Baseball players hoisted Dennis Denning above their heads in 2009, and he was delighted but then horrified that they would drop him. Steve Fritz bear-hugged basketball players in 2011 and hours later still wore the remnants of a net they cut down. Thanh Pham crouched on the sidelines last November with a hand to his eyes to wipe away tears as his volleyball players celebrated.

Steve Fritz, championship net around his neck, hugs Teddy Archer March 19, 2011 after the men’s basketball team took first place in the nation. (Photo by Mike Ekern ’02)

The images remain indelible, and they should. The moments defined excellence. They rewarded hard and selfless work. They generated recognition. They opened doors.

And perhaps most importantly, they engendered pride. They gave people, even casual observers, a chance to simply say, “We’re No. 1.”

Everybody likes to be No. 1. Few get the opportunity, and sometimes things don’t work out. As much success as St. Thomas has had in winning 15 national championships in eight different NCAA Division III sports, second only to Williams College’s nine champion sports, the Tommies also have experienced their share of painful defeats. Football was the most recent national runner-up, one of 12 second place finishes (also by teams in baseball, softball, men’s hockey, women’s cross country and women’s outdoor track).

Pham and Fritz believe national championships are important for a team, a program and an institution.

A team? “It’s validation,” said Pham, whose Tommies lost first-round matches in the 2010 and 2011 national tournaments but won the 2012 crown in five sets after trailing No. 1 Calvin 0-2. “Work hard and good things will happen. You can be down, but don’t lose faith. There’s always a solution; you just have to find it. That this team won speaks volumes to its character, its resilience and its desire.”

A program? “It gives you a certain amount of status,” said Fritz, athletic director since 1992, who retired after 31 years as men’s basketball coach when the Tommies won the 2011 title. “When you recruit, people know you have a good program. It opens doors.”

Tommie baseball players hoist their trophy and their head coach, Dennis Denning, onto their shoulders following a victory over Wooster College May 26, 2009 to take the national title. (Photo by Mike Ekern ’02)

An institution? “It draws attention to St. Thomas in a positive manner – in how prospective students will look at us, in how students here will share in our joy, and in how our alumni can be very proud of their school,” Pham said.

Fritz agrees and likes to call sports “a front porch.” The success of any given team “becomes part of the success of the entire institution,” he said. “It’s very visible” and – at a time when higher education faces growing criticism for costs and relevance – “it’s good news.”

Glenn Caruso knows all of that as he, too, pursues a national title. Two days before his football team played Mount Union, he spoke with his players as they sat on a Virginia field after practice.

“Look around,” he said. “This is where we will play for the national championship. There are 238 teams (in Division III), and only two are left. You are one of them.”

The Tommies didn’t quite get to the top in that game. But I have no doubt they will in the future, and I can hardly wait to see the look on Caruso’s face. It will be indelible.

Read more from St. Thomas Magazine.

After a record-setting season marked by St. Thomas’ first trip to the NCAA championship game, Caruso today was announced as Liberty Mutual’s Division III winner again in 2012. He has received the elite honor three consecutive seasons.

The program is among the top college football honors and recognizes coaches for sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence, on and off the field.

For the third year in a row, the St. Thomas community helped elevate Caruso as he received exceptional support in the December online voting at CoachoftheYear.com. Fan votes contributed 20 percent to each coach’s final score, and the media and College Football Hall of Fame ballots accounted for 25 percent and 55 percent, respectively.

Caruso will again be honored in the permanent Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year display at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

In addition, Liberty Mutual will make another $50,000 charitable donation on his behalf, which Caruso has designated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Bucky’s Pride; and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest, in Minneapolis.

Off the field, Caruso and his program make a great impact in St. Paul and beyond. With his funds from the 2010 and 2011 Liberty Mutual awards, Caruso founded “Bucky’s Pride.” He is a founder of a Reading Recess program at local elementary schools. He joined Tommie players and in the Up ’Til Dawn Benefit writing 2,000 letters to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. He also holds an annual youth football camp and is active in state and national coaching organizations.

Liberty Mutual also will make another $20,000 scholarship donation to the St. Thomas Alumni Association in Caruso’s name as part of the award.

The other 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners are Brian Kelly, Notre Dame (FBS); Willie Fritz, Sam Houston State (FCS); and Peter Rossomando, New Haven (Division II).

Previous winners, from all divisions, include Minnesota Gopher Coach Jerry Kill (2007, Southern Illinois); ex-St. John’s coach John Gagliardi (2007); Alabama’s Nick Saban (2008); Mount Union’s Larry Kehres (2008); and ex-Minnesota-Duluth coach Bob Nielson (2010).

Coach Grateful

Caruso and his wife Rachael are in Miami and as part of the festivities will be guests at tonight’s FBS championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame. He said he’s proud and humbled to receive the honor again in 2012.

“My thanks go to Liberty Mutual and the Coach of the Year organization for this amazing honor,” Caruso said. “My thanks also go to my wife, Rachael, and our family, but moreover, to the coaches’ and players’ families, whose selfless commitment and sacrifice for our passions allow us to chase our dreams. It’s such an honor to accept this award primarily because it has such extensive and absolute criteria.

“The fact that we have been blessed to win this award again is a function of the community and confluence here at the University of St Thomas. I believe it speaks less about an individual and more about the Village.”

At age 5, Caruso was diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disorder. He credits doctors at Yale-New Haven Cancer center for helping save his life at that time. In appreciation, he previously set up a living trust with that hospital as the beneficiary, and in 2011 established Bucky’s Pride – named in the memory of his late father, Frank “Bucky” Caruso – to support families of children affected by cancer and blood disorders.

“Through this award and the genuine goodness and generosity of Liberty Mutual,” Caruso said, “we can further support some great organizations like Bucky’s Pride, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Minnesota. These organizations help families in unfortunate situations without asking for anything in return.

“As I get older, I realize more and more how much one’s community and environment plays a role in anyone’s success; so it allows me to accept this award not as an individual, but rather as a part of the greater UST community of families, coaches, staff, administration, fans and alumni.”

“Being named the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winner for the third consecutive year is a testament to Glenn’s significant impact and positive influence on our students and our community,” said Steve Fritz, UST athletics director.

Caruso accomplishments at St. Thomas

Caruso has improved his record in each of his first seven seasons as a head coach. He inherited a Macalester program that was 0-9 in 2005 and guided the Scots to records of 2-7 and 4-5. He took over a St. Thomas program coming off a 2-8 season in 2007 and has posted records of 7-3, 11-2, 12-1, 13-1 and 14-1 in five seasons here, voted MIAC Coach of the Year the last three seasons.

This year, Caruso led St. Thomas to a school-record 14 wins and the Division III finals and earned a season-ending AFCA ranking of No. 2 in the nation, a program best. UST had four All-America honorees. St. Thomas has won three consecutive conference championships and became the first team in MIAC history to post three consecutive 10-0 records in the regular season.

In five seasons under Caruso, UST football has won CoSIDA Academic All-America honors five times; one National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete; three Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists; three AFCA Good Works Team honorees; two conference Player of the Year recipients and 11 players combine to win All-America honors a total of 16 times.

