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Junior quarterback Dakota Tracy has never lost a Tommie football game as a starter. Tracy has had an unblemished 8-0 record in the starting lineup, dating back to last October in his first career start.

But Tracy, who has started every game this year, doesn’t care much about the impressive record. He’s more focused on helping his team “win each day” on the practice field in preparation for St. John’s this Saturday.

“If we take every day one step at a time, then Saturday should take care of itself,” Tracy said.

Last year, the Johnnies took care of the Tommies 20-17 in an overtime thriller in Collegeville. St. Thomas didn’t play up to its potential, Coach Glenn Caruso said.

“I think our guys are very aware we played a C+ game last year,” Caruso said. “For us to play that type of game with that much riding on the line is unacceptable.”

Even more will be riding on the line this year given that both teams are tied for first in the MIAC, are ranked in the top 20 nationally, and are undefeated in the conference. St. John’s will also be celebrating homecoming.

“It’s going to be an emotional game,” Tracy said. “We want this one. This one means a lot to us.”

How good is St. John’s this year?

The Johnnies went into the 2010 season ranked No. 9 overall in a D3football.com poll, but the team dropped to No. 18 after losing a game early in the season to Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

With the Tommies ranked at No. 4 in the same poll, the two teams are “playing for more than just a rivalry victory,” Caruso said.

“They’re playing for an opportunity to separate themselves in the MIAC race, [and] they’re playing for an opportunity to separate themselves from some of the other teams on a national scene,” he said. “It’s not too often you get your rivalry game where there’s two top-20 teams.”

St. John’s returned many starters from last year, including senior quarterback Joe Boyle, senior running back Jakob Reding, sophomore running back Stephen Johnson and senior linebacker John Stanton.

Statistically, the Johnnies’ are neck-and-neck with St. Thomas in many categories, including scoring (41 points per game), rushing (190 yards per game) and rushing defense (96.2 yards allowed).

The Tommies’ pass defense — ranked No. 1 in the MIAC — has an edge on the Johnnie secondary, which starts four sophomores.

The Johnnies crushed Augsburg 48-10 last Saturday. Boyle and junior cornerback Alex Powell won MIAC offensive player of the week and defensive player of the week, respectively.

Tommie offense vs. Johnnie defense

The Tommies’ potent offense, averaging 43 points per game this season, will clash with a St. John’s program that has a reputation for building strong defenses. The Johnnies’ defense is the team’s “hidden gem,” Caruso said.

“They’re a handful,” he said. “The last 15 years, they’ve allowed 13 points a game. That’s an amazing statistic.”

While the Johnnies’ secondary defense allows about 232 passing yards per game, it has a MIAC-leading 11 interceptions this season.

But that doesn’t mean Tracy and junior quarterback Greg Morse will be easy to pick off. The duo posts the best passing efficiency in the conference this year.

Tommie defense vs. Johnnie offense

The Tommie defense has been stifling this year, allowing less than eight points per game and ranking at the top of the MIAC in nearly every defensive category. But the defense will have its biggest challenge this season against a strong offense in the hostile Clemens Stadium.

The defense’s four takeaways against Concordia-Moorhead last week bumped up the team’s MIAC-best turnover margin to plus-9, a statistic Caruso said is a key ingredient in a victory.

“The bigger the game, the more important winning the turnover battle is,” he said. “That’s something we didn’t do last year [against St. John’s].”

St. John’s has a balanced offensive attack with Boyle taking the snaps and Johnson and Reding pounding the ball. The offense is ranked second in the MIAC, averaging nearly 468 yards per game.

The game’s outcome could hinge on the Tommies’ ability to contain Boyle, who threw for 339 yards and two scores in last Saturday’s win over Augsburg. Boyle is ranked near the top of the MIAC in passing efficiency, right behind Morse, who has attempted far fewer passes than Boyle.

The end of the losing streak?

If the Tommies win Saturday, it will be the first time the team has beaten the Johnnies since 1997. The Johnnies have won 10 straight games in Collegeville, dating back to 1986.

And while winning on Saturday is important, Caruso said, the entire season doesn’t live or die on this game.

“It’s a huge game, there’s no question about it,” he said. “But it’s not the only game. It doesn’t define our season. Hopefully this year we’ve prepared ourselves better so we’re not in the situation that we were in last year.”

Miles Trump can be reached at mttaylorjohn@stthomas.edu.