With last season’s first-round exit from the NCAA playoffs behind it, the No.14-ranked St. Thomas football team kicks off its 2015 campaign Saturday night at Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Carson Park, albeit without some key contributors from last season’s squad.
The Tommies graduated 17 seniors, including seven opening-day starters on the defensive side of the ball and five from the offense. Coach Glenn Caruso said the framework of the team is an important aspect when rebuilding year to year.
“Rebuilding a team mostly involves the chemistry and camaraderie,” Caruso said. “I’d be crushed as a head coach if we didn’t have to rebuild that every year, because that means it’s not at a very high level.”
The Tommies lost at least one all-conference player from all three levels of the defense. First team All-MIAC defensive tackle Sam Pokornowski and second team All-MIAC defensive end Josh Corbin are two key cogs missing from the defensive line. The loss of leading tackler and first team All-MIAC inside linebacker Rutger Heffelfinger, as well as outside linebackers Ryan Williams and Tom Laventure depleted the linebacking core. All-MIAC honorable mention defensive back Kyle Coyne and first team all-MIAC defensive back Sean Hamlin won’t be patrolling the Tommie secondary either.
Despite the personnel losses, St. Thomas still boasts considerable talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Senior cornerback and first team All-MIAC selection Mozus Ikuenobe and inside linebacker Tim McClanahan provide stability the Tommies can rely on. Defensive linemen Eric Sutton and Ryan Winter, linebackers Anthony King-Foreman and Jesse Addo and junior cornerback Bennett Celichowski will also be key contributors. Ikuenobe said the best aspect of this year’s defense is “the level of discipline we have, paired with our athleticism.”
“To be a successful defense, every position has to play their part, and last season, each of us had our shortcomings,” Ikuenobe said.
On offense, St. Thomas has some big holes to fill on the offensive line. The Tommies lost All-American center T.J. Woodrow, four-year starter and 2014 All-MIAC first team honoree guard Ulice Payne III and 2014 All-MIAC sportsmanship honoree tight end Cole Kelly to graduation. The trio helped the Tommies rack up 2,675 yards rushing last season, tops in the conference.
All-MIAC first team tackle Dave Simmet and junior guard Will Hilbert return to anchor the offensive line. Simmet said the offensive line will rebound with steady experience from the upperclassmen.
“Losing guys like Woodrow and Payne is tough, they were great guys who started a lot of games for us, but the (offensive line) has been fortunate to have some great depth, with some upperclassmen that have experience coming in to fill those spots, as well as some great underclassmen that are fighting their way to the top also,” Simmet said.
Running back Brenton Braddock, St. Thomas’ leading rusher last season, will be the only core running back not returning to cut through these lineman’s gaps.
Senior Jack Kaiser and junior Nick Waldvogel return to the Tommies’ backfield as the second and third leading rushers from last season, respectively.
Senior quarterback John Gould enters the season as the presumptive favorite to start after throwing for 1,425 yards and 16 touchdowns in 10 games after taking over the starting job from Matt O’Connell.
Gould started the final four games of the season last year, including a 37-31 loss to Wartburg in the NCAA playoffs. Simmet said he has confidence in Gould’s skills under center.
“He performed great toward the end of last season and that had continued into this season,” Simmet said.
Gould is slated to start Saturday’s matchup, but Caruso said backups Alex Fenske and Dylan Andrew have also turned heads this summer.
“Our top three quarterbacks right now are playing the best football I’ve ever seen them play, which I’m really excited about,” Caruso said.
The quarterback under center will have a deep and talented group of wide receivers to throw to. St. Thomas returns its top six pass catchers including tight end Charlie Dowdle and wide receiver Jack Gilliland. Dowdle led the Tommies with 49 receptions last season and hauled in 13 touchdowns, good for third in the MIAC. Gilliland remains one of St. Thomas’ top deep threats, averaging more than 17 yards per reception last year.
Containing the Blugolds’ passing game
In last year’s opener, St. Thomas snuck away with a 22-17 victory over Eau Claire after a game-saving defensive stand and interception.
Although the St. Thomas defense forced three turnovers, the offense turned the ball over twice to the Blugolds, something Caruso said was critical.
“The one at the end certainly, we may not have won the game, but it’s also a great reminder of how turnovers can be a great equalizer both ways,” Caruso said.
The Blugolds graduated quarterback Mark Munger, who threw for 298 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Tommies. Eau-Claire now has University of Minnesota-Duluth transfer J.T. DenHartog, who Caruso thinks will be under center this season.
“A really good kid, who’s a really good football player, who I am very sure will be their starting quarterback, so they probably didn’t drop off very much there, as a matter of fact, they probably traded up in some ways at that position,” Caruso said.
The St. Thomas offense distributed the ball almost equally, rushing for 190 yards against Eau Claire while adding 186 through the air. Simmet believes the Tommie attack can exploit the Blugolds through both facets of the offense, just like last year.
“We have the ability to both run and pass,” Simmet said. “All I know is that our coaches will make the best play calls to put us in the best position to win the game.”
Ikuenobe has no doubt the Tommies will repeat last season’s triumph.
“I expect us to perform extremely well this Saturday, as I always do,” Ikuenobe said. “I feel as though we trust in each other, we are focused, and that we will not disappoint.”
Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.