UST national coaches of the year

This marks the fifth time in the last four years — and ninth time in the last 12 seasons — that a St. Thomas coach has been honored as a national Coach of the Year. Recipients are:

1956: Frank Deig, football (National Small College Coach of the Year)

1991: Ted Riverso, women’s basketball

1992: Dave Orren, volleyball (AVCA)

1995: Joe Sweeney, women’s track and field (USTFCCCA)

2001: Dennis Denning, baseball (ABCA)

2004: John Tschida, softball (NFCA)

2005: John Tschida, softball (NFCA)

2005: Terry Skrypek, men’s hockey (ACHA)

2009: Dennis Denning, baseball (ABCA)

2010: Glenn Caruso, football (Liberty Mutual)

2011: Steve Fritz, men’s basketball (NABC)

2011: Glenn Caruso, football (Liberty Mutual and American Football Monthly

2012: Glenn Caruso, football (Liberty Mutual and AFCA)

UPDATE: Caruso also named American Football Coaches’ Association Division III National Coach of the Year

On Jan. 8, Caruso was named Division III National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches’ Association (AFCA). The elite award is voted on by fellow Division III coaches.

He is the third Division III honoree in the 30-year history of the AFCA award to lead the voting without winning the NCAA championship.

The Tommies (14-1) shut down the potent Raiders (15-0) for most in the middle two quarters and forced four mid-game punts.

But in the end, with the UST offense slowed by an injury to 1,100-yard rusher Brenton Braddock and  hurt by a few mistakes, three Mount Union scoring drives of 80-plus yards proved too much to overcome.

The key statistic: In the second half, Mount Union ran 37 plays and gained 208 yards, as it converted 5-of-8 on third downs after halftime to deny St. Thomas’ comeback bid.

And this: St. Thomas’ defense had 10 takeaways in its first four playoff wins, but none on Friday against an efficient Raider offense.

A crowd of just over 6,000 saw the Tommies rebound from a nightmare start as they fell behind Mount Union 14-0 in the game’s first 10 minutes on the clock.

St. Thomas allowed a seven-play, 82-yard touchdown drive in the game’s opening 2:10 on the clock to quickly trail 7-0. A blocked punt and 13-yard TD return made it 14-0 just 11:23 into the game.

After St. Thomas answered with a long scoring drive for a 14-7 score, the Tommie defense forced a three-and-out as the game’s momentum slowly turned.

“There was a stretch there where we had (Mount Union) on their heels,” said UST defensive coordinator Wallie Kuchinski. “We had them on the ropes. But those last two drives were killers. We’ve been really good on third downs this season (27 percent allowed), but 6-of-13 on the game is not good. We just didn’t get off the field enough. We gave them too many chances.”

The play of the game came late in the third quarter after the Toms had pulled within 14-10. UST was on the verge of taking possession but on fourth-and-four from the 17-yard line, Raider QB Kevin Burke hit Chris Denton on a 17-yard TD strike to the corner of the end zone. That capped a 12-play, 81-yard drive and pushed the lead to 21-10.

The Raiders took full command on their next possession, a 14-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that burned 8:38, for an 18-point lead.

UST coach Glenn Caruso called the last two scoring drives “pivotal” but gave credit to Mount Union for making the plays in the second half. “That’s the mark of a championship team,” he said.

The Raiders’ offense had no turnovers. Burke completed 21 of 28 passes for 222 yards. All but two went to wide receivers Denton (11 catches) and Jasper Collins (8 catches).

There were some bright spots for the Tommie defense, which played much of the second half without injured Harry Pitera and Derek Vonnahme:

• UST limited Mount Union to only one offensive gain of more than 17 yards (a 41-yard catch and run by Collins that set up the final TD.)
• A Mount Union attack that averaged near seven offensive TDs a game was limited to three.
• A Mount Union offense that generated 558 yards a game in its 14-0 start gained a season-low 344 yards.
• The Tommies had three sacks and another tackle for loss of Burke that could have been called a sack but was ruled a run. Mount Union had allowed four sacks just once all season.

Ryan Deitz, one of six senior starters on defense, said the Tommies were excited for the challenge of playing the No. 1-ranked Raiders.

“Their receivers are very fast, very strong, and all good athletes,” Deitz said. “We tried to do whatever we could to defend them. We had a good scheme. They definitely made some good plays, so give them credit. It was a challenge to play them. It was an exciting, fun game. Obviously, we’d rather be on the other side (of the outcome).”

The Purple Raiders opened with 14 quick points on a long drive and a blocked punt and, after the Tommies closed to within 14-10, sealed the win with back-to-back drives of 81 and 87 yards before 6,027 fans in Salem Stadium.

The win gave Mount Union its 11th NCAA Division III crown in 16 appearances in the championship game. The Purple Raiders had lost to UW-Whitewater in the title game the last three years.

Coach Glenn Caruso told his players in a midfield huddle after the game that he was proud of their effort and, as painful as the loss was, believes they will learn from it and use it as motivation for next year.

“I mean what I say – we will find a way to get better,” he said in the locker room. “The FAMILY (Forget About Me, I Love You) always does.”

In the post-game news conference, Caruso credited Mount Union for buckling down after the Tommies had trimmed the deficit to four points and taking nearly 14 minutes off the clock on the touchdown drives.

“That’s the mark of a championship team,” he said.

Mount Union Coach Larry Kehres praised St. Thomas’ resilience and how it fought back from the early deficit.

“It was a tough game,” he said. “We had our up and down moments. Pressure defense from St. Thomas caused that. We had some flashes of excellence at times that pulled us through tonight.”

Mount Union jumps to 14-0 first quarter lead

Mount Union wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. The Purple Raiders needed only seven plays and 2:10 to go 82 yards for a touchdown on a one-yard run by Jake Simon. The big play on the drive was a 41-yard pass from Kevin Burke to Jasper Collins, the All-American wide receiver who finished with eight catches for 120 yards.

St. Thomas picked up a first down on each of its first two drives, but when the second drive stalled, Mount Union linebacker Charles Dieuseul blocked a Garrett Maloney punt after a high snap. Dieuseul scooped up the ball at the 13 and ran in for a 14-0 lead with 3:37 left in the first quarter. It was the first blocked St. Thomas punt in 89 punts spanning two seasons.

The Tommies responded with a 10-play, 60-yard drive to cut the Mount Union lead in half three plays into the second quarter. They drove 50 yards to the Mount Union 10 and set up for a field goal on fourth down, but holder Dan Ferrazzo took the snap and ran for the touchdown. Ferrazzo caught two passes for 11 yards and ran twice for 17 yards on the drive.

The St. Thomas defense, after giving up 114 yards in the first quarter, stiffened in the second and held Mount Union to only 22 yards and two first downs in three series. But the Tommies could not take advantage of good field position, twice moving the ball to the Mount Union 25 and 42 before turning the ball over on four downs.

For the half, St. Thomas outgained Mount Union 159 to 136 yards and dominated time of possession 18:30 to 11:30. Quarterback Matt O’Connell hit 11 of 21 passes for 89 yards, with Ferrazzo nabbing six for 37 yards. Freshmen Brenton Braddock, the Tommies’ 1,100-yard rusher, rushed only twice for seven yards before leaving the game, having injured his lower leg in the semifinal win over UW-Oshkosh.

Tommies close to within four points

Neither team could move the ball on its first drives of the second half. Another stalled St. Thomas drive led to a Maloney punt, but Ryan Deitz stripped the ball from returner Chris Denton and long snapper Zach Novaczyk recovered the fumble at the Mount Union 27.

