcats the lead for good.
Davidson kicked off the fourth quarter with two back-to-back interceptions by junior linebacker Chris Panko. Following his first pick on Morehead State's opening fourth quarter drive, Williams scored his eleventh touchdown of the season to increase the Wildcats' advantage to 22-15. While the ensuing two-point conversion was unsuccessful, the 'Cats didn't back down.
After Panko's second grab, Davidson got the ball back and Sparks ran 14 yards to record his second touchdown with just under five minutes to go in the game. The Eagles chipped into the lead with a late fourth-quarter touchdown, but an Eli Turner Jr. fourth-and-one conversion sealed the deal for the 'Cats.
Upper Echelon of the Conference
In just its first year as members of the Pioneer Football League, St. Thomas is showing it belongs. The Tommies rank in the top-four of the conference in a myriad of categories including the top ranked defense.
Below are rankings and statistics for all games by the eight conference schools this season. These stats and rankings include totals from the Tommies' game against FCS power-house Northern Iowa, which is currently ranked No. 13 in the nation.
Rank - Category - Stat
Defense
1st - Total Defense - 224.3 yards per game
1st - Scoring Defense - 15.3 points per game
1st - Rushing Defense - 101.7 yards per game
1st - Pass Defense Efficiency - 97.5 efficiency rating
1st - Pass Defense - 162.6 yards per game
1st - Opponent 3rd Down Percentage - 29.4% (27/92)
1st - Opponent 4th Down Percentage - 7.7% (1/13)
1st - Opponent 1st Downs Allowed - 13.71 per game
t-1st - Interception Return TDs - 2 touchdowns
Offense
3rd - Rushing Offense - 163.3 yards per game
4th - Rushing Touchdowns - 15 touchdowns
4th - Offensive Rushing Yards - 1,143 yards
Special Teams
1st - Field Goal Percentage - 71.43 percent
Team
1st - Penalties Committed - 27 penalties (3.8 per game)
1st - Time of Possession - 33:08 minutes per game
Hope is on the Way
Sophomore running back Hope Adebayo leads the St. Thomas rushing attack with 542 rushing yards on 75 attempts. Adebayo is averaging 7.2 yards per carry and has scored seven touchdowns on the ground this season.
Adebayo gashed the Stetson defense for a 78-yard touchdown on the game's opening offensive play in his first collegiate start. He finished the game with 182 rushing yards and four touchdowns, earning him Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Noteable Performances in First Career Starts by Tommie RBs
2021: Hope Adebayo, 20 rushes-182 yards, 4 TD vs. Stetson
2016: Josh Parks, 14-74, 1 TD vs. Gustavus
2016: Tucker Trettel, 6-70, 1 TD vs. Carleton
2015: Jordan Roberts, 16-92, 3 TD vs. UW-La Crosse
2014: Nick Waldvogel, 14-67, 2 TD, vs. Hamline
2013: Jack Kaiser, 17-60, 1 TD, vs. UW-River Falls
2012: Brenton Braddock, 13-79, 0 TD vs. Augsburg
2010: Colin Tobin, 14-85, 1 TD vs. St. Olaf
2008: Ben Wartman, 11-84, 2 TD vs. Macalester
Pioneers in the Pioneer League
With just three games remaining in the football schedule, St. Thomas, in its first year in the league, is one game behind Davidson and Morehead State in the conference standings and one . Davidson (5-0 PFL, 6-1 overall), Morehead State (4-1 PFL, 5-3 overall), and San Diego (5-1 PFL, 5-4 overall) are the teams standing between the Tommies and a conference title.
Tommie D
St. Thomas' defense has only allowed nine touchdowns through seven games. That includes four scored by FCS power Northern Iowa, plus one on a blown coverage for a wide-open 35-yard scoring catch by Valparaiso, and a 2-yard, one-play drive after a bad snap on a punt attempt against Marist.
Adding in the opponents' three special-teams or return TDs -- and 8-of-9 field-goals made -- St. Thomas allows 16.7 points per game to lead the PFL. Drake has the league's second-best scoring defense and allows almost seven points more per contest, allowing 23.5 points per game. In St. Thomas' first four conference games, the Tommies are allowing only 11.8 points per game.
The Toms are holding teams to just 26.7 percent (28-of-105) on third- and fourth-down conversions.
