Led by a video game-like performance from running back Brenton Braddock, the St. Thomas football team fought its way to a 57-35 win against Gustavus in the regular season finale Saturday at a snow-covered O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
With the passing attack seemingly stymied by the driving snow, the Tommies relied heavily on Braddock, letting him tote the ball 41 times for 261 yards. Braddock, a fourth-year junior, took the majority of the carries after running back Jack Kaiser left the game with a lower-body injury following the Tommies’ second offensive play.
“It was definitely a blast; this is kind of what I envisioned for my senior day,” Braddock said. “Coming out here, the snow was falling. I looked at the forecast about a week ago, and I was like you know, I hope it is snowing out there, definitely bodes well for our run game.”
Center T.J. Woodrow said the team was confident Braddock could lead the Tommies to a victory.
“(Kaiser) goes down early with an injury, Brenton had to step in, and we know (from) past experiences that Brenton can do it,” Woodrow said.
The Gusties opened the scoring with a 65-yard drive, capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Luke Martinez, with 2:38 left in the first quarter. Martinez contributed the lion’s share of Gustavus’ offense on the seven-play drive, carrying the ball five times.
St. Thomas tied the score at 7-7 with just under 10 minutes remaining before halftime on Braddock’s 5-yard touchdown run. Braddock took the handoff from Gould, bounced outside the hash marks and tiptoed past a Gustavus defender on his way to the end zone.
But Gustavus regained the lead just over two minutes later.
After a 34-yard run from Martinez down to the St. Thomas 5, quarterback Mitch Hendricks ran the ball himself on the next play and found the end zone for the Gustie score.
Braddock and the Tommies answered right back on their next drive. The team drove 66 yards down the field and evened the score 14-14 with just over three minutes left before the half on Braddock’s second 5-yard touchdown run of the game.
Coach Glenn Caruso said he could see Braddock’s confidence and intensity increase throughout the game.
“You can see his good feel continue to grow throughout the game,” Caruso said. “When your third back can come off the bench and go for (261 yards) in a big game, I think it proves that.”
The Tommies added to their lead just three seconds before halftime. Quarterback John Gould’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Charlie Dowdle gave the team a 21-14 lead at the half.
On the opening second-half possession, the Tommies marched efficiently down the field and scored on a familiar connection. Gould and Dowdle hooked up for their second score of the game five and a half minutes into the second half. Gould’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Dowdle was the eighth scoring connection between the pair this season and marked Dowdle’s 11th touchdown grab of the year. Caruso said the duo’s consistency is what makes it successful.
“It’s enormous for us right now. There’s a lot of trust between the two of them … There’s a lot of confidence that they make the routine play time after time after time,” Caruso said. “Both of them can make unbelievable plays, but it’s the consistency and the work they put in that makes them that lethal.”
After a Gustie punt, the Tommies scored on their fifth straight possession of the game, pushing their lead to 36-14. Braddock continued his stellar day on the ground with a 20-yard touchdown run, his third on Saturday.
Braddock wasn’t finished, though. He added a 25-yard score on the ground – his fourth of the game – with 27 seconds left in the third quarter. The Tommies extended their lead to 43-14 when Dowdle took the direct snap on the extra point attempt and found the end zone for a two-point conversion.
Gustavus cut the lead to 43-28 on a rushing touchdown from Martinez and a 27-yard touchdown pass from Hendricks to wide receiver Matt Boyce.
Braddock tied a school record on his fifth and final score of the game with a 47-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, which extended St. Thomas’ lead to 50-28.
“(In) sixth grade I scored five touchdowns,” Braddock said. “This one, senior year, potentially my last game, was way bigger … It was an absolutely beautiful day; came out on the field, it’s snowing, surrounded by all my friends, family up in the stands.”
Gustavus cut the St. Thomas lead to 50-35 with a score from its own workhorse running back. Martinez continued his big day on the ground when he added his third rushing touchdown of the game with 5:39 left.
Quarterback Matt O’Connell stepped on the field late and added a 6-yard touchdown run, the 17th of his St. Thomas career.
O’Connell and defensive lineman Josh Corbin were two of the 17 seniors for St. Thomas honored before the game. Corbin said the win was bittersweet for him.
“It kind of makes me speechless. I’m just really sad about today; it’s likely our last home game,” Corbin said. “You get into that routine where half your games are here, you get ready here. I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss the guys.”
With Bethel’s loss to Augsburg Saturday, St. Thomas’ slim playoff chances increased. St. John’s received the MIAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division-III playoffs, while Concordia-Moorhead and St. Thomas both sit at 8-2.
“We were in the Pool C, and the chances were a little smaller, and now we’ve got a phenomenal opportunity to be able to get that Pool C bid as the 8-2 team out of our league and the No. 2 team out of our league,” Caruso said.
St. Thomas’ playoff fate remains uncertain until the selection show at 5 p.m. Sunday. If the Tommies don’t get into the NCAA playoffs, Braddock said he can still look back fondly on his career.
“I really hope I’ve left something for the younger guys coming up. Really been a mentor, a leader and that they can take what I did and take it a step further. Be a better leader than I was, be a better mentor than I was and carry themselves in a good way on and off the field,” Braddock said.
Tom Pitzen can be reached at pitz2014@stthomas.edu.