St. Thomas Football can’t overcome Davidson rushing attack, falls 42-15 in Pioneer Football League action

Davidson, N.C. – Davidson, NCAA Football Champion Series rushing leaders, proved why they lead all FCS schools in rushing as it ended St. Thomas' three-game winning streak with a 42-15 win powered by 392 rushing yards on 65 rushing attempts.

"The brightest part of it is, I know who we are," said Head Coach Glenn Caruso. "The growth we've seen throughout the season specifically has come to a head in watching the toughness, the mental toughness, the physical toughness no how matched we are or are not and the genuine love we have for eachother."

QB Tommy Dolan led the St. Thomas offensive attack with 18 completions on 31 attempts for 134 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. WR Andrew McElroy was Dolan's favorite target, he finished with 49 receiving yards on four catches.

Defensively, LB Jonathan Bunce led the charge with 14 tackles, including seven solo stops. He and LB Luke Glenna were the two tommies to record double digit tackles, Glenna finished with 11 tackles, four of which were solo stops.

Davidson started the game with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive which included seven rushes and one incomplete pass. The Wildcats rushed the ball 20 times for 127 yards, but the Tommies limited them to just two scores.

With 1:41 remaining in the first half, the St. Thomas offense started its drive after a missed Davidson field goal. The Tommies scored their first touchdown of the game after a five play, 74-yard drive that consumed one minute off the clock. Senior TE Max Zimmerman scored the first St. Thomas points of the game on a four-yard reception.

The Wildcats used a 57-yard kickoff return to get themselves in scoring position, the St. Thomas 28-yard line, with 29 seconds remaining in the half. In a change of strategy, Davidson threw two-consecutive passes, included a 19-yard touchdown strike to regain a two-score, 21-7 lead heading into intermission.

Sophomore RB Hope Adebayo scored his touchdown of the game on a one-yard rush, followed by a successful two-point attempt by sophomore Kolby Gartner to cut the deficit to six, 21-15. Davidson responded with a touchdown of its own in the third quarter and extended its lead to 35-15 with 11:29 remaining in the game.

Davidson posted 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away from St. Thomas as it earned the 42-15 win, their seventh-straight win and sit atop the PFL with 7-1 overall record and is 6-0 in conference play. With the loss, St. Thomas falls to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in league play.

St. Thomas plays its final game away from St. Paul next Saturday as it travels to Des Moines, Iowa to face Drake.

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Team Stats

Tommy Dolan

Cade Sexauer

Players Mentioned

Hope Adebayo

Jonathan Bunce

Tommy Dolan

Kolby Gartner

Luke Glenna

Andrew McElroy

Max Zimmerman