Despite running back Jack Kaiser’s third quarter touchdown run that cut the score to 21-14, the No. 9-ranked St. Thomas football team lost to rival St. John’s 24-14 Saturday in front of an O’Shaughnessy Stadium-record 12,483 fans.
St. Thomas (2-1 overall, 0-1 MIAC) outgained St. John’s (3-1 overall, 1-1 MIAC) 440-379 in total yardage, but the Tommies couldn’t overcome four critical turnovers in the fourth quarter that ended key drives. Offensive lineman Ulice Payne III said the turnovers proved to be important factors in the game’s outcome.
“All in all, we made a lot of mental mistakes on all sides of the ball. We’re kicking ourselves pretty hard about it,” Payne said. “They made a big difference because those are determining factors, and game-changing.”
Coach Glenn Caruso agreed that the turnovers were costly and said the team didn’t play the type of football it is used to.
“We knew very clearly going in it was going to be taking care of the football and playing our style of football that we’ve been accustomed to over the last couple of years,” Caruso said. “And we were nowhere near the types of our football that we play, and that was discouraging.”
St. Thomas forced St. John’s to punt on its opening drive after stopping the team on three straight plays, but a running-into-the-kicker penalty by the Tommies prolonged the Johnnies’ possession. St. John’s capitalized and scored first with a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Martin to wide receiver Josh Bungum. Kicker Alexi Johnson added the extra point to give St. John’s a 7-0 lead with 8:30 left in the first quarter.
The running-into-the-kicker infraction was one of nine St. Thomas penalties for 80 yards throughout the game, and Caruso said that first penalty proved to be one of the most significant.
“That allowed them to continue down the field, and they ended up taking seven to eight minutes off the clock and scoring,” Caruso said.
The Tommies answered on the ensuing drive with running back Brenton Braddock’s 3-yard touchdown dive that capped off an eight-play, 62-yard drive. Kicker Paul Graupner added the extra point to tie the game 7-7 with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, St. John’s scored on a one-play drive when running back Sam Sura dashed 43 yards for a touchdown. Johnson added the extra point to give the Johnnies a 14-7 lead.
Sura finished the game with 36 rushes for 210 yards, the first 200-yard rusher the Tommies have allowed since Caruso took over as coach in 2008.
Caruso said the defense knew that running is St. John’s forte, but the Tommies were unable to manage Sura’s physicality.
“Their game plan was pretty clear. It was no surprise to us at all,” Caruso said. “We knew (Sura) would be the guy that totes the load. He did, and he got a bunch of yards on a lot of carries. He ran hard, hats off to him.”
The Johnnies added to their lead in the third quarter with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Martin to running back Zack Sundly. Johnson added the extra point to make the score 21-7.
Quarterback John Gould replaced starting quarterback Matt O’Connell midway through the third quarter and played the remainder of the game. After his entrance, Gould led the team on an 11-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown run by Kaiser with 12 seconds left in the third. Graupner added the extra point to cut St. John’s lead to 21-14.
Caruso said he decided to put Gould in the game because he felt the passing attack needed a spark.
“We just thought that (Gould) could go in there and move the football and throw it. (He) was throwing the ball very efficiently for the entire season this year, and that’s what you saw when he went in there,” Caruso said. “The offense moved very smoothly. Unfortunately, we had the fumbles and the tipped ball.”
On their next possession, the Tommies were marching down the field when Johnnie defensive lineman Brady Tetzloff tipped Gould’s pass at the line of scrimmage and defensive back Randy Perez intercepted the loose ball.
St. John’s capitalized on the turnover and increased its lead to 24-14 on Johnson’s 38-yard field goal with less than six minutes left in the game.
St. John’s halted another St. Thomas drive later in the fourth quarter when running back Nick Waldvogel caught a screen pass and ran for 12 yards before safety Jeremy Piper tackled him, forcing a fumble that the Johnnies recovered.
Gould said the team recognized the gravity of its errors and added that the players know they can do better.
“We didn’t play to the best of our ability, left a lot on the field,” Gould said. “We know we can play better.”
The Johnnies sealed their 51st win in the Tommie-Johnnie series when St. John’s defensive back Garrett Ackerman intercepted a pass in the end zone with 13 seconds remaining in the game.
Gould said the outcome of the game hurts but added that the Tommies will need to rebound and play the remainder of the season at a high level.
“It obviously hurts to lose, but we got more games.” Gould said. “So we got to forget about this one quick and use it and get back out there.”
Tom Pitzen can be reached at pitz2014@stthomas.edu.