“He got a little bit ahead of me,” Deitz said of Denton, “but I got my hand on the ball, gave it a rip and Zach recovered. It was a big play for us.”

The Tommies again couldn’t move the ball, however, and settled for a 38-yard Paul Graupner field goal to cut the Purple Raiders lead to 14-10 with 6:27 left in the third quarter.

“We had opportunities to put more points on the board,” Caruso said of the three drives that ended in Mount Union territory but netted only the field goal. “If we had done a better job on the offensive side of the ball, we would have been in better shape.”

Mount Union puts game away

Mount Union responded to the Graupner field goal with a 12-play, 81-yard drive capped by a Burke-to-Denton touchdown pass on fourth and five from the St. Thomas 17. The Purple Raiders racked up four first downs in six plays in the middle of the drive.

“These guys buckled down,” said Burke, a sophomore who finished 21 of 28 for 222 yards and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. “We looked at where we were (14-10 lead) and we realized this is it. You have to step up at that point. We got the job done.”

Even trailing by 11 points, the Tommies were confident they could rally. Ferrazzo recalled their fourth-quarter comeback in the season opener at UW-Eau Claire, when they were down by 11 points but scored two touchdowns in the last five minutes to win.

“There was no sense of panic on the sideline,” Ferrazzo said.

On the ensuing drive, St. Thomas picked up two first downs on face-mask and personal foul penalties, and O’Connell runs of seven and eight yards put the ball at the Mount Union 42. Two plays later, however, he threw an interception and the Purple Raiders took over at their 13 with 13:06 left in the game.

They marched 87 yards in 14 plays, taking 8:43 off the clock before Jake Simon scored on a one-yard run for a 28-10 lead. Burke faced four third downs and converted each on passes of five and nine yards, an 11-yard run and a 38-yard pass to Collins at the St. Thomas 5.

Mount Union dominated the second half statistics, with 208 yards in 18 minutes of possession, while the Tommies could muster only 35 yards in 30 plays. They were held to season lows in points (10), rushing yards (78), passing yards (116) and total yards (194) and were one of seven on third-down conversions in the second half.

More time with the family

With less than a minute to go, Caruso used all three of his timeouts to extend the game. A reporter asked why he didn’t run out the clock and what he said to his players when they ran to the sideline for timeout huddles.

“I told them I loved them,” he said, “and that I would do anything I could to keep this family together for one more second.”

Another reporter asked Caruso if his team was in a “suspended state,” grateful to have reached the title game after losing in the semifinals last year to Whitewater but disappointed in the final score.

“We’re not in a suspended state,” Caruso said. “We’re pretty crushed right now, and I’d be lying if I said anything else. We all wanted this very badly.”

Earlier in the locker room, he thanked the 12 seniors who had helped to build the foundation for a program that went 50-5 over the last four years with records of 11-2, 12-1, 13-1 and 14-1, and he said he expected to see them in the stands next year.

Ayo Idowu, a defensive lineman from Woodbury, is one of those seniors. In the postgame huddle at midfield, he thanked the younger players for their effort and putting up with him.

“I’m going to be right there in the front row next year, guys,” he said, pointing to the bleachers.

The viewing party is sponsored by Campus Life. For more information, contact Director of Campus Life Margaret Cahill.

The championship game will be aired live on ESPNU (channel 87.1) and is generously provided by Comcast.

Read more about the Tommie football team’s road to the championship on TommieSports.com. And don’t forget to vote for coach Glenn Caruso for Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year.

A Sun Country flight will depart the Humphrey Terminal (No. 2), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, at 10:30 a.m. CST Thursday and arrive in Roanoke, Va., at 1:45 p.m. EST. The flight will return to the Twin Cities after the game Friday night.

Parents of players, university staff members and the media filled the 162-person flight; unfortunately, there was not room for alumni and other fans. While the demand for two planes was strong, a maintenance issue denied the availibility of a second plane.

If you plan to go to the game but won’t be on the charter flight, you can participate in a number of activities:

• Join St. Thomas fans at a pregame party at 4 p.m. Friday in the pavilion at the rear of the Salem Civic Center. Cost is $20 and includes food. Email your reservations to Donna Seng at seng0785@stthomas.edu by noon Wednesday.
• Purchase a game ticket in advance ($7 for students and $12.50 for adults) from JoAnn Andregg, Room 320, Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex, by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, or call the Salem Civic Center box office, (540) 375-3004, at any time.
• Need flight information? Call Linda Logman at Schilling Travel, (612) 436-1050.

If you are not traveling to Salem, you can watch the game on ESPN U or listen to the WCCO Radio broadcast over JACK 104.1 FM. (The game will not be broadcast on WCCO’s 830 AM channel because of a Timberwolves game.) There will also be a viewing party on campus in the Woulfe Alumni Hall on the third floor of the Anderson Student Center.

Questions: Call the St. Thomas Development office, (651) 962-6950.

Caruso joins coaches from Coe, Lake Forest, Concordia-Chicago and UW-Oshkosh as finalists.

The Division I FBS 10 finalists include Alabama’s Nick Saban, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, Kansas State’s Bill Snyder and Penn State’s Bill O’Brien. The Division II finalists include Minnesota-Duluth’s Bob Nielsen.

Fans can vote through Dec. 20, once per day in each division, via Twitter or the Coach of the Year website.

Caruso was the Liberty Mutual national winner for Division III in both 2010 and 2011, the first two-time recipient in the award’s history. St. Thomas voters helped him get over the top in each of the previous two years.

Fan voting accounts for 20 percent of the tally in determining the winner, with 55 percent from a College Football Hall of Fame selection committee and 25 percent from a national media panel. The winner will be announced Jan. 7 before the BCS title game.

The award recognizes coaches who demonstrate sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence, on and off the field. Winners receive $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice and $20,000 for their school’s alumni association.

In his five years as coach, Caruso has led St. Thomas to a 56-7 record with four consecutive NCAA playoff quarterfinal and three consecutive 10-0 regular seasons. The Tommies have won three MIAC football championships in a row, a feat last achieved here in 1947-49. American Football Monthly chose Caruso as 2011 Division III Coach of the Year after he led the Tommies to the national semifinals in a school-record 13-1 finish.

Caruso has a long résumé of community service, including his Bucky’s Pride foundation, Ronald McDonald Charities, St. Jude’s Hospital, a local Reading Recess program and his annual youth football camp.

Click here to sign in with your Twitter account.

Caruso was the Liberty Mutual national winner for Division III in both 2010 and 2011 and ranks among the top 10 vote-getters in 2012. St. Thomas voters helped him get over the top in each of the previous two years.

After the first round of fan voting concludes, a Coach of the Year committee will determine five finalists and a second round of voting will occur from Dec. 4 to 20. Fan voting accounts for 20 percent of the tally in determining the winner, with 55 percent from a College Football Hall of Fame selection committee and 25 percent from a national media panel. The winner will be announced Jan. 7 before the BCS title game.

The award recognizes coaches who demonstrate sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence on and off the field. Winners receive $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice and $20,000 for their school’s alumni association.

In his five years as coach, Caruso has led St. Thomas to a 53-7 record with four consecutive NCAA playoff trips and three consecutive 10-0 regular seasons. The Tommies have won three MIAC football championships in a row, a feat last achieved here in 1947-49. American Football Monthly chose Caruso as 2011 Division III Coach of the Year after he led the Tommies to the national semifinals in a school-record 13-1 finish.

