The St. Thomas football team avoided another shutout but fell to Harvard 45-13 on Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the team’s final nonconference game before Pioneer League play begins.

After Harvard (1-0) scored 31 unanswered points in the game’s first half, the Tommies (1-2) pushed back with a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter by junior running back Hope Adebayo, and a touchdown in the fourth quarter by junior running back Shawn Shipman.

The game was Harvard’s first competition of the 2023 season. Harvard sophomore safety Ty Bartrum intercepted a pass in the second quarter and scored a 96-yard touchdown, which was followed by a 69-yard touchdown by junior quarterback Charles DePrima.

This was the Tommies’ second loss of the season, following last week’s shutout against South Dakota State. The game also marked the first time in coach Glenn Caruso’s career at St. Thomas that the team has lost two back-to-back games.

Junior wide receiver Andrew McElroy and sophomore quarterback Amari Powell returned to the field after not playing in last week’s game.

Senior wide receiver Jacob Wildermuth was out with an apparent leg injury.

The Tommies will play their first conference game this season against Morehead State (1-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

Owen Larson can be reached at lars6521@stthomas.edu.