Isaiah Hall remembers the jitters he felt heading into his final season on the St. Thomas football team, a program that was ranked dead last among 128 FCS football programs after making the unprecedented jump from Division III to Division I.
“I think all of us as a team, even the coaches, were a little worried about jumping from DIII and being the first team ever to do it,” said Hall, a senior wide receiver and cornerback. “You know, me personally, I felt like we could compete.”
Less than five months later, the Tommies (6-3, 5-2 Pioneer Football League) have silenced the doubters, entering Saturday’s season finale against Presbyterian in a three-way tie for third place in the PFL and leading in a number of defensive categories.
Coach Glenn Caruso credits a senior class willing to give up starting spots to underclassmen in order to boost the team’s chances for success.
“The reason why I love our seniors more than anything else is because they’re thoughtful and selfless, and they have taken the time in this transition to be able to teach,” Caruso said.
Heading into Saturday’s game, the St. Thomas football team has sported an undefeated home record. They went 3-3 on the road, including a 44-3 loss to previously No. 17 Northern Iowa (FCS) and dropping another game 42-15 to PFL-leading Davidson College.
Caruso credits the belief of people close to his team as a big reason for the Tommies’ achievements.
“I don’t need the belief of a nation or the belief of a million people; we need the belief of our closest family members to believe in each other,” Caruso said.
Hall added: “I felt a lot of teams definitely doubted us a lot. People around the world probably felt that we weren’t good enough or we were just too small. Even on the field, I hear people saying all the time to go back to DIII, but, at the end of the game, we’re winning.”
The Tommies have been winning, in large part, because of their tough defense.
Through nine games, the Tommies lead the league in total defense (286 yards/game), scoring defense (181 points/game), pass defense (157 yards/game), opponent fourth-down conversion percentage (21%) and opponent first-downs (16/game).
“For our team to have the record it does speaks to the belief to be able to fight it out in very difficult circumstances and the thoughtfulness to be able to find ways to be successful in that moment even though things aren’t perfect,” Caruso said.
The Tommies may find themselves having to get out of “very difficult circumstances” this Saturday, Nov. 20 as they take on Presbyterian College in the final home game of the season on the Tommies’ senior day.
Presbyterian (2-8, 0-7 PFL) has lost eight straight games and is tied for tenth in the PFL. Even so, Caruso believes the Blue Hoses are capable of winning.
To put it simply, the Blue Hoses play an interesting style of game.
According to Caruso, Presbyterian rarely punts the football; he has only seen ten punts in nine games that the Blue Hoses have played. They also rely on onside kicks, which is something usually saved for the final moments of a close-scoring game.
“He’s going to test us,” Caruso said of Presbyterian coach Kevin Kelley.
Caruso said Kelley’s style of play has forced teams into uncomfortable situations, making games more mentally challenging.
“Thank goodness that we are a team that is comfortable being uncomfortable because (Kelley) had a lot of success over his career beating teams that were more talented than him,,” Caruso said.
Beyond the challenge that Kelley poses, Caruso and Hall are looking forward to Saturday’s matchup because of its special significance: senior day.
Hall is a first-generation college student and a soon-to-be graduate, so senior day means even more to him.
“Not just being seen on the field, but actually like (getting) a degree. It’s this amazing journey and I’m just blessed to be the first in my family to graduate,” Hall said.
Not only is he looking forward to the game, but he is looking forward to seeing his family.
“They are all excited and very happy because they were here when I started as a freshman and now as I’m leaving college,” Hall said.
Hall and the rest of the seniors hold a special meaning to Caruso. This senior class went through being involuntarily dismissed from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, transitioning from DIII to DI and a lost 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re packed a whole lot of life into their five years here and none of it’s because of their own choosing,” Caruso said, “but they certainly have made the most out of every circumstance.”
Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.
Olivia Paradise contributed to this report.