Caruso has a long résumé of community service, including his Bucky’s Pride foundation, Ronald McDonald Charities, St. Jude’s Hospital, a local Reading Recess program and his annual youth football camp.

NCAA Regional Volleyball Tournament

The Tommie volleyball team will host an eight-team NCAA Region Tournament. The Tommies will play 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, vs. Cornell College. If the Tommies beat Cornell they will play 7 p.m. Friday, and if they win Friday they will play 7 p.m. Saturday for the regional title. All of these games will take place in Schoenecker Arena in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex.

All NCAA postseason events require a ticket; however, effective yesterday, Tommie Central will have 100 free tickets per game available for undergraduate students. If the Tommies win, 100 tickets for the next day’s game will be available at 10 p.m. following the game.

This is where it gets exciting. At each NCAA postseason home game for volleyball, and in the coming weeks for football, students will be able to have their IDs scanned prior to entering each game for a chance to be entered into a drawing. The more NCAA postseason events a student attends – the more entries the student will have in the drawing.

When attending volleyball this week, students should stop by the St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame on the second level of the AARC to have their cards scanned prior to entering the game. Prizes for the drawing will include a flat-screen TV, catered lunch for six and with either volleyball coach Thanh Pham or football coach Glenn Caruso, and the final prize is a $100 Bookstore gift card. Fanamaniac urges everyone to get out and cheer on the Tommies as they make runs for fall national championships and as they begin the winter sports season.

Football vs. St. Olaf

Outside linebacker Tremayne Williams sets his sights on a tackle for the undefeated Tommies, who have “3-peated” as MIAC champions. The team’s final MIAC game is Saturday in O’Shaughnessy Stadium. (Photo by Mike Ekern ’02)

The football team will look to cap off an undefeated regular season as it hosts St. Olaf at 1:10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Undergraduate students can pick up a free meal voucher good for a free lunch during Purple on the Plaza. Purple on the Plaza is a pre-game event that takes place on John P. Monahan Plaza from 11:30 to 1 p.m. prior to each home football game. The event is full of music, food and Tommie Spirit.

During halftime, stop by the purple tent at the south end of the stadium near the old scoreboard to register your Fanamaniac ID card scan – and cheer on the Tommies as they strive to complete an undefeated regular season.

Other Fanamaniac Events

• Friday, Nov. 9 – Pre-game event on the plaza, 6:15-7 p.m. (scan ID on the plaza; rain site: Scooter’s)
• Friday, Nov. 9 – Men’s hockey,* 7:30 p.m. Bus leaves at 7 p.m. from the Flynn turnaround (scan ID at Flynn as you board the bus)
• Saturday, Nov. 10 – Football, 1:10 p.m. (scan ID at halftime on south end of the Stadium by the old scoreboard; look for the purple tent)
• Friday, Nov. 16 – Pre-game on the plaza, 6:15-7 p.m. (scan ID on the plaza; rain site: Scooter’s)
• Friday, Nov. 16  – Women’s hockey,* 7:30 p.m. Bus leaves at 7 p.m. from Flynn turnaround (scan ID at Flynn as you board the bus)
• Tuesday, Nov. 20 – Pre-game event on the plaza, 6-7 p.m. (scan ID on the plaza; rain site: Scooter’s)
• Tuesday, Nov. 20 – Men’s basketball, 7 p.m. (scan ID at entrance to Schoenecker Arena throughout the game)
• Wednesday, Nov. 28 – Barbecue on the plaza, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (scan ID on the plaza; rain site: Scooter’s)
• Wednesday, Nov. 28 – Women’s basketball, 7:30 p.m. (scan ID at entrance to Schoenecker Arena throughout the game)

* Ride the Fanamaniac shuttle to hockey games and be admitted to the games for free.

When it comes to MIAC football, there’s only one rivalry that can truly be labeled: “The Big Game.” Other schools may stake a claim, but everyone knows “The Big Game” is when the Tommies take on the Johnnies.

Saturday in Collegeville “The Big Game” kicks off the MIAC schedule for both St. Thomas and St. John’s University. The Tommies have taken two straight from the Johnnies, and one can bet that the Johnnies will be pumped sky-high to avenge last year’s 63-7 thumping in St. Thomas’ O’Shaughnessy Stadium. (Ironically, the stadium is named after Ignatius Aloysius O’Shaughnessy, who got the boot from St. John’s and enrolled at St. Thomas.)

It’s been said that the game wasn’t as close as the score indicated, to twist a cliché, as St. John’s didn’t score until 4:10 remained in the game. Will the Johnnies avenge their ignominious defeat of 2011? Will the Tommies “three-peat”? Both teams are 2-0, the Tommies are ranked No. 6, and the Johnnies are unranked.

Forget last year, forget the rankings, forget the record – they mean nothing when “The Big Game” is played. But don’t forget the history of this annual battle royal, some of which is pictured above, and some of which is posted here by Gene McGivern, UST’s sports information director.

Tickets for Saturday’s 1 p.m. game in Collegeville are $7 for adults and $5 for students. (Parking spots are gone by 11 a.m., so arrive early to avoid a long walk to the stadium.)

The game will be aired on WCCO AM 830 with Dave Lee and Eric Nelson on the call.

Go Tommies!

Jane Canney

This Saturday Sept. 15, the University of St. Thomas football team plays against St. John’s University in Collegeville. This is one of the storied rivalries in the MIAC conference. We wish our team well and a great time for all of the fans. As the game fast approaches, we would like to remind everyone to use good sports conduct, respect all in attendance and to represent our school in a positive manner. This especially applies to the selling, purchasing and wearing of T-shirts that disrespect the human dignity of another person. My colleagues – vice presidents at St. John’s and St. Benedict’s – are sending a similar message to their students.

The NCAA Division III policy clearly states that “Division III athletics encourages the development of sportsmanship and positive social attitudes. Coaches and players treat each other with respect, and administrators work to foster a positive competitive environment.” In an effort to foster this environment, home and visiting  guests wearing clothing that are disrespectful to others will be asked to change before gaining entrance to the football game.

We want to create a positive experience for you, our guests, parents, alumni and friends who may be attending the game. We want you to cheer and support our players with positive attitude and excitement. Show your Tommie spirit, wear purple and enjoy the game! Go Tommies!

Cheers,

Jane Canney, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs

We’d spent the past two years defining a style for the media guide and poster. Most of that involved building a lighting and processing style around team leaders who would be photographed in the studio under very specific lighting conditions. Vangsgard would also use file photos of other team members in action on the field, cutting them out and layering them in with the studio shots. This year he and Caruso wanted to combine the two — action shots under studio lighting.

That presented a challenge. Our studio is too small to allow for most any kind of movement, let alone running and pass catching. Instead we hauled lights to Schoenecker Arena and set up a studio there, complete with runways of protective mats so that players’ cleats wouldn’t scratch the floor, a weight-lifting station so that players’ muscles could be pumped up as much as possible, and an iPad to wirelessly receive the photos so that Vangsgard could review them as we shot.

Next we had each player go through a series of plays related to their game-day positions, specifically coordinated so that they’d hit the peak of action under our lighting setup. That included passes thrown with pinpoint accuracy by quarterback Matt O’Connell so that the reception would occur under our lights.

