The St. Thomas football team is off to an exceptional start in its second season at the Division I level, starting the season 7-1 and undefeated thus far in conference play.
The Tommies have defeated their toughest opponents on paper in Davidson and San Diego, and they are ready to prove that their success is anything but a fluke in their three remaining games.
“It doesn’t surprise them (the players) when every game that target on your back is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger,” coach Glenn Caruso told reporters after his team’s victory over San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 29.
The Tommies have not only risen above their preseason expectations, but they have risen to the top of the Pioneer Football League standings as well.
The Tommies have sat atop the PFL standings since the very beginning of the season, and they hope to stay there after the three remaining games.
After four straight home victories against Lincoln (CA), Drake, and defending co-conference champions Davidson and San Diego, St. Thomas is currently ranked No. 25 in the FCS Top 25 Coaches Poll. This is the first time in DI history that the Tommies have been ranked.
The Tommies have 134 wins in their last 158 games under Caruso, a win percentage in that time that compares to upper echelon college football programs such as Alabama and North Dakota State.
Arguably most impressive of all, the Tommies have a 36-game regular season win streak at O’Shaughnessy Stadium. The last time the Tommies lost at home, President Obama was still in office, the Chicago Cubs had just won the World Series and most of the current players were in middle school.
The streak is the second longest in college football, only behind that of Clemson, where the Tigers have held their home unbeaten streak in “Death Valley” 21 days longer than the Tommies.
The Tommies’ stifling defense has played a key role in their phenomenal start to the 2022 season. In their recent road game against Prestbyterian, linebacker Ryan Sever returned a blocked punt for a touchdown that blew open the game for the Tommies as they held Presbetyrian from scoring for the rest of the game.
“The goal is that next week is better than this week; we’re not going to rest easy on having a win,” sophomore linebacker Jonathan Bunce said in a post game interview on Oct. 29.
Another reason for the team’s success thus far has been its rushing game. What makes St. Thomas’ rushing corps unique is that five of its eight games so far have had a different rushing leader.
Those five players are sophomore running back Landon Reed, first-year running back Gabriel Abel, sophomore running backs Hope Adebayo and Shawn Shipman and senior quarterback Cade Sexauer.
With three games left on the 2022 schedule, the Tommies take on Valparaiso (away on Nov. 5), Stetson (home on Nov. 12) and Butler (away on Nov. 19). With each win, the team is inching ever closer to its next accomplishment: a conference title.
As the Tommies sit just one game above Davidson, a win in each of the remaining games is crucial if the Tommies wish to hoist the PFL championship banner.
The advantage for St. Thomas, however, is that the Tommies defeated Davidson earlier season 27-16, meaning if the two teams are tied with the same record at the end of the season, the Tommies will get the nod to raise the championship banner.
The campaign toward a conference title and an undefeated in-conference season continues Saturday for the Tommies as they take on Valparaiso on the road.
Karl Warner can be reached at warn5356@stthomas.edu.