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Despite leading by three points in the second quarter, the St. Thomas football team exploded offensively, scoring 29 unanswered points in a 32-6 home opener win over Michigan Tech Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

With the win, the Tommies (1-1, 0-0 Pioneer League) extended their home regular season win streak to 32 games. The Tommies now lead the Huskies (1-1, 0-0 Great Lakes) 2-0 in matchups since St. Thomas moved to Division I.

“They are more than a solid program, and [I’m] just happy to see that we were able to stand in because, physically, they definitely tested us,” coach Glenn Caruso said.

For the second game in a row, the Tommies started out with a quick score as sophomore running back Shawn Shipman rushed 1 yard into the endzone to put the Tommies up six with junior kicker Louis Hyde’s missed the extra point.

Shipman’s touchdown came on the fifth play from scrimmage after being set up by his own 58-yard breakthrough run just three plays earlier.

“We got that spark early; I felt like we kept going,” Shipman said. “We came out after the first touchdown and just kept pushing, trying to get more, and I don’t think we were satisfied.”

The score marked Shipman’s first career touchdown for St. Thomas, but it was not his last. With 19 seconds remaining in the first half, Shipman ran another short ball in for a 1-yard score to bring the Tommies ahead 26-3 at halftime.

Caruso was “very happy” with Shipman’s 157-yard performance in the game, but he still said that there is a sort of “crispness” lacking in the sophomore’s gameplay that is sure to come with more reps in future games.

Despite the lopsided score at halftime, the Huskies were able to keep the game within one score at the end of the first quarter as they marched the ball 64 yards down the field for a 25- yard field goal on their first offensive drive.

However, the St. Thomas squad recovered quickly, not wanting another close game with the Huskies like the 2021 season’s 12-9 road win nailbiter. After allowing a third down conversion during the Huskies’ first drive, the Tommies defense did not allow another on the Huskies’ remaining 14 attempts.

Sophomore linebacker Jonathan Bunce led his team in tackles (7) and said the team stepped up its defense from last week’s 44-13 loss at Southern Utah.

“I think [the defense] was a little bit more Tommie football-esque,” Bunce said. “It looked and felt a lot more like the way we played at the end of last year and the way we know we can play.”

Caruso echoed Bunce’s sentiment but still found tackling errors in the game that could have led his defense to an even more dominant performance.

“We didn’t tackle well early,” Caruso said. “We ran to the ball well early, we fit the run game fairly well early, but we didn’t finish on the ball carrier.”

The Tommie defense held the Huskies to 150 yards and intercepted a pass by Husky senior quarterback Will Ark in the endzone. Michigan Tech quarterbacks were sacked three times by the Tommies, with senior defensive back Kam In contributing 1.5 sacks for the defense.

However, it was the St. Thomas special teams that had some of the highest highs and the lowest lows of the game. Hyde missed three of five extra point and field goal attempts in the game, to which Caruso was dismayed.

“I was disgusted with three misses, but it’s not just the kicker in that situation; it’s really the entire operation,” Caruso said.

Being without the Tommies’ usual long snapper in sophomore Jack Francl, Caruso partially blamed the rhythm of the kicking squad as a factor behind the misses.

In terms of highs for the special teams, the “most exciting” play of the game according to Caruso came on a blocked punt by first-year linebacker Ryan Sever. He batted the ball into the endzone where his teammate, first-year defensive back Mitchell Schares, quickly pounced for a touchdown.

The Tommies’ special teams once again made the highlight reel when junior placekicker Kolby Gartner ran for an 11-yard TD on a fake field goal.

The St. Thomas offense boasted 296 yards, converting 5 of 12 third downs as senior quarterback Cade Sexauer threw for 91 yards and one touchdown. Sexauer’s TD came on a 33-yard strike to sophomore wide receiver Andrew McElroy.

“That one felt really good seeing him catch that and just letting that one go,” Sexauer said. “Andrew is really talented; I just have to get him the ball even more than I do right now.”

The Tommies will take a weekend off before returning to O’Shaughnessy Stadium at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24 to take on Lincoln University (California).

“We really have to grow this next week and really have to take advantage of our bye week,” Sexauer said. “I think we have to prepare not only for Lincoln, but for the rest of the season. … They’re a really talented football team.”

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