University of St. Thomas Athletics
South Dakota
(RV) Tommies trek to South Dakota for first road test
9/5/2023 10:15:00 AM | Football
Glenn Caruso served as Coyotes OC in 2004 and 2005
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas football team got off to a strong start to open the 2023 season. The (RV) Tommies used a fourth quarter surge to defeat upset-minded Black Hills State University 36-26 in their first game of the new year. While game one was at O'Shaughnessy Stadium, St. Thomas will look to keep its 11-game win streak alive on the road this weekend, as the Tommies trek to the University of South Dakota for their first road test of 2023.
While 299 miles separate St. Paul, Minnesota and Vermillion, South Dakota, Saturday's game may seem like a homecoming for head coach Glenn Caruso and his family. Caruso served as the offensive coordinator for the Coyotes from 2004 to 2005. In his two seasons with the program, South Dakota's offense averaged over 38.0 points per game, including 49.7 in 2005. The offensive additionally rushed for a combined 6233 yards during Caruso's tenure as offensive coordinate, while the quarterbacks threw for over 5000 yards in those two seasons.
Additionally, this wont be St. Thomas' first trip to the DakotaDome. The Tommies played in the first ever collegiate football game played in the venue on September 8, 1979. In a low scoring affair, St. Thomas lost to the Coyotes 22-6 in front of a home crown of 6800.
Tickets are still available for Saturday's game and can be purchased online at goyotes.com. Fans who are unable to attend in person can now watch St. Thomas football through Midco Sports Plus and the Midco Sports Plus App. The subscription-based service will provide a digital streaming platform for regular season home St. Thomas football games along with exclusive Tommie and Pioneer Football League (PFL) content, including replays, highlights, interviews, and special feature stories. Subscriptions cost $9.99 per month or $79.99 for an annual plan. Fans can also listen to the call on 1500 ESPN and follow Live Stats on the South Dakota football website.
Breaking down the Tommies:
HOMETOWN STINGERS: (RV) St. Thomas opened the season with a 36-26 win over Black Hills State, improving to 15-0 in home openers in the Glenn Caruso era and 15-1 in season openers since the head coach took over in 2008. Additionally, the Tommies extended their NCAA leading home field win streak to 27 games and nearly 2500 days.
THE OPPOSITION: South Dakota faced stiff competition to open the 2023 season. The Coyotes squared off against the University of Missouri in their season opener last week, falling to the Tigers by a final score of 35-10. Offensively, South Dakota was lead by quarterback Aidan Bouman, who recorded 156 passing yards in the performance. Additionally, the Coyotes did not commit a single turnover in the victory and won the time of possession battle.
FALLAH HONORED: Fifth year senior Johnson Fallah (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) took home the first PFL Defensive Player of the Week honor Sunday afternoon after a career game for the Tommies on Saturday. Fallah kicked off the 2023 season in style thanks to a pick-six 47 seconds into regulation. He additionally recorded six total tackles, including five solo, both of which were career highs.
CAN'T TOUCH THIS: The St. Thomas run game was virtually unstoppable Saturday afternoon, as the Tommies rushed for 225 yards on 41 carries against the Yellow Jackets. Starting running back Shawn Shipman recorded the fourth 100+ yard rushing game of his career, as he closed with 140 yards on 21 attempts and scored one of three rushing touchdowns for St. Thomas.
SHIP HAS SAILED: Shipman rushed for over 100 yards in Saturday's game, becoming the first St. Thomas running back in the DI era to rush for over 100 yards in the opener. It's the first time since 2019 that a Tommie running back has rushed for over 100 yards in the season opener, and the last to do so was former standout Tom Loeffler.
GROUND AND POUND: The St. Thomas run defense was as good as the run game, holding Black Hills State to 41 rushing yards on 33 attampts. It's the lowest rush total for an opponent in a season opener in the DI era and the first time the Tommies have held an opponent below 50 rushing yards in the first game of the year since 2019.
ROCK 'EM, SACK 'EM: In addition to holding the Yellow Jackets to 41 rush yards, the St. Thomas defense recorded six sacks in the win on Saturday. It's the first time the Tommies have recorded 5+ sacks in a season opener since 2019, when they recorded nine against Trinity International.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Saturday's game, the St. Thomas defense ranks sixth in the Football Championship Division (FCS) in rushing defense after holding the Yellow Jackets to 41.0 rush yards. The Tommies also rank second in the nation in total sacks (6) and third in total sack yards (54).
POWELL POWER: Quarterback Amari Powell proved he could do it all in his first career start Saturday afternoon. The sophomore threw for over 100 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns before leaving the game due to injury. Powell is expected to play in Saturday's game against South Dakota.
THREE HEADED MONSTER: St. Thomas is expected to use its run game to the fullest extent in Saturday's game against South Dakota. In addition to Shipman, the Tommies are expected to play junior and 2021 PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year Hope Adebayo and junior Landon Reed out of the backfield. All three saw action in last week's win over Black Hills State, with Shipman and Adebayo scoring touchdowns for St. Thomas. Additionally, both Powell and first year quarterback Tak Tateoka proved they are threats on the ground as well as in the air.
COACHING ROYALTY: The head coaches for both the Tommies and Coyotes are two of the most prolific in college football history. Combined, the duo has claimed nine AFCA Coach of the Year Awards and made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances in all three NCAA Divisions. More impressively, Caruso and Nielson have both made two appearances in the NCAA Championship Game, with Nielson winning two titles at Minnesota-Duluth (Division II).
FORMER EMPLOYERS: While this will be his first match up against USD since becoming a head coach, Caruso is 9-1 all-time against his former employers. His lone loss came at the hands of UW-Eau Claire, where he was the offensive coordinator prior to his time with the Coyotes.
Caruso vs. Ithica: 0-0
Caruso vs. NDSU: 0-0
Caruso vs. UW- Eau Claire: 7-1
Caruso vs. South Dakota: 0-0
Caruso vs. Macalester: 2-0
IN THE POLLS: St. Thomas continued to receive votes in the FCS Coaches and Stats Perform Top-25 polls this past week. The Tommies received seven votes in the Stats Perform Top-25 and 30 in the FCS Coaches Top-25 polls.
