Tommie receiver JaShawn Todd rises above senior lineman Jason Laliberte after scoring a touchdown. St. Thomas beat the Lindenwood Lions 35-13 Thursday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium (Evan Neubauer/The Crest). 
Coach Glenn Caruso and graduate defensive back Nick Hand both gave credit to the fans after the win (Evan Neubauer/The Crest). 
UST scored 21 unanswered points to close out the game (Evan Neubauer/The Crest).
St. Thomas topped Lindenwood University 35-13 Thursday night at O’Shaughnessy Stadium to start the season.
After a 64-0 drubbing against Lindenwood last season and one of coach Glenn Caruso’s worst losses in his tenure, the Tommies countered on their turf.
“Honestly when you get beat by 64, and it probably could have been more than that, if I’m being honest, you don’t have to really say or do much. It’s branded in you forever,” Caruso said.
Graduate receiver JaShawn Todd and graduate quarterback Andy Peters entered this season without much experience in Division I. Both players come from NAIA programs and are in their first year with the Tommies. On Thursday night, they proved themselves, guiding St. Thomas to their first victory over a Division I scholarship team.
Even as newly-assembled teammates, their chemistry was unquestioned. A two-touchdown performance by Peters, and a successful fake field goal attempt that turned into a touchdown, fueled the season-opening win.
“I showed up here in June. Me and my dad hopped in the car, drove the 22 hours through South Dakota … showed up first day of lifts, ready to go. You know, it’s just been building those relationships, building from the quarterback room out,” Peters said.
Todd lined up all across the field, returning kicks on special teams, catching shovel passes and end-arounds, streaking down the seams for big gains and snagging an 18-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
“Everybody advocated for him touching the ball in every single way, even the defensive coaches,” Caruso said.
After a month-long fall camp, Peters won the starting job over senior Amari Powell and junior Michael Rostberg. Both played significant snaps last year and have been on the roster for the past two seasons.
The Tommies struggled offensively in the first half, but in the last two quarters, the offense ran rampant. St. Thomas scored 21 unanswered points to close out the game.
The coaching staff implemented some special teams misdirection, as well. Tied 7-7 to start the third quarter, Caruso gambled in a goal-to-go situation. The kicking unit trotted onto the field, and after Lindenwood defenders overran the snap, sophomore receiver Stefano Giovannelli raced to the pylon for the score.
After the game, Caruso was asked about the fake and refrained from revealing any details about the playcall.
“It’s a great question, of which I’m not going to give you the details to,” Caruso said. “We had two fakes live for this game, and I knew exactly what we needed to see.”
Caruso also introduced a new running back tandem. Due to the graduation of workhorse back Hope Adebayo and the absence of senior running back Gabe Abel, coaches leaned on running backs sophomore Joseph Koch and graduate Patrick Bowe, a transfer from FCS Long Island University.
Both averaged over 5 yards per carry, and in their final drive, Koch ripped a 77-yard burst down the sideline late in the game.
Lindenwood was efficient at rushing and passing but couldn’t capitalize on it close to the endzone, only scoring once in three trips inside the 30-yard line. The Lions outpaced the Tommies in total yardage 258-145 in the first half. St. Thomas defensive backs adapted and clamped Lindenwood receivers as the game progressed, with the Tommies secondary batting 7 passes.
“Coach (Wallie Kuchinski) is always great with his halftime adjustments. So he came in very excited, very fired up. Obviously that was an unfortunate first drive right out half, but we knew that we just had to give the offense the ball,” graduate defensive back Nick Hand said.
Lindenwood’s first three dives eclipsed the Tommies’ final third, but sophomore kicker Will Graham missed all field goal attempts: the first two from 28 yards and the third from 38 yards.
The Tommies will face a stout road in the following weeks. St. Thomas will head west and play FCS juggernaut No. 12 Idaho Saturday, Sept. 6 at P1FCU Kibbie Dome. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
UST will remain on the road to play Northern Michigan Sept. 13 before their bye in late September.
For now — and after a victory formation and a bell ring in front of the student section — the Tommies are winners on opening day.
“I thought the (student section) was awesome, especially when we thought we had a safety, and we turned and looked at the crowd, and they’re all doing the Skol chant – that was an electric feeling,” Hand said.
Juan Del Valle can be reached at delv9625@stthomas.edu.
