Box Score | Photos (John Biasi)

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore defensive lineman Kyle Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) recovered a St. Thomas fumble on the Johnnies' two-yard line with 19 seconds remaining in the game to seal a 12-9 win on Saturday, Oct. 18 in St. Paul. The win improves SJU to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in a tightened MIAC race.

Following an interception by junior quarterback Jordan Hansel (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) on the third play from scrimmage, St. Thomas took a 7-0 lead with a six-play, 40-yard drive capped off by a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback David Sauer to tight end Jake Friederichs at the 10:44 mark of the first quarter.

After each team squandered four possessions each, senior linebacker Nick Kotsmith (Foley, Minn.) partially blocked a UST punt, giving the Johnnies the ball on the Tommies' 41-yard line. Following a 14-yard gain by sophomore running back Jakob Reding (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Reding broke away for a 27-yard touchdown run. Reding ended the day with a career-high 94 yards on 15 carries (6.3 avg.). The extra-point attempt by senior Russell Gliadon (Fridley, Minn.) was blocked, making the score 7-6 in favor of the Tommies.

Sophomore quarterback Joe Boyle (Richfield, Minn./Holy Angels) orchestrated a 17-play, 81-yard drive that consumed 9:15 of the third quarter and ended with his own one-yard touchdown run to give the Johnnies a 12-7 lead. Boyle's pass on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.

Pinned deep in its own zone on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, Gliadon ran out of the Johnnie end zone to cut the SJU lead to 12-9 with 3:10 left in the game.

On second down and 15 yards to go from the SJU 25-yard line, Sauer connected with a diving Fritz Waldvogel for a 25-yard gain down to the SJU one-yard line with under a minute to go.

After a Johnnie timeout, UST's Ben Wartman run inside but was ruled down before breaking the plane. On second down and inches, Ryan McCarthy fumbled the exchange from Sauer and Schroeder jumped on the ball to seal the victory for SJU.

Boyle was two of five passing for 22 yards and rushed for another 21, including the one-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winning score. Junior linebacker Ryan Wimmer (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) led the Johnnies with 10 tackles (seven solo), while Kotsmith collected five tackles, all solo, in addition to a blocked punt and fumble recovery.

The Tommies' Ben Wartman rushed for 90 yards on 24 carries, while Sauer was 15 of 31 passing for 137 yards.

UST outgained the Johnnies 281-182 in the game, but was just 2 of 14 on third downs and was forced to punt eight times.

With the win, SJU head coach John Gagliardi improves his career record to 458-124-11 (.782) and 434-118-10 (.781) at SJU. Gagliardi is now 42-14 all-time against the Tommies, including wins in 15 of the last 16 meetings.

SJU travels to face St. Olaf (3-3, 1-3 MIAC) next Saturday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Manitou Field in Northfield.