Despite a touchdown by sophomore running back Shawn Shipman on the second play from scrimmage, the St. Thomas football team was crushed 44-13 by Southern Utah Thursday at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah.
In the first game of their second Division I season, the Tommies (0-1, 0-0 Pioneer League) sought to continue their unprecedented success from the 2021 season, but interceptions, fumbles and turnovers on downs stifled any chance of a Tommie comeback.
“We’re going to learn from any situation,” coach Glenn Caruso said. “As tough as this is tonight, we’re going to learn from it–that I promise.”
Despite the Thunderbirds’ meager 1-10 record during the 2021 season, the team was clearly “faster, bigger and stronger” than the Tommies, according to Caruso, as he compared them to last year’s FCS DI opponent, Northern Iowa. Southern Utah, also an FCS DI opponent, tied the Tommies’ high for points allowed in a game during the DI era (Northern Iowa, 44-3).
The Thunderbirds (1-0, 0-0 Western Athletic) forced four total Tommie fumbles, two of which were recovered by Southern Utah. Senior quarterback Cade Sexauer and sophomore quarterback Connor Jordan also threw an interception apiece in the game, both of which resulted in points scored for the Thunderbirds.
After what seemed like a tone-setting touchdown by Shipman to start the game, the Thunderbirds answered back in remarkable fashion, scoring 28 unanswered points.
The Tommies totaled 462 yards in the game compared to Southern Utah’s 489. However, St. Thomas was stunted multiple times on fourth down conversions, converting only three of seven total attempts.
The Thunderbirds converted their sole fourth down conversion of the night as junior quarterback Justin Miller threw a 38-yard dart to set up the team’s first score–a field goal midway through the first quarter.
After trailing early, Southern Utah quickly took command of the game. Completing 23 of 35 attempts, Miller threw for three touchdowns, two of which came on 64-yard and 25-yard passes to junior wide receiver Isaiah Wooden. He ended the night with five receptions for 142 yards.
“Their speed is obviously something we don’t see almost ever,” Caruso said. “They [the Tommies] were not ready to match it or meet it and you saw it. I don’t need to look at stats to know that they got after us.”
Trailing by 21 points with 4:41 left in the third quarter, Sexauer gave the Tommies a bit of life with a 9-yard pass to senior running back Josh Komis, bringing the Tommies within two scores. The score was Komis’ first DI touchdown.
However, St. Thomas could not sustain its momentum as the Thunderbirds scored 16 more unanswered points to finish the game, coming on two final touchdowns, a missed extra point and a field goal.
The Tommies look to bounce back as they take on Michigan Tech Saturday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. at Schoenecker Stadium in St. Paul in a rematch of the Tommies’ first DI game.
“We’re looking forward to getting back in front of the home crowd and hopefully having everyone show up and support the university,” Caruso said.
Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.
Early in the season weaker teams schedule games against much stronger teams and receive big bucks in return: e.g. Western Illinois-Minnnesota, Mercer-Georgia, North Dakota-Nebraska. The hundreds of thousands they receive for being sacrificial victims fund their athletic departments. Since Southern Utah is not in UST’s conference, and since the game was a blowout, I am suspicious that this was one of these games. UST football expenses must have soared with long and expensive flights to away games in NY, NC, SC, and CA, and here was a way to get some bucks. Hope I am wrong and that UST has not stooped to this sleazy tactic. Am I wrong?