Sophomore quarterback Michael Rostberg threw his first collegiate touchdown in a 17-10 loss to the University of Northern Iowa Saturday afternoon at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
Coach Glenn Caruso has never started a season 0-2 in his 18 seasons as a head coach. Despite today’s loss, he noted the improvements since the loss on Aug. 29 to Division II University of Sioux Falls.
“There’s a difference between being proud and being happy. I’m not going to sit here today and say that you’re happy about the outcome, but I’d be lying if I can’t recognize that I’m tremendously proud at the effort that the guys put in,” Caruso said.
It was déjà vu for the Tommies on one particular play. Panthers graduate running back Tye Edwards fumbled the ball on the St. Thomas 10 yard line. Senior running back Amauri Pesek-Hickson picked it right back up and ran into the endzone for a Northern Iowa touchdown.
An almost identical play happened in St. Thomas’ previous matchup against Sioux Falls.
“Playing the way we played defense, stopping the run the way we stopped it, punching the ball out the way we did. Those are things we can control, not going to spend time on things we can’t control, like how it bounces,” Caruso said.
Edwards and Pesek-Hickson combined for 227 rushing yards and Pesek-Hickson also scored the other UNI touchdown.
“All of their backs were big, whether it was (numbers) two or five. All of them like massive, strong, fast human beings, no doubt,” Caruso said.
After being pulled in the season opener, sophomore quarterback Tak Tateoka started the game again. After his helmet popped off and he was forced to take a play off, Rostberg stepped in and immediately threw a 13-yard touchdown pass on third-and-12.
“We were going to go with a certain number of drives for Tak and a certain number of drives for Michael, and then make a decision. It just so happens that Michael’s first touchdown pass was on Tak’s drive when he comes in,” Caruso said. “(Offensive coordinator) Coach Corrill and the offensive staff felt like after the first five or six drives, pretty clearly, that Michael was the guy to be able to go to.”
Junior running back Gabe Abel prepped for a heavy workload with graduate receiver Jacob Wildermuth sidelined. However, after rushing on the first five plays of Tommie offense and catching an 11-yard reception, Abel left the game with an apparent injury.
Other notable Tommies who had to leave the game were sophomore defensive lineman Emmanuel Olagbaju and junior defensive back Branden Smith.
“We felt for Branden … he’s one of the leaders of our team,” junior defensive back Joseph Obeto said, “But the backup that came, Sanjay (Redd), he did really good, and we believed in him.”
“I think everybody on our team is prepared and ready to go, no matter who they are or where they’re at on the depth chart,” junior tight end Patrick Wagner said.
Senior running back Hope Adebayo came in for Abel and rushed for 113 net yards on 20 attempts, more than the entire team’s 22 yards against Sioux Falls.
“I think anyone who watched him knows that Hope is so tough. He wasn’t 100% today either, and just to be able to have someone who you can rely on like that, I think builds confidence throughout the team,” Caruso said.
Caruso also made the choice to go for the conversion on a fourth down early in the game, a choice that he said continued to give the team confidence, especially the offensive line, despite the attempt being unsuccessful.
“I would go back 100 times out of 100, and anybody who- I don’t care what anybody says. That wasn’t for a win, that wasn’t for effect, that’s because I love them and I trust them,” Caruso said, “Even though we didn’t pick it up, coming off the field, the response I think set the stage for the rest of the game.”
Caruso, a former college offensive lineman himself, challenged his linemen to improve on their performance in their first game. He called the way they played against Sioux Falls “gross” but also credited the “stalwart” position group for the Tommies’ historic success.
Junior kicker Stephen Shagen missed 30- and 29-yard field goals Saturday, including one that he made originally before offsetting penalties forced the Tommies to try again and miss. Caruso exercised similar trust when setting Shagen up for a 50-yard attempt on fourth-and-6 in the third quarter.
“It wasn’t like we didn’t have options to go for it, or to punt, or to put another kicker in. I just believed,” Caruso said. “I looked the kid in the eye at halftime and said, ‘You’re going to have a shot to win the game on your foot.’ So what kind of dude am I if I say that and then I don’t back it up with my actions? We might lose, but I’m not a liar.”
Northern Iowa, a scholarship FCS team, was the best team ever hosted at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
St. Thomas will finish its three-game home stint against Black Hills State University Saturday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m.
“We’ve got to stack another brick, you know. Next week we’ve got to stack a brick through practice and everything. This is just another stepping stone, and we’re just going to keep getting better every week,” Obeto said.
Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.