Tommies bounce back strong

Any follower of St. Thomas football knows the team looked out of rhythm the last two games. Fumbles and interceptions combined with untimely penalties handed the Tommies their first regular-season loss in 36 games. Saturday, St. Thomas welcomes Carleton College to O’Shaughnessy Stadium for its homecoming game. Tight end Matt Allen said after cleaning up some of the issues and getting back to basics during the bye week, the Tommies will be ready to play Saturday.

Offense will light up the scoreboard

Teams have been taking advantage of the Knights’ secondary all season, and I don’t expect anything different Saturday. Carleton has allowed 334, 98 and 193 yards passing in its first three games, respectively. I predict St. Thomas quarterback Matt O’Connell will have a huge day, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. The touchdowns will be spread out among wide receivers Dan Ferrazzo and Matt Misiewicz and running back Brenton Braddock. On the ground, Braddock will have his way, facing a Carleton run defense that allows an average 251 yards per game. Braddock and running back Jack Kaiser will each add a rushing touchdown, along with a kicker Paul Graupner field goal. I think wide receiver Nick Waldvogel will finally get a chance to break loose on a kick return and take it to the house.

Defense remains solid

I have a hard time seeing the Knights putting up more than 13 points offensively against the 18th-ranked Tommie total defense. Carleton averages 130 rushing yards per game, but I doubt the Knights will touch the century mark Saturday. I expect St. Thomas to continue pressuring Carleton quarterback Conor Lynch and shut down the run game. If it plays to its potential, the St. Thomas defense should have no problem dominating the game.

My final score prediction: St. Thomas 45, Carleton 13.