Running back Jordan Roberts scored three first-half touchdowns and quarterback John Gould connected with wide receiver Ryan Bradley on a 42-yard scoring pass to give the Tommies a 29-7 lead at halftime in the second round of the NCAA playoffs Saturday afternoon at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

Roberts scored on three runs of one yard each in the rematch between the two archrivals. No. 4-ranked St. Thomas won the regular-season game, 35-14, on Sept 26.

Roberts capped off a lengthy 15-play Tommie (11-0 overall, 8-0 conference) drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge on the team’s first possession.

Gould and Bradley doubled the Tommies’ lead when the pair connected on a 42-yard pass. A successful extra point increased the Tommies’ lead to 14-0 with 11:33 left in the second quarter. Roberts added another 1-yard rushing score on St. Thomas’ following possession. A two-point conversion run by tight end Charlie Dowdle created a 22-0 lead with 5:12 left in the second quarter.

The 10th-ranked Johnnies finally got on the board when Martin lobbed a pass to tight end Nick Simon, who bobbled it a couple times before hauling it in for a 38-yard touchdown with 2:11 left in the first half. Martin left the game late in the second quarter with an apparent injury. Johnny Benson replaced Martin.

Another 1-yard rushing touchdown by Roberts ended first-half scoring with 57 seconds left in the second quarter.

On the Johnnies’ (10-1 overall, 7-1 conference) first crack on offense, quarterback Nick Martin tried to flip the ball to running back Sam Sura on an option, but linebacker Jesse Addo tackled Martin just as he released it. Defensive lineman Ryan Winter recovered the fumble on St. Johns’ 39-yard line, which gave St. Thomas excellent field position. The Tommies failed to capitalize when kicker Paul Graupner missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt.

Game-time temperature was 25 degrees in bright sunshine before a crowd of approximately 5,000 on Thanksgiving-break weekend.

Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.