CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Sophomore kicker Louis Hyde scored the lone points for the Tommies as they fell 44-3 to Northern Iowa on Saturday at the UNI-Dome.
The game against the No. 15 (FCS) Panthers (2-1) was St. Thomas’ first Division I competition in football since moving up from Division III. It was also the teams’ first meeting since 1927, when they played to a 6-6 tie.
“Our kids maximize everything they have to give to the good of the team; we understand that,” Tommies coach Glenn Caruso said. “Sometimes it ends up that you lose but our program grows, regardless, and that was a foundational step tonight.”
Hyde put St. Thomas (1-1) on the board with a 35-yard field goal with 1:50 left in the first half as Northern Iowa took a 17-3 halftime lead.
“I told the team after the game that half of football, the first half … might have been the best half of football that we’ve played in my 14 years here at St. Thomas,” Caruso said.
Although the Tommies stayed within striking distance in the first half, the bigger, stronger Panthers pulled away in the second.
The Panthers had 386 total yards of offense, while St. Thomas managed 105. The Tommies were held to 26 yards rushing while the Panthers rolled up 193 yards on the ground.
The Tommies threw three interceptions on the day, two of them by senior quarterback Cade Sexauer. Panthers junior defensive back Benny Sapp III had two picks, one of which he returned 41 yards. First-year cornerback Stefan Black had the third.
“The speed was definitely a lot faster than what we’ve seen in my time here at St. Thomas,” Sexauer said, “but everything else felt the same. I mean, preparation felt the same and execution was there at times.”
To keep a sense of normalcy in preparation for the game, the Tommies brought every player on their roster.
“Seventy is what we dressed, but I thought we’d bring the other 40 guys and let them experience it because, at the end of the day, we’ve done this before,” Caruso said.
Besides having a full crowd on the bench, around 100 St. Thomas fans traveled more than 200 miles south to Cedar Falls to watch the game at the UNI-Dome.
St. Thomas senior Eric Douville said he came to support the team and watch his best friend play.
“We love all our St. Thomas athletic teams, so we’re going to support them no matter where they are,” Douville said.
Northern Iowa’s tough defense held Sexauer to 53 yards of passing on six of 14 completions in three quarters.
“We obviously don’t like the scoreline and, you know, we have a lot of work to do, but I think there were a lot of positives that came from that game, and we just have to build on it and get ready for next week,” Hyde said.
As the final minute wound down, a fumbled snap by St. Thomas sophomore punter Kolby Gartner led to a 12-yard scoop and score by Panthers redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Sean Wendel.
“That last touchdown really sticks in my craw too, I’m not gonna lie to you, but those are all things good teams are going to make you pay for when you’re not on top of your game,” Caruso said.
St. Thomas had won its first game as a Division I team, topping Division II Michigan Tech 12-9 Sept. 11 in Houghton, Michigan. The Panthers were two weeks removed from a 16-10 road loss to No. 10 (FBS) Iowa State.
The Tommies are back in action Saturday, Sept. 25 against Butler University at noon for their first Division I home game.
“Last time we played a home game was like 102 weeks ago, and I’m not being facetious in the least bit, and about half of our team I think was still in high school,” Caruso said. “So, you talk about a team that’s excited to play at home? I think we can check that off the list.”
Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.
Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.