What you see above is that five-hour photo shoot squeezed into a minute and a half. Below you see the results of that shoot where lighting and Photoshop processing have all come together.

Editor’s note: Depth of Field is the Newsroom’s photo and multimedia blog. In the coming months we plan to bring you some of the best of St. Thomas photography and multimedia–recent photos we like, selections from UST’s rich photo history, or our latest video project.

Read more from the Depth of Field blog.

Editor’s note: Depth of Field is the Newsroom’s photo and multimedia blog. In the coming months we plan to bring you some of the best of St. Thomas photography and multimedia–recent photos we like, selections from UST’s rich photo history, or our latest video project.

While “Sweet Land” was playing in theaters, I received several books and ideas from people suggesting a second film, but only one caught my attention. It was a manuscript for a book written by Ed Flaherty, a successful businessman and investor from Eden Prairie, who had grown up in Montana playing football.

Ed’s high school had closed down not long after he graduated and events like reunions and capital campaigns were nonexistent. His high school football team, the Mustangs, was an undistinguished group of young men guided to the 1962 state championship by two extraordinary coaches who instilled not only football fundamentals, but also life principles into their players.

Forty years later the surviving members of that team coordinated their own gathering to reminisce and reconnect. Each of those players recounted their life’s journey since the state championship and reflected on how what they learned from their coaches on the field had profoundly affected what they accomplished off the field.

Ed was very moved by the stories told at that dinner. He returned home and wrote Coached for Life, which was published recently.

Ed wanted me to make the movie of his book. While it impressed me very much, the story defied the standard structures of what a movie should be. The book had too many “main” characters and lacked the simple cathartic arc that a movie should have. And the tension of a reflective story is far less dramatic than the tension of an immediate one.

Even though Ed understood my initial reaction, he was so passionate and inspiring and persistent over several lunches – and his book reminded me of my father – that I agreed to give it some more thought.

My father, Dr. Mohamed Selim, was a professor at the University of St. Thomas for 45 years prior to retiring in 2004. During that nearly half century he touched, informed and guided the lives and minds of tens of thousands of graduates just as a coach would. He instilled in students his passion, his knowledge, his wisdom so they could go forth and win the game. And as the adage goes, good coaches teach, and good teachers coach.

And so, over the course of the next year – yes, year – I discussed the project with my creative partner of 20 years, Steve Preston, and my producing partners from “Sweet Land,” Jim Bigham and Robin Selim. We knew we didn’t have a “Hoosiers” on our hands, but we also knew there was something interesting, compelling, special, commercial, dramatic and ultimately satisfying for an audience in the material.

The film needed to be about coaches and their lasting influence, but it couldn’t be nostalgic because how many times can an audience hear a talking head say, “Boy, my coach was great,” before they get the idea and leave the theater?

Eventually, the connection we made between Ed’s book and our film adaptation became the driving force that exists behind every successful collegiate sports program and every reality television show: competition. Who’s gonna win?

We conceived a show that would follow two coaches prior to and during their match up, believing this concept would sustain the audience’s interest very much in the same way a game does – who’s gonna win? And, in the process, they would be treated to coaching philosophy, life lessons and impact on players, among other insights. In other words, everything that Ed’s book is about.

Steve, Jim and I approached Ed with the idea of shooting a pilot episode (or video thesis statement) for a weekly show ostensibly about coaches’ influence. Although, it was really about competition.

We would prove our thesis in the pilot episode, but the concept could extend beyond Ed’s book, beyond a single film project to anywhere there is competition, coaching and strategy. On television, we could explore a different sport each week, always from the coaches’ perspective. Soccer in Brazil. Swimming in Australia. Basketball in Spain. It seemed like a pretty good gig to the three of us. Ed agreed, but because of his book and background we decided to start with football. And we decided that Division III football would offer the perspective our concept needed and, probably, the uncensored access needed for production.

I chose the University of St. Thomas because the campus is close to my home and because my last name seems to help. When I had trouble registering for a class or something like that, my Dad would say, “Just go to the office and tell them who you are; tell them you’re Professor Selim’s son.” It worked. The job would always get done.

And so, I called Athletic Director Steve Fritz and told him who I was and he said, “Sure. Sounds good to me. Whatever you want to do,” which gave me the permission to call Coach Glenn Caruso, whom I did not know, and say, “We need to wire you up with lavaliere microphones 24-7, even during the game including all of its unbridled emotions, secrets, strategies and, yes, profanities.”

Caruso is a tough guy, a brave guy who played college football. But I would venture to say that the most courageous moment in his entire life was when he said to me, “Okay, 24-7 including the game. Let’s do it.” (But delivered with the caveat that we would work closely together during the edit so as not to reveal any secrets – Glenn’s playbook can remain intact for years to come).

Then I asked Fritz to place a phone call to a rival school that went something like, “We’ve got an alumnus here who would like to follow your football coach for the week leading up to our game against you, listening to and filming everything he says and does during the game.” Courageously, just as Caruso had, retiring head coach Jay Schoenebeck from Gustavus Adolphus College agreed.

It seemed almost too perfect – Glenn Caruso, a first-year coach at St. Thomas,versus Jay Schoenebeck, coaching his last year after 15 seasons at Gustavus.

With the two schools on board, Jim Bigham and I agreed that given my lifelong history with St. Thomas, I should go to Gustavus and follow Coach Schoenebeck. Jim had no preconceived notions about either school, and this arrangement would put us on a level playing field, each exploring with an equal sense of wonder the school and coach we were shooting.

We followed both coaches for the week leading up to their Oct. 4 game at Hollingsworth Field in St. Peter, and learned about strategy and scripting and depth charts, studying film, the precision with which practices are run, the nature of competition and the power of clear leadership.

From a production perspective, the week leading up to the game was almost controllable. Jim and I could ask questions, demand second takes and instruct the quarterback to throw left instead of right because the sun looked better that way. Butultimately, we needed a good game on Saturday.

The game could have been a blowout, or a dud, and people would have said, “Oh, I know who’s gonna win!” at which point our concept would not work.

Instead, all the preparation, coaching, strategy and insights from the week came into play on a beautiful fall day, captured by probably the biggest production crew – eight cameras, four sound recordists from NFL Films, 24 crew members – ever to record a Division III game.

We collected more than 100 hours of footage that week and spent six months editing it into a 48-minute show built around a balance of 24 minutes of prep week and 24 minutes of game time. We intercut from St. Thomas to Gustavus, Coach Caruso to Coach Schoenebeck, locker room to locker room, sideline to sideline.

The final piece has everything we hoped for and designed. We captured action, contemplation, several touchdowns, a questionable jersey switch, a tight score with two seconds remaining on the clock, and a controversial ending.

It has a winner, and a loser (but you’ll have to watch the show to see the outcome).

I think people will like it. My agent and manager in Hollywood are introducing the pilot to potential buyers. Where it goes from here and in what form is in their hands. Response has been positive, and our pilot has a real shot at becoming a series. I have high hopes.

But it almost doesn’t matter because I like it. And more than that, I learned from the experience.

From these two coaches I gained an education that I must have missed from the sports I chose to play in high school and college, lessons that I will apply to my work and my life from this point forward. These coaches teach their players to be disciplined, punctual, exact, driven, focused, to never confuse activity with accomplishment, to be optimistic and resilient, to seek the process of continuous improvement rather than the event of overnight success.

