DES MOINES, Iowa — Two touchdowns by sophomore running back Hope Adebayo in the second quarter propelled the St. Thomas football team to a 14-0 halftime lead over Drake University Saturday at Drake Stadium.

The matchup marks the first time the Tommies (5-3, 4-2 PFL) have faced the Bulldogs (2-6, 1-5 PFL) in a football game and the first time the Tommies have played in Des Moines since 1925, when they faced Des Moines University.

St. Thomas’ dominant defense had four takeaways in the first half, coming off of a blocked punt and three interceptions. The Tommies held Drake (2-6, 1-5 PFL) to just 50 yards of offense and 0-for-4 on third-down conversions in the half.

The first quarter remained scoreless, despite two Tommie interceptions of Drake junior quarterback Ian Corwin and a fumble by St. Thomas senior QB Cade Sexauer.

The Tommies, who average just 36 penalty yards per game, had 45 yards worth of penalties in the first quarter, also hindering them from capitalizing on any scoring opportunities.

An interception by senior defensive back Joe Hird in the second quarter set up an 84-yard touchdown drive, resulting in a 2-yard score by Adebayo to put the Tommies up 7-0 with seven minutes remaining.

The Tommies’ first interception came on their own 34-yard line by senior defensive lineman Brent Robley, but Sexauer’s fumble during the drive thwarted any chance of a first-quarter score for St. Thomas.

However, the Tommies’ offense began to roll in the second quarter as they racked up 162 of their 222 total first-half yards and converted a perfect 6-of-6 on third down efforts.

Adebayo added his second score of the half with 13 seconds remaining as he rushed for an 8-yard touchdown through multiple Bulldog defensemen.

Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.