The St. Thomas football team claimed its biggest win as a Division I program by upending Davidson, the reigning Pioneer Football League co-champion, 27-16 Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
The Tommies (4-1, 2-0 PFL) slowed Davidson’s powerful run game, minimized mistakes and benefitted from senior quarterback Cade Sexauer’s three-touchdown performance, extending their home regular season win streak to 34 games. The win moved the Tommies into a first-place tie with Valparaiso in the PFL.
“That’s a legacy moment right there, and that’s a big thing for our program,” coach Glenn Caruso said.
Last season, the Tommies fell 42-15 on the road after the Wildcats jumped out to an early lead. This time, the Tommies were the ones who started quickly, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive for the fifth time in five games.
The defense also played a pivotal role in the win, holding Davidson (4-2, 2-1 PFL) to 235 rush yards compared to its 389-yard average entering the game.
“That was the most fun I’ve personally had playing this game in a long time,” said senior defensive back Luke Glenna, who led the Tommies with 22 tackles. “We definitely tried to get some redemption after last year, so I think we were all focused this week and ready to roll.”
The Tommies’ offense certainly was ready. Sexauer came out firing, completing his first three passes en route to a 23-yard TD connection to sophomore receiver Andrew McElroy.
On the Wildcats’ first drive, the Tommie defense held tough with senior defensive lineman Tommy Shelstad coming up with a timely sack on a fourth-down try at the St. Thomas 21-yard line. It was the first of five consecutive failed fourth-down conversions for the Wildcats.
“As much as the first-drive score mattered, I think the first drive defense probably mattered even more,” Caruso said.
Tragedy nearly struck for the Tommies when a bad snap to junior punter Kolby Gartner gave the Wildcats the ball at the St. Thomas 29-yard line. However, tough defense and a tipped would-be TD pass by first-year defensive back Branden Smith on a fourth-down try gave the Tommies the ball back.
After the turnover, Sexauer led a drive that ended in his 6-yard pass to junior receiver Jacob Wildermuth, pulling the Tommies ahead 14-0.
“These wide receivers have grown so much since last year; they make so many plays,” Sexauer said. “It’s just awesome to be a part of this offense; they put me in a lot of positions to be successful.”
The Tommies stretched their lead to 21 with 7:37 left in the half when Sexauer connected with McElroy for a 19-yard TD, Sexauer’s third of the day.
With 32 seconds left in the first half, the Wildcats finally got on the board with a 40-yard field goal.
On their opening drive of the second half, the Wildcats scored their first touchdown of the game when senior running back Coy Williams exploded for a 25-yard touchdown run.
The Tommies, however, answered right back as they ate up six minutes of clock during a 73-yard drive. Senior running back Josh Komis capped the drive with a 2-yard TD rush, his first of his DI career.
Caruso called Komis’ touchdown “awesome” and described him as the “consummate Swiss army knife” for his ability to play multiple positions with ease.
“He is everything that’s right with our program,” Caruso said.
Beyond Komis, other St. Thomas running backs made a difference Saturday with sophomore running backs Hope Adebayo and Shawn Shipman splitting time for the Tommies. When Adebayo and Shipman left the game with apparent injuries, first-year running back Gabe Abel picked up the slack and kept the offense moving.
“I think we have one of the best running back rooms that I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Sexauer said.
The Tommies gained the advantage by keeping the Wildcats out of the red zone until 52 seconds remained in the first half.
Caruso also credited defensive coordinator Wallie Kuchinsky with putting together a “really good” plan to slow Davidson’s notorious run game. The defense held Davidson to 93 yards in the air–a major difference from last season’s contest where the Wildcats had 141.
Down by three scores, the Wildcats ran out of time to make a comeback, managing their final touchdown with just over a minute to spare in the game.
After knocking off the reigning co-champion, many Tommie faithful have their eyes on the ultimate prize: a conference championship in the team’s second season at the DI level.
“I think we always feel like we’re in the mix,” Glenna said. “I don’t think winning this game changes that. I think, as a program, we’re just looking toward Drake next week.”
The Tommies take on Drake at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at O’Shaughnessy Stadium for the Tommies’ homecoming game.
Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.
Brenda Cabral Limon and Derek Badger contributed photos to this article.