University of St. Thomas Athletics
0-2 , 0-0
Northern Iowa
2-0 , 0-0
Team Stats
UNI 0, UST 7
UST - Wagner,Patrick 13 yd pass from Rostberg,Michael (Shagen,Stephen kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 04:26
UNI 7, UST 7
UNI - Pesek-Hickson,Amauri 3 yd run (Palmer,Caden kick), 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 05:11
UNI 7, UST 10
UST - Shagen,Stephen 50 yd field goal 12 plays, 47 yards, TOP 07:52
UNI 10, UST 10
UNI - Palmer,Caden 19 yd field goal 4 plays, 5 yards, TOP 01:21
UNI 17, UST 10
UNI - Pesek-Hickson,Amauri 15 yd run (Palmer,Caden kick), 6 plays, 90 yards, TOP 03:46
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Tommies battle Northern Iowa in 17-10 loss
9/7/2024 7:35:00 PM | Football
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The final box score is not always truly indicative of what happened in a football game. That was true Saturday afternoon, when the University of St. Thomas football team hosted the University of Northern Iowa at O'Shaughnessy Stadium. Though the final score read 17-10 in favor of UNI, the Tommies led the Panthers for the majority of the game, and it was tied 10-10 with three minutes remaining on the clock. Unfortunately for St. Thomas, UNI was able on capitalize on its scoring opportunities, resulting in the 17-10 Panthers victory. With the loss, the Tommies are now 0-2 on the season and will look for their first win against Black Hills State University next Saturday, September 21.
RECAP:
Whether by the graces of the football gods or a stroke of luck, St. Thomas scored the first points of the game Saturday afternoon, taking a 7-0 lead with 6:50 remaining in the first quarter. However, things could have gone very differently, if not for the Tommies defense. After turning the ball over on downs at midfield, St. Thomas went on the defensive early, as UNI threatened to take an early lead by advancing into the red zone. However, after an impressive stand for the Tommie defense, the Panthers were forced to settle for a field goal attempt rather than a touchdown. That field goal attempt, though, was not successful. UNI put the ball right back into St. Thomas' hands, as the kicker boinked it off the uprights.
That miss eventually led to a Tommie touchdown. After Tak Tateoka (Waukesha, Wis. / South) marched the team into Panther territory, Michael Rostberg (West Fargo, N.D. / Shanley) came in and threw a dart to Patrick Wagner (Crofton, Md. / Archbishop Spalding) in the end zone, and Stephen Shagen (Park City, Utah / Park City) converted the extra point attempt to give St. Thomas the 7-0 lead. That lead held until the second quarter, when UNI eventually tied it at 7-7 with 13:03 remaining in the half.
Both teams had opportunities to regain an advantage, including St. Thomas, which found itself within striking distance of a field goal or touchdown twice in the second quarter. However, the Tommies were unable to take advantage of their scoring opportunities, while the defense continued to hold the Panthers seemingly potent offense at bay, resulting in the 7-7 halftime draw. Thanks to that strong defensive play, Shagen was able to give St. Thomas a late third quarter advantage, and make a little history in the process. The junior kicker connected on the 50-yard field goal attempt, giving the Tommies a 10-7 lead in the third quarter and hitting the longest field goal in the DI era.
It looked like Shagen's kick was all St. Thomas would need, as the defense continued to keep UNI off the scoreboard. With 10:49 left, the Panthers did managed to tie the score at 10-10, hitting a 19-yard field goal of their own to tie up the score. Again, though, the Tommies looked like they would have an opportunity to take a lead, advancing to midfield on a handful of big runs from Hope Adebayo (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley). St. Thomas came up short on third and sixth, though, and opted to punt the ball rather than go for a 52-yard field goal. It nearly resulted in yet another UNI turnover on downs. After giving up a 56-yard gain to Tye Edwards, the Tommie defense stopped him on third and one, forcing the Panthers to make a crucial decision with three minutes left in the ball game. Go for it on fourth and one and try for a touchdown or be safe and kick the field goal. Northern Iowa opted to go for it, and, thanks to the efforts of Noah Friedt (Lakeville, Minn. / Apple Valley), St. Thomas seemingly came up with a huge stop. However, the Tommies were called for an illegal substitution, resulting in an automatic first down for the Panthers.
UNI went on to score on that possession thanks to wonky football. For the second straight week, St. Thomas' opponent scored on its own fumble at the goal line, taking a 17-10 lead with 2:47 remaining in the ball game. Plenty of time, it would seem, for the Tommies to tie or take a lead of their own. Thanks to Adebayo and Wagner, St. Thomas marched into Panther territory, finding itself on the 32 yard line with 32 seconds remaining in regulation. Unfortunately, the Tommies were unable to take advantage of the opportunity, ultimately falling 17-10.
TOP TOMMIES
- Hope Adebayo (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) and Patrick Wagner (Crofton, Md. / Archbishop Spalding) led St. Thomas' offensive charge, serving as the top weapons for Michael Rostberg (West Fargo, N.D. / Shanley). Adebayo tallied 115 rushing yards on 29 carries, while Wagner closed the game with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown.
- Defensively, the team was led by Nick Hand (Rogers, Minn. / Totino-Grace) and Caden Nelson (Waunakee, Wis. / Waunakee), who led the team with eight and seven tackles, respectively.
- Stephen Shagen (Park City, Utah / Park City) made the longest field goal in the Division I era on Saturday, connecting for the first and only 50-yarder in the last four years. It was also a career-long field goal for the junior.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas will look for its first win of the season next Saturday, as it hosts Black Hills State on September 21, the team's third consecutive home game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at O'Shaughnessy Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota.
