On paper, this Saturday’s away game between fourth-ranked St. Thomas and Hamline University appears to be a complete mismatch.

The Tommies are undefeated and coming off a 37-0 victory over the nationally-ranked Bethel Royals. St. Thomas has dominated Hamline since 2009, outscoring the Pipers 173-27 in three games.

However, coach Glenn Caruso said he doesn’t see it as a mismatch.

“When we get back to work after a big win, it should be the same attitude as if we get back to work after a close win,” Caruso said.

The Tommies haven’t had many of those neck and neck wins to deal with, except for week one’s 27-24 close-call at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. As for Hamline, it remains winless in the MIAC, coming off a 63-14 defeat at the hands of Concordia-Moorhead last weekend.

Still, sophomore wide receiver Dan Ferrazzo said the Tommies can’t look past the Pipers.

“Anything can happen in college football, especially when teams play on the road,” sophomore wide receiver Dan Ferrazzo said. “We need to come out sharp because we are going to get their best shot.”

Hamline features a power running game, a “very traditional option-based attack” as Caruso puts it, led by versatile freshman running back Austin Duncan. He comes into Saturday’s game fifth in the conference in rushing, averaging 83.7 yards a game.

So far, the Tommies have faced teams this season who focus on the ground game like Bethel and Gustavus, and the Pipers are no different. Hamline averages 193 rushing yards and only 92 passing yards a game.

“The commitments to running the ball are all the same,” Caruso said of Hamline, Bethel and Gustavus. “But the fashion in which they do it are gravely different.”

The Piper offense will have to deal with a Tommie defense that didn’t allow Bethel a first down until the third quarter last Saturday.

Caruso said he believes the team’s success on defense is an established system that the players have bought into.

“The fact that you don’t have to make every tackle, but you just have to do your job every snap is a key,” Caruso said. “Our defense fits extremely well together.”

With that said, the Tommies have used makeshift lineups to fill in for several injured players.

“A lot of people are stepping up,” junior punter Garrett Maloney, a preseason all-American, said. “It’s not fazing the team one bit.”

Although the Tommies have had a number of injuries on the defensive side, Caruso said, fans will see many new faces stepping in at key roles.

“I can tell you for a fact that you’ll see more guys this week just out of necessity for us,” Caruso said. “We need to make sure everyone is getting the reps they need to stay healthy.”

When called upon, Maloney and the special teams have played a pivotal role, largely in the field-position battle.

“My four punts last week pinned them (Bethel) deep back in their own territory,” Maloney said. “It makes them farther away from the end zone and thus harder for them to score. And with the way our defense has been playing, it’s going to be tough to score.”

On offense, the Tommies made quick adjustments in holding onto the football and eliminating penalties after committing six turnovers Oct. 6, against Gustavus. Against Bethel, the Tommies had one turnover and a season-low four penalties.

“One attribute this offense possesses is the ability to figure things out on the run,” Ferrazzo said. “If a team throws something at us that we weren’t expecting, we will regroup and figure it out.”

In last year’s game, the Tommies routed Hamline 49-0 on homecoming. St. Thomas racked up 440 yards of offense to Hamline’s 28.

Maloney said he wouldn’t mind getting on the field Saturday at Klas Center, but he wants the offense to be successful.

“Sometimes I joke around with Matt (O’Connell), ‘Throw an incomplete pass on third down once please,’” Maloney said. “Our offense has been solid this year, and I think it will continue to be strong.”

Ross Schreck can be reached at schr8250@stthomas.edu.