These are all attributes sorely lacking but badly needed in the film business, and I now intend to deliver them.

If my achievements in filmmaking continue, Glenn can claim me as one of his first success stories, and Jay can claim me as his last.

And, curiously, during the edit, while watching the various cuts over and over, I learned to love, respect and even understand football. I was in the stands for Glenn’s first home game against St. Olaf on Sept. 19, my first football game as a fan.

If “Play the Game” can work that well on me, I would say that’s some powerfully effective filmmaking.

About the author: Ali Selim is the writer and director of the film “Sweet Land,” winner of the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

What a year it’s been, from last second cliffhangers to shootouts and dominating defensive efforts, our first year has been one to remember. This season has provided us with so many amazing memories that we thought we would share our top 10 most memorable moments.

Editor’s Note: When viewing multimedia associated with this article we recommend you look for the full-screen symbols located in the lower right corner of each media piece. Clicking these will set the media to fill your screen, allowing you to see photos and video in all their glory.

10. Six OT’s at St. Olaf

We begin with a game that rewrote the history books as the longest football game in the history of Division III. Unfortunately, we did not come out on top. The game lasted six overtimes and began to approach five hours long. St. Olaf was a team that nine months earlier dominated UST in all phases of the game. But in our first conference game of the season, we showed that we would be a force to be reckoned with. As regulation came to a close, our game captains went to midfield for the coin-toss, a routine that after the fifth OT made you feel like you were in the movie “Groundhog Day.” Through swapping field goals, missed field goals, touchdowns and dominating defensive performances, it dragged into the sixth overtime, when they scored and we did not. There was much to learn from that day, particularly the fact that we had the early makings of a tremendous defense.

9. Singing the Victory song for the first time after the Macalester game

Home opener versus Mac. The memory of the beautiful weather and tremendous crowd and all the pageantry that surrounds college football was indelible. Obviously, for me it had added meaning, having coached every kid on that field … from both sidelines. “Bittersweet” was the word everyone was using, but all I felt was pride. Our kids remained focused and made some great plays to start the season with a win for the first time in a long time. The highlight of the day was when we first sang our new victory song with the fans. That minute, that feeling, set the tone for what was to be a tremendous season.

8. Gustavus week with Ali Selim

GAC week, and particularly the week of practice, provides us with memory number eight. Nationally acclaimed film maker Ali Selim had begun a new television series that showed the coach’s perspective of two teams preparing for a game. And Ali decided to use the Tommies versus Gustavus as his backdrop. For the entire week, camera crews had an all-access pass to cover the team: from meetings to practice; staff meetings to filming; and even the kids and I at home having breakfast. Needless to say, the team and cameras became very close, very quickly. The week served as what will be the pilot for a national series, and we will let you know when it gets released. The guys had a great time, and the coaches did as well. The result was an explosive win at Gustavus’ homecoming game.

7. Goals meeting

This one is a bit too intimate to fully expand on, but I believe that the team meeting that we had on Aug. 26 provided one of the more memorable moments I will ever have as a coach. During that meeting, we all talked openly and set the goals for the present and the future of this program. Needless to say, there was an emotional bond forged in that lecture hall that day that will serve as the foundation on which we build our program. Of the four goals that were set for the lifetime of the program, I am proud to be able to say that we knocked off numbers one and two. … and 3 and 4 are currently in progress.

6. NWC shutout

The season-ending game versus Northwestern (Roseville, Minn.) lands at number six on the list. It was a complete game, with all phases dominating from first play to the last. We set records, and the defense held our opponent to negative yardage. And our offense went over the 2,000-yard mark for the season. But mainly, we had the opportunity to make sure that every one of our 13 seniors not only got to play in the game, but they also made the most of their shot. In the closing seconds of the game, the Eagles had first-and-goal at the one-inch line. In a great show of pride, the reserves and the seniors held on for four straight plays to give the Tommie football its first shutout in the last 55 games. An appropriate ending to a tremendous day.

5. Tommie vs. Johnnie atmosphere and game ending

The Tommie-Johnnie game comes in at number five. A lot is made of the rivalry, and the game, the crowd and the atmosphere lived up to the billing. The game itself was worth the price of admission, but the atmosphere stole the show. With the largest crowd in recent memory, thousands packed Palmer Field to witness this year’s chapter of the storied tilt. The ending was not ideal. We felt it was obviously clear that Ben Wartman had scored the go-ahead touchdown in the closing seconds of the game. But for whatever reason, the TD was not called. Although it was a tough loss to take, I firmly believe that good can come from any negative experience, depending how we handle it. And true to form, that moment of severe disappointment set the table for what would be some of the more amazing moments of the 2008 season and what is now an uncanny drive for the future of our program.

4. Concordia: A miserable day and homecoming upset

When we started the season, we looked at the schedule and quickly noticed that we were playing in three homecoming games. … And only one was ours! This is typical when taking over a team that finished 2-8. Concordia was one of those games. The entire trip was a great experience for the team. We left early Friday morning on the trip to Moorhead, and as usual the bus ride provided the team with some great bonding time. After we arrived, we had a walkthrough in the Fargodome, and I introduced the team to some of my former players. We also went as a team to watch the inspiration movie, “The Express” (about Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy). We finished the night with a team meal and meetings in the hotel. Friday’s preparation paid off, as we scored on the first play of the game – a 63-yard pass on a wet and cold day. Defense played lights out, and special teams once again blocked the game-winning field goal attempt to seal the victory over the nationally ranked and then league-leading Cobbers.

3. Bethel third quarter TD and our youth movement

Bethel had won the MIAC championship each of the last 2 years, and halfway through our game with the reigning champs I somehow ended up with an extra few seconds to take a look at our offensive set. I counted eight freshmen out on the field. I said a quick prayer for our health and ball security, and about 30 seconds later we ripped off a 70+ yard touchdown for the game-winning score. That moment quickly became known as “The Youth Movement of 2008.” Although we are very happy with the future of the program, what stood out the most that day was the third quarter, when we ran the ball without trick or secret right at an opponent, stopped their run game in its tracks and sealed the victory with a toughness that I had not seen in some time, giving us homecoming win number three on the season. That moment felt very, very good.

2. Carleton: Final Score

“On a late October Day, at home, versus Carleton.” On Friday night, after a team movie, I told the team that this was the response I wanted to be able to give years from now when someone asked me “When was the first moment that you knew you had yourself a team?” Being in on the ground floor of a rebuilding process comes with a lot of responsibility and a lot of firsts. And we have been blessed to be a part of that process. The team had just come off as tough a loss as I had ever been a part of – a loss that made the guys feel like the victory had been taken from them, and yet facing another team atop the league that we needed to knock off. My Dad always said that the true mettle of a man is how he responds when times are tough. That challenge was put out to the team, and they responded with pride and passion.

In a game that saw multiple lead changes, Carleton went ahead in the fourth quarter with 1:22 left on the clock. Our kids did not whine; they did not panic. They put their helmets on and went to work. In a beautifully executed two-minute drive, the offense moved the ball down inside the 10-yard line, and on fourth and goal at the 6 – down by four points with one second left on the clock – time seemed to stop and our world went silent. It was that all or nothing moment we all dreamed about in the backyards of our youth when young boys gave detailed play-by-play calls of the monumental greatness they were making. By the time the officials signaled the touchdown on the far side of the field, a mass of purple and grey – players, coaches, fans and alums had piled together within seconds.

