St. Thomas’ stubborn defense continued its hard-nosed play Saturday afternoon when it held Wabash to just over 220 total yards in the Tommies’ 38-7 victory in the quarterfinals of the national playoffs at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
Coming into Saturday’s contest, the No. 7-ranked Little Giants (12-1 overall) averaged 467.5 yards per game, with a bulk of the yardage coming courtesy of running back Mason Zurek’s legs. Zurek is second in the nation with 2,011 rushing yards and tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns with 22. Zurek said the No. 4-ranked Tommies’ (13-0 overall) defense was the best-schemed defense he’s seen all year.
“They brought it every play, they stuffed up holes, and I tried to get a little bit on the outside, but the corners were crashing down pretty hard,” Zurek said. “These guys schemed up pretty well, so I couldn’t get a lot going.”
Wabash’s running game was held to 133 yards and one touchdown, and Zurek was held to just 72 yards and the lone touchdown on 21 carries. He surpassed the 2,000 yard rushing mark at the end of the third quarter with a 6-yard run. St. Thomas contained Johnnie running back Sam Sura last week, something defensive back Isaac Seering believed assisted the defense in preparing for Zurek.
“We felt that we were pretty well-prepared because we had prepared for (Sura) in a similar manner, so the coaches drew up a good game plan on how to attack him,” Seering said.
Standing six feet tall and weighing 225 pounds, Zurek is one of the most physical backs St. Thomas has seen all year. Defensive end Anthony King-Foreman said Zurek’s size made him a tough opponent.
“(He’s) the biggest back we’ve seen,” King-Foreman said. “He’s run hard, he’s shifty too, so just tackling low and driving our feet was huge.”
Although the Tommie defense failed to cause the Little Giants’ offense to cough up the ball, St. Thomas was able to capitalize on Wabash’s special teams mistakes.
On their first offensive possession deep in their own territory, the Little Giants punted the ball away to waiting returner Nick Waldvogel, who snagged it at Wabash’s 47-yard line. He maneuvered through multiple defenders before crossing the goal line to give the Tommies the first score with 10:08 left in the first quarter. Waldvogel had confidence in his teammates to help him score.
“As a punt returner, you’re hanging out there, and you really have to trust your teammates … to make the play,” Waldvogel said. “A hole opened up in front of me, and I just took it. At that point you have to be confident in your abilities and make the play.”
The woes continued for Wabash’s special teams as the second half ensued. On the Little Giants’ first offensive possession, kicker Andrew Tutsie missed a 41-yard field goal attempt. St. Thomas took over with good field position but was forced to punt after being stuffed by Wabash’s defense. Little Giant wide receiver Drake Christen mishandled the punt, and Tommie safety Trace Adams recovered it on Wabash’s 18-yard line.
The Little Giants’ defense stood tall until tight end Charlie Dowdle converted a fake field goal into an 18-yard touchdown. Things got even worse for Wabash on the ensuing kickoff, when defensive back Chris Pierson recovered an onside kick. Running back Jordan Roberts increased St. Thomas’ lead to 31-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run six plays later.
“They’re all not going to go our way, and we don’t convert on that specific play,” Caruso said. “We have supreme confidence that whatever group, offense or defense, goes back on the field will mitigate that failure and get us back on track.”
The offense was stable throughout the day with quarterback John Gould connecting on 16 of his 28 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. His lone blemish was an interception on the Tommies’ first possession of the game.
Dowdle was the leading receiver with 73 yards and one touchdown, a 28-yard pass at the beginning of the second quarter. Waldvogel hauled in 68 yards on eight catches, and Gilliland caught 59 yards and a 23-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Alex Fenske. Roberts was held to under 100 rushing yards for only the fourth time this season, chalking up 64 yards and one score on 16 carries. Dowdle said Wabash’s stingy run defense opened up the pass game.
“The safeties and defensive backs like to fill in the run game, so they’re aggressive, so stuff opened up for us,” Dowdle said.
Up Next
Linfield kicker Michael Metter connected on a 34-yard field goal as time expired to push the Wildcats past Mary Hardin-Baylor 38-35 and set up a semifinal matchup against St. Thomas. The Tommies will host the Wildcats at O’Shaughnessy Stadium next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. No matter the team, King-Foreman believes the Tommies’ defense sets the standard and dictates play.
“Whatever the offense that’s coming in, I feel like they have to prepare for us because we set the standard around here,” King-Foreman said.
Updated NCAA Division III playoff bracket.
St. Thomas, Wabash full news conferences.
Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.