Northern Iowa escapes St. Thomas victory thanks to lucky comeback

Three plays into the opening drive of St. Thomas’ game against the Northern Iowa Panthers on Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium, Tommies head coach Glenn Caruso decided to go bold.

Three rushes by running back Gabe Abel left the Tommies with a fourth-and-1 at their own 34-yard line. Caruso kept his offense on the field, and when Abel was stopped on a run up the middle, the heavily favored Panthers were in prime position to take an early lead.

The move proved not costly for the Tommies, as a 29-yard field goal attempt by Northern Iowa hit the right post. But in the eyes of the veteran coach, the decision had far greater implications than the immediate outcome.

“I wanted to do it because that was my commitment to the offensive line,” Caruso said of the unit that underperformed in last week’s loss to Division II Sioux Falls. “I love our offense and defensive line. I challenged them before the game because I thought the way we played last week was disgusting.

“And I would do it again 100 times out of 100, and I don’t care what anybody says. It wasn’t for the win, it wasn’t for the effect. It was because I love them and I trust them. Even though we didn’t pick it up, the response that came from the field set the stage for the rest of the game.”

It turned out to be a game where St. Thomas didn’t trail until the fourth quarter, when the Panthers scored 10 points to come away with a 17-10 victory.

The Tommies went 0-2, but they did more than just a good job after their 44-3 loss to Northern Iowa in 2021. They may have gotten their season back on track after a shocking opening-game loss.

“I think it was a battle today,” said Tommys tight end Patrick Wagner, who had eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. “There was a lot going into this game, considering we played them three years ago.”

The Tommies led 10-7 going into the fourth quarter, but a blocked punt allowed Northern Iowa to set up a first-and-goal at the St. Thomas 7-yard line. The Tommies limited the damage to a field goal that tied the game.

The Panthers’ winning touchdown drive was set up by a 56-yard run by halfback Tye Edwards, who finished with 143 yards rushing. On a second-and-5 from the Tommies’ 15-yard line, Panthers running back Amauri Pesek-Hickson fumbled in the backfield after a handoff, but the ball bounced right back to him and he carried it in for the score.

The Tommies got the ball one last time and were able to reach the Northern Iowa 32-yard line on a first down with 32 seconds left. Four consecutive incompletions ended the comeback attempt.

“There’s a difference between being proud and being happy,” Caruso said of the defeat. “I can’t sit here and say you’re happy with the result, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was incredibly proud of the effort the boys put in.

“That’s a program that was a 40- to 45-point game three years ago, and honestly it wasn’t even that close. Seeing the growth over the last three years is part of what you saw today. I’m disappointed we weren’t able to pull it off in the end.

“But the commitment to grow from Week 1 to Week 2 was immense. If we’re willing to do that over the next 11 weeks, I think we have a chance to be a decent team.”

Tak Tateoka started at quarterback for the Tommies, but backup Michael Rostberg played most of the game, completing 15 of 23 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.

“We were going to have a certain number of drives for Tak and a certain number of drives for Michael and then make a decision,” Caruso said. “Coach (Caleb) Corrill and the offensive staff felt after the first five or six drives that Michael was the guy to go with.”

The Tommies, who were without starting wide receiver Jacob Wildermuth to start the game, had several players injured in the game. Abel was limited to five carries before suffering a leg injury. Defensive linemen C.J. Warren and Emmanuel Olagbaju missed time with shoulder injuries.

The Tommies fear the worst after starting cornerback Branden Smith suffered a right leg injury in the second quarter.

“What a tough kid,” an emotional Caruso said. “You work so hard to recruit and develop everything, and he gets a bad deal in the South Dakota game last year and he’s out for the entire season. And now … my heart breaks.”