It was as fun a single moment as I can ever remember having with the guys on the football field. And I swear that a feeling like that alone – those given seconds where all become one – are the reasons why this great game can not be paralleled by another sport. It’s what keeps us coming back for more. Like those eight-year-olds of our past, we ran over to ring the bell and sing the victory song together with the fans. And as the last notes echoed throughout O’Shaughnessy stadium, I glanced over to one of my linemen, and with tears streaking down his beefy and battered cheeks, I thought to myself, “On a late October day, at home, versus Carleton.”

1. The Point After

Comment on this story.

Photos seen in Monday Morning Quarterback may be purchased at the St. Thomas Photo Store.  The store is searchable by player name and contains unpublished photos as well.

St. Thomas 41 – Northwestern 0
November 15, 2008

Welcome to another successful edition of Monday Morning Quarterback. Today we are excited to talk about one of our more enjoyable and complete outings of the year, a 41-0 win over #7 ranked Northwestern.

Going into the game we knew that our opponent had a lot of confidence, and a lot of success on the field this year. Regardless of their conference competition, they did a tremendous job against non-conference competition, beating some impressive schools including UW-River Falls. We had every reason to believe that this would be a hard-fought game.

Our offense got on track early, establishing a run game through the use of Both Ben Wartman and Colin Tobin – switching off regularly. And Greg Morse provided some accurate and timely throws in his first collegiate start. We did have a few ball security issues in or wide receiver group – dropping a couple of balls that we thought should have been caught. But fortunately, we were able to overcome those with some successful drives, and were able to put some early points on the board, the first 2 coming from receptions by Jake Friedrichs.

We went into halftime up 28-0, and really never looked back after that.

Specials teams kept them pinned in their territory all day. The entire first half was played almost all on their side of the 50-yard line, which is always a comforting feeling. As a defensive and offensive play caller you can get more aggressive and lot more confident in what you’re calling when the opponent is always on their half of the field. The whole playbook was open to both sides thanks to very consistent play by the special teams.

Defensively, we had one of the most dominating performances I think I’ve ever seen. At halftime they had -23 yards, and they finished the game with -19 yards rushing. Two of the goals we had going into the game were to rush for 300 yards and hold them for negative rushing yards. On offense that would give us 2,000 yards rushing for the season. And on defense that would hold our opponents under 100 yards per game. We were very, very happy to achieve those goals. But defensively – as we have all season – we brought tons of pressure from multiple looks. We had sacks from six different players, and a handful of tackles for a loss as well.  And at the end, the D made a very emotional goalline stand with 6 attempts inside the 10 and 4 shots at the 6 inch line.

What we were the most excited about was that we were able to play deep into our bench.  We were fortunate to travel with more than the typical in-league limit because it was a non-league game. So, we brought about 75 guys with us. And they all got to play. We got to play all 13 seniors. And we got to play guys who had not seen a lot of game-action this year throughout the third and fourth quarter.

What was most overwhelming was the crowd. We well-outnumbered their crowd, and probably had 1,000 Tommie fans for an away game. That was a tremendous feeling, and we are very thankful for the support on what turned out to be a beautiful fall day.

As it turned out, we had an opportunity to make the playoffs. We awaited that call on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, when we got the call, we were not offered an at-large bid. We were one of only two 7-3 teams that were considered and actually got on the selection board.  There were a couple of other teams in the region with 8-2 records, and although they did not have as strong of a strength-of-schedule as us (we ended up with the 14th toughest schedule in the nation out of 242 teams), they decided to take the other teams because of the extra win.

Regardless, 7-3 is a leap from where these players were a year ago, and I think it’s a testament to their Pride, Passion, effort and their character. Their improvement gave us the third greatest single-season improvement in the nation.  For that I am very thankful and proud.

We hope that you will join us next week for the final edition of Monday Morning Quarterback where we will review some of the highlights and key moments from the season.

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Jake Friederichs
• Defense: Willie Baregi
• Special Teams: Evan Nolander
• Hustler: Colin Tobin
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Danny Hallman
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Ryan Petterson

Comment on this story.

November 17 is the last Quarterback Club film session at Plums.

St. Thomas 36 – Bethel 20
November 8, 2008

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Greg Morse
• Defense: Willie Baregi
• Special Teams: Matt Griswold
• Hustler: Justyn Helgeson
• Offensive Scout: Ben Graham
• Defensive Scout: Ian McIntosh

Comment on this story

Remember, you can watch game film with Coach Caruso live every other Monday night at Plums.

St. Thomas 20 – Augsburg 22
November 1, 2008

Welcome to this week’s edition of Monday Morning Quarterback. As with nearly all of the games this year, Saturday’s tilt came down to the final seconds and the slimmest of margins as Augsburg kicked a field goal with 12 seconds left to take the lead and win 22-20.

It was a game where the defense did a nice job early, putting a halt to a very explosive passing attack and forcing a couple of turnovers early on.  We were able to get some good pressure on the QB and force him to make some throws on unsure footing.  Not only did the defense force a few turnovers, throughout the game they were able to stop them on 3 of their 4 4th down conversions.  Unfortunately, early in the game the offense did not take advantage of those early turnovers by convert them into points.

As the game wore on, our offense started to control the run game, and we rushed for well over 300 yards. We also amassed 450 yards of total offense. But twice in the red zone we were stopped; once on a turnover and once on downs.

As an offense, we knew we had to come out and set the tone early with the run game. We went back to that often, and it was there for us throughout the day.  Even when we needed to drive at the end of the game – down by five points – to take the lead 20-19 with 1:50 remaining in the game.

Both defenses controlled the first half, as we went into halftime deadlocked at 7-7. We came out and went back on top 14-7 with a touchdown drive in the second half on a long toss play. At that time we swapped a couple of punts, and a turnover on each side as well. In the fourth quarter, Augsburg scored on a deep pass play. Fortunately for us, as we have done many times this year, our field goal-PAT block team came through and blocked the extra point that kept the score 14-13.

Augsburg scored next on another deep pass in the fourth quarter, and we were able to stop their two-point conversion. So it remained with a five-point lead. We then put together a long drive that chewed up a lot of clock, and we scored on an eight-yard touchdown run with 1:50 left in the game.

From that point we kicked off and their offense moved down the field to the 6-yard line. With 20 seconds left, they lined up for a field goal on third down. Again our guys got a great push up the front and got their hands up and blocked it.  Although the ball was blocked and crossed the line of scrimmage after being blocked, it rolled back behind the line of scrimmage. And after a slew of guys from both teams tried to recover it, it fell into their hands and was ruled their ball. After a lengthy discussion, Augsburg was able to line up for the field goal again on fourth down, and they made the most out of that opportunity connecting on the kick with :12 seconds left in the game.

Obviously, it is a very difficult loss for our young men as well as coaches, especially considering the fashion in which it occurred. It’s now been four weeks in a row where we have been in very hard-fought games, all settled in the closing minute – in the end, some have gone our way, and some have not. We say that as a team, when things go our way, we will celebrate and relish the chance to experience them together, when they don’t, we will learn from them but still relish the chance to experience them together.  That is one of the great attributes of this sport we love.  My Father, who is now deceased, used to continually say, “Any man can handle the good times, that’s easy, but the mettle of a man lies in how he handles the tough times.”  I believe he is right and what I am most proud of is the kids’ resilience and willingness to keep fighting through the tough times, to stick together regardless of the situation, learn from it and move forward together.

