After 113 years and 83 games, the annual Tommie-Johnnie clash is considered one of the greatest rivalries in all of Minnesota sports. The teams will renew the rivalry Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

The No. 10-ranked Tommies (2-0 overall) enter the game unbeaten after defeating Wisconsin-Eau Claire in Week 1 then trouncing another non-conference opponent, Wisconsin-La Crosse, one week later. St. Thomas was rewarded a Week 3 bye last Saturday, and coach Glenn Caruso said the week off couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It’s a huge benefit for us in many ways,” Caruso said. “It allows us to heal, and it gives us an opportunity to re-focus our efforts for not just this week but the upcoming weeks as well.”

The bye allowed quarterback Matt O’Connell time to recover from a lower-body injury he suffered against La Crosse. O’Connell left the game in the second quarter, but Caruso said he is expected to start Saturday against the Johnnies.

Against La Crosse, the Tommie defense surrendered just 67 rushing yards, recorded nine tackles for a loss and allowed only eight first downs. Strong run defense has always been a familiar characteristic of Caruso’s teams, and this season is no different. St. Thomas held each of its first two opponents to less than three yards per rush and has only yielded one touchdown on the ground this year.

St. Thomas has allowed 10 points or less in 32 of the 77 games under Caruso, and 33 of the 82 games between the Tommies and the Johnnies have been decided by seven points or less.

St. John’s (2-1 overall, 0-1 MIAC) offensive success has come primarily on the ground this season. The team has run the ball 129 times this fall, while going to the air only 74 times. Johnnie running back Sam Sura leads all MIAC rushers in average yards per game with more than 180. Sura said he’s thrilled to be a part of the rivalry that he grew up watching.

“I’m excited. It’s a surreal experience and even bigger for me coming back to my hometown to take on our biggest rival with all of my friends and family in the crowd,” Sura said.

St. John’s began the season with wins over Wisconsin-River Falls and Eau Claire before losing to Concordia-Moorhead at home last week.

Since Caruso took over as head coach at St. Thomas in 2008, he has earned a 67-10 overall record but is just 3-3 against St. John’s. Caruso said he expects St. John’s to come into O’Shaughnessy Stadium on Saturday playing its best football.

“They come with a lot of confidence, which they should have after a fast start. They encountered a bump in the road last week, but they are very sharp kids and very sharp coaches and will make the necessary corrections and be ready to go,” Caruso said.

Defensive back Kyle Coyne said he also expects St. John’s to play its best, but he added that the Tommies will be successful if they play as a team.

“We expect their best, and they should expect our best,” Coyne said. “We need to play Tommie football, and that’s everyone playing as one. If we do that, we will be successful.”

On the opposing sideline is St. John’s coach Gary Fasching, who is in his second year at the helm after replacing legendary coach John Gagliardi. In his first season as head coach, Fasching led St. John’s to a 20-18 victory over St. Thomas last year in St. Paul.

St. Thomas running back Nick Waldvogel said the team still remembers last season’s outcome and is looking to avenge last year’s upset.

“Seeing them storm our field last year and looking at us on the sideline is motivation,” Waldvogel said. “The guys around me are ready and are just as excited as I am to get out there.”

Travis Swan can be reached at swan9954@stthomas.edu.