St. Thomas football refuses to get complacent with early DI success

Glenn Caruso is a man of many slogans. The St. Thomas football coach has a saying for every occasion, including one of his favorites: You'd better be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Caruso repeated that frequently over the past two seasons as the Tommies made the leap from Division III to DI. It will hold true again this year. While St. Thomas learned plenty during its first phase of transition, its third DI season brings new opponents and fresh challenges, requiring the Tommies to be adaptable if they want to repeat as Pioneer Football League champions.

The quest begins Saturday against DII Black Hills State at O'Shaughnessy Stadium. The Tommies' lineup is full of familiar faces, with 17 starters returning from a group that went 10-1 overall and 8-0 in league play last season. The early part of the schedule is just the opposite, loaded with five opponents that Caruso's teams have never faced — including games at South Dakota and Harvard.

That lack of familiarity could be uncomfortable, but the past two seasons have taught the Tommies to relish each step into new territory.

"I think last year provided us with an unbelievable opportunity,'' said Caruso, who is seeking his 150th career victory Saturday. "We learned the type of work that needs to be done, the type of trust that needs to be built, the type of togetherness that needs to be grown in order to do what we've done.

"But one of the many, many reasons I love this team is because each year, even though we've had our fair share of success, it's back to square one. That's where we are, and we're looking forward to building it together.''

The Tommies finished last season ranked No. 20 in the FCS poll. They received votes in this year's preseason rankings, and junior wide receiver Andrew McElroy is a preseason All-America pick, the first for the Tommies in Division I.

St. Thomas lost at Southern Utah in last year's season opener, then reeled off 10 consecutive victories. It is an overwhelming favorite to repeat as Pioneer League champion, receiving 98 of 100 points in the preseason coaches' poll. Nine players were named to preseason all-conference teams, including a league-high five first-team selections.

The roster balances youth and experience. St. Thomas used nine freshmen in key roles last season, and 14 starters were freshmen or sophomores.

That group helped the Tommies lead the Pioneer League in scoring offense and scoring defense, putting up 32.6 points per game while yielding 17.2. The defense was among the best in the FCS, ranking in the top five in fewest points allowed, rushing yards allowed (96.5 per game) and third-down conversions allowed (.297).

The returnees include a stellar batch of juniors: linebacker Jonathan Bunce, defensive back Yusef Leak, running back Shawn Shipman and McElroy, who also returns kicks. McElroy ranked third in the league last season in all-purpose yards (119.7 per game), and Shipman was third in rushing yards (84.5 per game).

Caruso said sophomore Amari Powell will start at quarterback. The coach said he loves this season's schedule. Two first-time opponents, Morehead State and Dayton, are Pioneer League foes. Harvard adds Ivy League cachet to the schedule, and South Dakota gives Caruso a chance to return to a school where he was offensive coordinator in 2004-05.

"The way the nonconference schedule came together, I thought it was great,'' Caruso said. "And the Pioneer League footprint is massive. To have a proud program here and wave that flag for St. Thomas coast to coast, it's special.''

To defend their conference crown, Caruso said, the Tommies must be ready for anything and everything, given the diversity of their Pioneer League rivals. As he reminds them to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, some things won't change.

"We've always pursued excellence in the same way, going back to DIII,'' Bunce said. "We've had to adapt a ton. But what I love is, we've kept the same core principles throughout the transition.''