University of St. Thomas Athletics
Blue Hose slip past Tommies
10/3/2026 3:11:00 PM | Football
CLINTON, S.C. — It was not the game the University of St. Thomas football team was hoping for. On a slippery, rainy day in Clinton, South Carolina, St. Thomas lost to Presbyterian 55-21. The Tommies ran for 203 yar ds and passed for 207, but committed five turnovers, three interceptions and lost two fumbles. With the loss, St. Thomas is 4-2 overall and 1-1 in Pioneer Football League (PFL_ play.
QUICK HITS:
- Anthony Policare (Maine, N.Y. / Maine-Endwell) completed 11 of 24 passes for 148 yards with two touchdowns on the day. He also led the team with 60 rushing yards.
- Gabriel Abel (Trenton, N.J. / Salisbury) scored a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game, one of three scored by the Tommies on Saturday.
- Pierce McCrary (Cedar Rapids, Minn. / Kennedy) tallied 117 receiving yards on six receptions with one touchdown.
- Ty Nielson (Elkhorn, Neb. / South) recorded a career-high 12 tackles and an interception in the loss.
SCORING SUMMARY:
First Quarter: The Tommies were cruising to open the game, reaching the Presbyterian 23 quickly and succinctly. A fumble near the endzone though ended the St. Thomas drive and resulted in a 73-yard touchdown for the Blue Hose. Still, the Tommies had plenty of chances to even the score. St. Thomas also crossed midfield after Joseph Koch's (Menomonee Falls, Wis. / Menomonee Falls) 34-yard run and Eli Paulson's (Ramsey, Minn. / Anoke) 45-yard kickoff return, but those possessions ended in an interception and a punt as Presbyterian built a 14-0 lead. Mitchell Schares (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Cennedy) forced a fumble, recovered by Nash Tichy (Orono, Minn. / Orono) at the Presbyterian 20 in the final minute, but the Tommies still trailed 14-0 at the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter: St. Thomas broke through late in the second quarter, finishing an 84-yard drive with Policare's 5-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Cobb-Butler (Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury) on fourth down with 21 seconds left. Presbyterian had built a 27-0 lead after two Tommie interceptions, but Ben Hoiland's (North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View) extra point made it 27-7 by halftime.
Third Quarter: The Tommies scored touchdowns on both of their third-quarter possessions, answering Presbyterian's opening score with a seven-play, 45-yard drive finished by Abel's 5-yard run. After the Blue Hose pushed its lead to 40-14, Policare led a three-play, 68-yard response and connected with McCrary for a 53-yard touchdown with 3:45 left. The quarter ended with Presbyterian ahead 40-21.
Fourth Quarter: St. Thomas generated early defensive stops but could not turn them into points in the fourth quarter, with Preston Franklin (Kansas City, Mo. / Liberty) breaking up a fourth-down pass. Ty Nielsen added an interception late in the quarter, but the Tommie offense was unable to capitalize on their opportunities. Presbyterian closed out a 55-21 win with a touchdown late in the quarter.
TOMMIE TIDBITS
- St. Thomas suffered its worst Pioneer Football League loss and surrendered 50+ points to a conference opponent for the first time since 2023. The last time it happened was also on the road, at Drake. After scoring an early touchdown, the Tommies fell 52-21 in Des Moines, Iowa.
- St. Thomas lost the turnover battle for the first time this season, committing four in the first half alone.
UP NEXT:
Up next, the Tommies football team hosts Stetson at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at O'Shaughnessy Stadium in St. Paul, Minn.
