After a record-breaking undefeated season, No.1-seeded St. Thomas (10-0) opens the NCAA Division III playoffs at home Saturday against Benedictine University (8-2).

The  No. 8-seeded Eagles from Lisle, Ill., have had a record-breaking season of their own, capturing the Northern Athletics Conference title for the first time since 1934 and gaining their first NCAA bid. After starting the season 1-2 against non-conference opponents, the Eagles rallied to win seven straight conference games.

“We’ll get their best game,” Coach Glenn Caruso said. “They’ve run pretty successfully through their conference, and they’re going to come in very confident in what they do.”

St. Thomas has not lost a home game in the last two seasons. Last season, the Tommies won both of their home playoff games. Playing at home will be a huge advantage, Caruso said.

“I could go on about the benefits for an hour,” Caruso said. “In terms of game day, you know what to expect when it comes to the atmosphere. We’ve had unbelievable support all year long, and I’d like to think that support will grow even stronger as the team moves through the playoffs.”

Junior defensive lineman Blake Brix said playing at home is huge.

“We’ve worked really hard to put ourselves in this situation, and you can feel the excitement around campus,” Brix said.  “It will be an advantage for us on Saturday to have our friends, family and fans behind us on our home field.”

St. Thomas will try to build off last year’s playoff success. The Tommies won their first two games before losing to Linfield College 31-20 in McMinnville, Ore. Caruso said he believes this year’s team is built for a deeper playoff run.

“Physically, we’re deeper,” Caruso said. “I think there’s more confidence in what we’re doing because it’s our third year in the system.”

Tommie defense vs. Benedictine offense

Benedictine boasts a high-powered offensive attack, led by sophomore running back John Borsellino. Borsellino has shouldered the load this season for the Eagles, rushing for 959 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has also caught four touchdown passes and returned one punt for a touchdown.

“He’s real shifty,” Caruso said. “He’s not a very big kid, but he’s tough. He understands when to make a very quick, calculated estimation as to when it’s time to bounce it outside or put his nose down and get his yards.”

The Eagles have outscored opponents 368-189 this season, racking up 406 total yards of offense per game. Senior quarterback Preston Earl has been instrumental in the offense’s success, completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,074 yards and 24 touchdowns. Caruso said he believes the Eagles’ quarterback is “up there” with the best quarterbacks St. Thomas has faced this season.

“He’s very confident hanging in the pocket and allowing the routes to develop,” Caruso said. “Much like us, they have a very complimentary offense. Their pass game flows sequentially off their run game and vice versa.”

Some of Benedictine’s biggest weapons are senior wide receivers Mike Trombetta and Brandin Austin.

Trombetta is similar to Tommie receiver Fritz Waldvogel; he may not be the biggest guy on the field, but he’s fast. Trombetta leads the Eagles with 903 yards through the air and 10 touchdowns.

Austin, on the other hand, stands 6-foot-2 and is dynamic after the catch. Like Trombetta, Austin has scored 10 touchdowns this season, compiling 864 yards of his own.

“I think they play off of each other about as good as any tandem we’ve seen,” Caruso said.

Led by top tackler senior linebacker Tommy Becker (52.5 tackles) and senior safety Brady Ervin (5 interceptions), the Tommie defense has been a force all season. Caruso said the keys to his defense’s success are “team speed” and “athleticism,” and he is confident in their ability to slow the Eagles.

“I just got done chatting with the [Benedictine] coach,” Caruso said. “I said, ‘Do you have any questions?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, do you guys have any weaknesses on defense at all?’ I said, ‘We do, but I can’t tell you.’”

Tommie offense vs. Benedictine defense

The Tommies feature a potent offense of their own, averaging more than 40 points and 412.1 yards per game.

Junior Fritz Waldvogel will be a major factor in Saturday’s contest. Waldvogel has 938 yards and seven touchdowns receiving on the season, averaging a MIAC-best 93.4 yards per game. The speedster is also a constant threat to return a kick or punt all the way.

The Tommies will also need a big game from junior running back Colin Tobin and senior All-American Ben Wartman. Both backs have been consistent so far, with Wartman rushing for 756 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Tobin adding 668 yards and 8 touchdowns of his own. With All-American center Josh Osture, a senior, anchoring the offensive line, the Tommies were second in the MIAC in rushing this season.

“I would not give a grade of an ‘A’ yet to the [offensive line’s] performance,” Caruso said. “We’ve been moving some guys around a bit to try and find the right fit, and I think they’re starting to play at a level we expect of them, and that’s a level of dominance.”

The Tommie offensive line will have its hands full Saturday with an opportunistic Benedictine defense. Led by senior linebacker J.T. Zimmerman, the Eagles have held opponents to 18.9 points per game and have forced 22 turnovers. Zimmerman leads the team with 79 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and one interception.

“They’re very crafty,” Caruso said. “Getting turnovers is about having athletes and playing with confidence, and they’ve got those two components.”

Ryan Shaver can be reached at Shav7005@stthomas.edu.