This Saturday we will once again have a tremendous opportunity, it is our homecoming  against Bethel . . . we hope to see you there.

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Ben Wartman
• Defense: Jeffrey Hilliard
• Special Teams: Willie Baregi
• Hustler: Zach Sturm
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Reed Mainquist
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Matt Evans

Comment on this story

Remember, you can watch game film with Coach Caruso live every other Monday night at Plums.

St. Thomas 33 – Carleton 31
October 25, 2008

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Jake Friederichs
• Defense: Tony Danna
• Special Teams: Matt Griswold
• Hustler: Alex Gauper
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Erik Wimme
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Kyle Boughner

Comment on this story

Remember, you watch game film with Coach Caruso live every other Monday night at Plums.

                                  ________________________

   St. Thomas 9 – St. John’s 12                                   October 18, 2008

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Ben Wartman
• Defense: Tommy Becker
• Special Teams: John Hasbargen
• Hustler: Team Defense
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Patrick Rothstein
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Chandler Ryan

Comment on this story

Remember, you can watch game film with Coach Caruso live every other Monday night at Plums.

____________________________________

   St. Thomas 14 – Concordia-Moorhead 13         October 11, 2008

Welcome to another victorious edition of Monday Morning Quarterback. I’m very proud to come off the long road trip with a huge win over former conference leader Concordia.  That makes two weeks in a row we’ve gone on the road versus a good MIAC team in a hostile environment and taken the W.  We are now 2-0 in Homecoming games this year, and have yet to play ours.  So, we couldn’t be happier with the mental toughness our kids are displaying.

The win up at Concordia was an extremely physical one – a very tough game all around. We told the kids before the game that it was going to take a physical and mental toughness from them that we had not seen yet. There is no question that the team heard the message and responded accordingly. Our guys not only matched their effort, they surpassed it in resounding fashion.

On offense, we got off to a good start scoring on the first play of the game, but we had some red zone chances early that we didn’t capitalize on – both with the kicking game and going for it on fourth down.  During that stretch, our defense did a spectacular job keeping us in the game.  And following their second score came up big with a blocked extra point attempt which proved to be the margin of victory.   In the second half the defense used many halftime adjustments to shut out a very potent running attack that uses the option extremely well, creating a few turnovers along the way.  Our tackling improved as the game wore on and the D showed poise and resilience in bringing their drives to a halt.  Offensively, we set the tone on the ground once again, which has been a recurring theme for the first half of the season. The run game was led by some hard running by the backs and quarterback along with very good blocking by the offensive line and fullbacks.  And with the game on the line in the 4th quarter, the O staged an impressive 11 play, 80 yard drive resulting in the final touchdown of the game

The Cobbers have proven to be a team that is difficult to beat on their home field, and the conditions were by no means perfect. But I think if you ask any one of our players, they would say that the wet, cold and rainy weather was ideally suited for us on that day. We’ve proven that we might not always be the best looking team out there, but we are a hard-working, blue collar, bring-your-lunch-pail sort of team that works their butts off and is learning how to win close games … even when the stat sheet says you shouldn’t.  And for that I am both grateful and proud.

We hope to see you all next week at home when we host Saint John’s. Remember to wear your purple and white, and come ready to share in our Tommie Pride.

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Sam Moen
• Defense: Kirk Baglien
• Special Teams: Jeffery Hilliard
• Hustler: David Sauer
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Erik Wimme
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Chris Strom

Comment on this story.

Remember, you can watch game film with Coach Caruso live every other Monday night at Plums.

_______________________________________

St. Thomas 30 – Gustavus 22                                     October 4, 2008

I cannot be more proud of a team than I am of this one right now. In true Tommie fashion, I saw 60 heartbeats come together and act as one. It was a very tough game. But we’ve told our kids over and over again that anything worthwhile in life does not come easy. And this game was a testament to that fact.

There were many ups and downs. We had a great start. Our defense came out and played extremely well. They put pressure on a very awkward offense to defend – with a lot of wide receivers and no huddling. And although we gave up two big plays, we stopped the Gustavus run game dead in its tracks. And we were able to make a lot of good plays on the ball. Three or four sacks certainly helped out.

On offense, what I’m most ecstatic about is the fact that we thought we had a run game before, but now we know we have a run game. We have a toughness and energy up front with our O-line, tight ends and fullbacks that I have not seen here in some time. And that is a byproduct of the hard work and mental toughness they have shown both physically and mentally. We were fairly “ball secure” – I think we had one tipped ball. Ball security is the key to winning, and we were able to take care of the ball today. I am very proud of that.

What is most exciting is that we put all three facets of the game together today. It may not have been a perfect game on offense, or a perfect game on defense or special teams, but when each side of the ball needed the other side, they were there to pick up the slack. And that is how I know this team is coming together.

In this conference, to be able to go on the road and take a win like we did, is a very impressive feat. Today we had a very hostile environment. There were 6,000 fans at homecoming for Gustavus, and they were sky high with emotion. We were not only able to meet that level of emotion, but surpass it. The heart and emotion our kids played today with was impeccable.

In the locker room before the game we talked about when you’re a kid and dream about playing football, you dream about days like today. Skies are clear. The stands are packed. A crucial conference game is on the line. I could not think of a day that was more apropos to those dreams we had 10 or 15 years ago when we were playing in the sandlots and backyards – both as players and coaches.  It was a fantastic day for football, and a huge day for the Tommies.

I want to thank our very faithful following for coming out and supporting us the way they did. We hope to see you next week up at Concordia.

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Offensive Line
• Defense: Tom Becker
• Special Teams: Zach Sturm
• Hustler: Ricky Margarit
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Matt Joshi
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Neil Flaherty

Comment on this story.

Remember, you can watch game film live with Coach Caruso every other Monday night at Plums.

_________________________________

St. Thomas 24 – Hamline 21                                           Sept. 27, 2008

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Kris Kopp
• Defense: Tony Danna
• Offense: Ben Wartman
• Hustler: Jake Friederichs
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Reed Mainquist
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Joe Sunnarborg

Comment on this story.

Remember, you can watch game film live with Coach Caruso every other Monday night at Plums.

____________________________________

St. Thomas 23 – St. Olaf 29 (6OT)                               Sept. 20, 2008

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Fritz Waldvogel
• Defense: Brady Ervin
• Special Teams: A.C. Clouthier
• Hustler: Tony Danna
• Offensive Scout of the Week: Dan Carr
• Defensive Scout of the Week: Ryan Petterson

Comment on this story.

Remember, you can watch game film live with Coach Caruso every other Monday night at Plums.

_______________________

Bye Week                                                                                Sept. 13, 2008

_____________________________________

St. Thomas 35 – Macalester 10                                    Sept. 6, 2008

Coach Caruso’s Players of the Game

• Offense: Tom Knowles
• Defense: Brady Ervin
• Special Teams: Willie Baregi
• Hustler: Zach Sturm

Comment on this story.

Remember, you can watch game film live with Coach Caruso every other Monday night at Plums.