Quarterback Matt O’Connell’s three touchdowns led the No. 2-ranked St. Thomas football team to a 52-7 win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

O’Connell completed 11 of 18 passes for 134 yards and ran for 108. The second-season starting quarterback said he tried to pick up as many yards as he could while avoiding big hits.

“The guys on the edge did an awesome job, and the (offensive) line did a phenomenal job of protection today,” O’Connell said.

Eau Claire couldn’t manage a single point in the second half and only rushed for 90 yards on the game. Starting running back Joel Sweeney scored the lone touchdown for the Blugolds but left the game at halftime with a bruised rib.

“It was a good day of work,” coach Glenn Caruso said. “(The final score) is a little bit of an anomaly because that’s a really good football team. That score’s probably not reflective of how good that team is.”

The 91-degree heat didn’t stifle the Tommies, whose scoring began early when running back Brenton Braddock capped off a 65-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run, giving St. Thomas a 7-0 lead with 10:03 left in the first quarter.

“Certainly we moved the ball well,” O’Connell said. “There’s obviously going to be mistakes that we’ll correct tomorrow in film. It’s great to be on the field and playing somebody that’s not our own teammates.”

On the Tommies’ second possession, O’Connell orchestrated a 43-yard drive, finishing it with a 2-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and a 15-0 lead. Touchdowns from wide receiver Matt Allen and running back Jack Kaiser, along with a field goal from Paul Graupner, put the Tommies up 32-7 at halftime.

In the start of the second half, St. Thomas’ offense had two stalled drives due to penalties.

“We hit a halftime lull,” Caruso said. “But our defense was able to sustain that lull coming out and didn’t allow any third quarter points.”

The Tommies opened their second-half scoring when O’Connell found tight end Greg Kriege wide open for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 7:27 remaining in the third quarter, completing a five play, 40-yard drive.

Running backs Garrett Engelhardt and Tommie newcomer Ayo Okesanya both added a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Defensive back Walter Franklin had an interception and a fumble recovery to solidify the victory.

“I think we did a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback and stopping the run game,” Franklin said. “We’ll probably get in the film room tomorrow and go from there.”

St. Thomas totaled 191 yards in the air and 280 on the ground. Saturday marked the first time St. Thomas scored 52 points in a home opener since 1917 when the Tommies recorded a 52-0 win.

Saturday’s win was the Tommies’ 35th straight regular-season victory, including an 18-game winning streak at home.

The Tommies hit the road Thursday for a matchup against Wisconsin-River Falls at 7 p.m.

Kyle Jonas can be reached at jona7984@stthomas.edu.