Proud Program Builder
Last weekend's game was No. 154 at St. Thomas for 14-year head coach Glenn Caruso. He has a 5-2 record so far in FCS after building a 126-21 record in the Toms' D-III era.
Adding in his 6-12 record in two seasons of a rebuilding project as Macalester College head coach (2006, 2007), Caruso boasts a 137-35 career record (.800). That all-game win percentage ranks in the top 10 among current NCAA football coaches at all levels who have worked 10 or more seasons.
Balance on Both Sides
The 2021 Tommies have no superstars but have played well as a team with several guys sharing the load.
Through seven games, the Toms are winning despite these unusually low totals by category leaders:
• The leading passer, Cade Sexauer, is averaging just 96 yards per game.
• The leading available receiver, Wesley Juszczak, is averaging 23 yards per game.
• The leading scorers Adebayo, 42 points, and K Louis Hyde, 32 points, both average under five points per game.
• Their 22 touchdowns have come from 10 different players.
• Their defense has only player (Luke Glenna) with more than three solo tackles a game, with 12 different players recording an interception, a forced fumble or a fumble recovery.
Starting Strong in the Second Half
In six of the first seven games of the season, St. Thomas has been in scoring position on its first drive of the second half. On four of those instances, the Tommies have scored on their first drive of the second half (touchdown vs. Butler, field goal at San Diego, touchdown vs. Valpo, touchdown at Stetson, touchdown vs. Marist). Against Michigan Tech, St. Thomas turned it over on downs at the Husky 7-yard line.
Home Sweet Home
St. Thomas has started its Division I era with a 3-0 home record - building on its 36-1 record in its last 37 games played on campus to close out its D-III chapter. The only loss in that span was to eventual NCAA runner-up UW-Oshkosh 34-31 in the 2016 NCAA playoffs.
The Purple is riding a 30-game home-field regular-season win streak.
Last Time Out
Sophomore running back Hope Adebayo rushed for 191 yards on 27 carries, including touchdown runs of 30 and 28 yards, as St. Thomas pulled away to a 27-7 win over Marist College in Pioneer Football League play Saturday at O'Shaughnessy Stadium in St. Paul.
The Tommies (5-2 overall, 4-1 Pioneer) ran their win streak to three and stayed in the conference title race with three games to play. Four Pioneer teams are within one game of the lead.
Davidson (5-0 Pioneer) handed Morehead State its first Pioneer loss earlier on Saturday, and San Diego (5-1 Pioneer) rallied to edge Valparaiso. The Tommies play next Saturday at Davidson.
Luke Glenna had an interception and a fumble recovery to lead a revved up Tommie defense. St. Thomas stopped Marist inside the five-yard line twice on fourth-down tries. Overall, they allowed just 11 first downs and 167 total yards, with three takeaways and two sacks among six tackles for loss.
The Red Foxes of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., (3-4, 3-2) converted just 3-of-14 on third- and fourth downs in the contest. They also were hurt by eight penalties for 55 yards.
Marist's lone TD came on the first play of the second quarter after one of several special-teams errors by the Toms in the first half. A high snap that sailed over the punter was recovered and turned over on downs at the Marist 2-yard-line, QB Austin Day ran it end to the end zone on the next play. The PAT kick made it 13-7.
St. Thomas had a blocked punt; a missed field goal; and a missed PAT conversion, in large part due to a high snap. But St. Thomas' defense pitched a shutout over the final 44:57 on the clock.
Max Zimmerman caught a 51-yard touchdown pass off a flea flicker strike from QB Cade Sexauer to start the scoring. Adebayo made it 13-0 with a 30-yard gallop in the first quarter. Adebayo now has 373 yards and six touchdown runs over his first two college starts.
The Tommie offense churned out 393 yards. Sexauer threw for 139 yards and rushed for 34 yards.
Did You Know?
• The Toms just missed their magic scoring number in the 27-24 loss at San Diego. They are 91-0 in regular-season games in the Glenn Caruso era when they score 25 or more points.
• St. Thomas had two pick-six interception returns to the end zone at San Diego -- by senior Joe Hird and sophomore Jonathan Bunce -- and nearly had two others. Johnson Fallah took an interception back to the USD 5-yard line.
