ST. THOMAS FOOTBALL GAMEDAY
St. Thomas opens third DI season vs. DII opponent Black Hills State
The Tommies football team finished last season on a 10-game winning streak and will look to extend it at O'Shaughnessy Stadium on Saturday.
September 1, 2023 at 10:48PM
Saturday: 1 p.m. vs. Black Hills (S.D.) State
O'Shaughnessy Stadium
Midco Sports Plus; 1500-AM
Tommies update: In its season opener, St. Thomas will look to extend a pair of streaks. The Tommies won their final 10 games last season, ending at No. 20 in the FCS national poll, and they have won 27 in a row at home. That's the longest current home win streak in any level of college football. Coach Glenn Caruso is 14-0 in home openers, and a victory Saturday would be the 150th of his career. St. Thomas returns several key players from the Pioneer League's top defense, including linebackers Jonathan Bunce and Luke Herzog and defensive backs Yusef Leak and Grif Wurtz. The offense is led by wide receiver Andrew McElroy and running back Shawn Shipman. Caruso said his starting quarterback will be sophomore Amari Powell. The Tommies roster includes 53 Minnesotans and features players from 19 states.
Black Hills State update: The Division II Yellow Jackets started last season with five consecutive victories, then went 2-4 the rest of the way. They were 5-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, good for fifth place. They are picked to finish fifth again this season. Black Hills State ranked second in the RMAC last season in scoring defense, allowing 20.9 points per game, and it led the league with 170.1 rushing yards per game. Running back Nolan Susel averaged 67.5 yards per game, good for third in the league.
Two offensive linemen from Lakeville, Bryce Benhart and Riley Mahlman, are standouts for Big Ten rivals of Minnesota.
