An unstoppable force met an immovable object Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

Eureka College football, led by the NCAA Division III second-leading rusher, running back LeAnthony Reasnover, clashed with D-III football’s best total defense and best defense against the run in the Tommies.

“There’s no question he poses a lot of threats,” coach Glenn Caruso said after the game. “He’s a guy who is as good a running back as their league as seen in a long time. If he was in our league, he would be a very good running back as well.”

In the end, the immovable Tommie defense held Reasnover and the Red Devil offense to 155 total yards and yielded only one score as St. Thomas (8-0 MIAC, 10-1 overall) advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs with a 47-8 victory against the Eureka Red Devils (8-1 UMAC, 8-3 overall).

For the seventh time this season, the Tommie run defense held an opposing rushing attack to under 50 yards. Coming into the game, Reasnover averaged 183.4 yards and just over three touchdowns a game. He was limited to 41 yards Saturday and was unable to find the endzone.

Leading the defense effort for St. Thomas was linebacker Adam Brant, who had a team-leading eight tackles and personal season-high two tackles for a loss. He also forced a fumble and returned an interception 28 yards for the team’s fourth defensive touchdown of the season.

“We’re a high energy team and we like to feed off that energy,” Brant said. “When one part of our team is struggling, we like to get those big energy plays, pick them up get that energy going. We’re always there for each other … it’s fun to watch.”

The defense’s stout performance was mirrored by St. Thomas’ special teams, a unit which allowed only 60 yards on four returns by the Red Devils. The effort was capped in the third quarter when defensive back Jack Dummer blocked a punt at the 4-yard line. Defensive back Andrew Inserra scooped the loose ball and punched it in for six.

The blocked punt capped off a three consecutive-drive scoring run, which also included a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacques Perra to tight end Jackson Hull and Brant’s pick six.

The Tommie offense, which Caruso said had been steadily improving over the course of the season, took a while to establish a rhythm against the Red Devils. Through four offensive drives in the first quarter, the Tommies were only able to find the endzone once.

Part of the frustration came from the Tommies’ inability to convert on third- and fourth-down situations, only getting a first down on four of its 16 third down and four of its eight fourth down situations.

“I think anyone who knows us knows that we go for it on fourth down more than the average bear,” Caruso said. “We feel supremely confident … to go for it on fourth down. It didn’t really work out today.”

Despite the struggles to find rhythm early and keep momentum going on offensive drives, the Tommies were able to hit pay dirt more often as the game wore on. Running back Josh Parks credits part of that turnaround to the other units.

“Our defense played really, really well and they set us up in very good situations,” he said. “We left points (off) the board, but it’s all about finding our rhythm … I think in the second half we did that much better.”

The offense will have at least one more week to continue to find its rhythm. With the win, the Tommies advance to the second round of the NCAA playoffs to take on the Berry College Vikings.

Berry, located in Rome, Georgia, just over an hour north of Atlanta, was 10-0 in the regular season and took first place in the Southern Athletic Association conference.

The Vikings’ football program has only existed since the 2013 season, with this postseason marking their first national playoff berth.

“I think they have a very impressive coach who has a strong belief in what he wants his culture to look like,” Caruso said. “It reminds me a lot of where we were as a program six or seven years ago when we started having some success here.”

The host of the Tommie-Viking clash will be determined by Monday, Nov. 20. Should the Tommies go on the road, Caruso said it would be the first time in his tenure that the team has traveled into the Deep South.

“Playoff success is dealing with unknown and what team can make some intuitive adjustments,” he said. “It’s tougher to do when you’re facing a team you don’t know, and that’s the beauty of the playoffs.”

Noah Brown can be reached at brow7736@stthomas.edu.
Brady Halbmaier contributed to this report.