• In 126 games last decade (2010-2019), St. Thomas defenders recorded 21 interception return touchdowns.
• Bunce's first interception since his youth football days took him to the end zone with a 22-yard return. But he scored several TDs as a high school running back at Edina High.
• Hyde, a sophomore and first-year starter, is 5-for-7 in field goals. That's a change from the 2019 season when the Toms made only 2-of-7 field goals.
• St. Thomas has held a second-half lead in its last 13 conference games (MIAC, Pioneer).
Best Opponent
Northern Iowa was the best team St. Thomas has played during the Caruso era, and thus the 44-3 final score was the Toms' widest margin of defeat over those 13 seasons. The Toms' previous biggest losses on the scoreboard were a pair of 20-point decisions.
The 44 points were the second most Caruso's teams have allowed -- they lost to Mount Union 49-35 in the 2015 NCAA championship game.
On Sept. 18 at UNI, it was the first time the Tommies didn't score a touchdown in a game since the 2011 national playoff semifinals, a 20-0 road loss to eventual NCAA champion UW-Whitewater.
Of the 21 losses by Caruso's D-III Tommie teams (2008-2019), 12 came by margins of seven or less points.
St. Thomas Returning Academic All-Conference honorees
Defense
• #91 – DL Seth Bickett, Actuarial Science major 3.98
• #90 -- DL Noah Borgeson, Political Science major 3.93
• #49 – DL Brent Robley, Biology major 3.87
• #2 – DB Tommy Fuller, Business Management major 3.58
• #21 – DB Rian O'Connor, Financial Management major, 3.71
• #22 – DB Max Meves, Mechanical Engineering major 3.75
• #12 – LB Trent Meyer, Financial Management major, 3.65
• #3—DB Grif Wurtz, Accounting major, 3.80
Offense
• #6 – WR Jacob Miller WR, Business major, 3.51
• #25 – RB Nick Rice, Mathematics major, 3.70
• #14 – QB Cade Sexauer, Mechanical Engineering major, 3.63
Pioneer Football League by the Numbers
11: Members for 2021 season with addition in 2021 of Presbyterian and St. Thomas
8: Conference games each team plays each season
8: Teams with Red or Blue as primary color
3: Teams with primary colors of Green (Stetson), Brown/Yellow (Valparaiso) or Purple (St. Thomas)
3: Teams that play games on natural grass (San Diego, Stetson, Presbyterian)
2: Teams with new head coaches in 2021 (Stetson, Presbyterian)
2: Teams with Bulldogs as nickname (Drake, Butler)
1: Teams that changed nicknames in 2021 (Valparaiso, was Crusaders now Beacons)
2: Teams whose nickname includes a color (Presbyterian Blue Hose, Marist Red Foxes)
4: Teams that don't share a nickname with any other college (Presbyterian Blue Hose, Stetson Hatters, San Diego Toreros, St. Thomas Tommies)
1: Team located in Pacific time zone
2: Teams located in Central time zone
8: Teams located in Eastern time zone
6: Teams that at one time were Division III programs (Dayton, San Diego, Marist, Valparaiso, Davidson, St. Thomas)
3: Teams located in a city that's the state capital (Butler/Indy; Drake/Des Moines; St. Thomas/St. Paul)
4: Remaining charter members since league's 1993 creation (Dayton, Drake, Butler, Valparaiso)
6: Different programs to win or share a PFL championship since 2012 (San Diego, Davidson, Dayton, Drake, Marist, Butler)
15-1: Coaching record in PFL games for Jim Harbaugh at San Diego, 2004-06
9: Pioneer alums playing on an NFL roster or practice squad in 2020 season
57: Years, from 1956-2013, when Stetson didn't play football before restarting its program
5: Current Pioneer schools that once played in a January 1 bowl game (Dayton, Drake, Presbyterian, Valparaiso, St. Thomas)
About Davidson
About Davidson College
Location: Davidson, N.C. (pop. 13,404)
Distance to St. Paul: 1,145 miles
Founded: 1,837
Athletics Website: www.https://davidsonwildcats.com/
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,983
Nickname: Wildcats
Colors: Red and White
FB Stadium: Smith Field at Richardson (4,500)
Surface: Artificial Turf
2021 FB Record: 6-1
FB Head Coach: Scott Abell (Ninth season)
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