The University of St. Thomas football team plays host to the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium in a crucial Pioneer Football League (PFL) matchup, and when it comes to rallying cries, the Tommies are not short on options.

The Bulldogs (6-1 overall, 5-0 PFL) are the last remaining undefeated team in the league, and the Tommies (5-4, 4-1) need a win to keep alive their hopes for a second PFL championship in three years.

The Tommies look to remain undefeated at home against PFL opponents (currently 14-0), and in doing so snap the Bulldogs’ PFL winning streak at 16 games. And it all will be taking place in front of a homecoming crowd.

But not to be overlooked is the Tommies’ desire to avenge a 52-21 loss to the Bulldogs on the road last October, the Tommies’ only PFL loss of the season.

“This is an opportunity our players and coaches have been thinking about for a long time,” St. Thomas head coach Glenn Caruso said, “specifically because of how the game went last year down in Des Moines.

“Needless to say, the week of practice has been on point. It’s been locked in, as it should be all the time. But I think it’s been a great week of practice.”

It’s a scenario reminiscent of the 2022 season, when the laser-focused Tommies beat Davidson 27-16 after losing 42-15 to the Wildcats the previous season.

To pull the turnaround off this time, the Tommies will have to play a lot better than they did in last week’s 21-7 loss at Morehead State. The Tommies tied the score early on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Tak Tateoka to Colin Chase, but the offense struggled the remainder of the game despite a 145-yard rushing day by Hope Adebayo.

Caruso said a lack of rhythm in the passing game was among a handful of reasons why the Tommies were only able to get into the end zone once. Tateoka finished 14 of 28 passes for 126 yards and an interception.

“The early vertical ball was great, but that was the third play of the game,” Caruso said. “From that point forward, there was very little productivity that helped us move in a winning way. Hope ran well, but we weren’t able to finish, whether it was a possible long run, or finish the drive.

“We go into halftime and it’s 14-7. We got the ball to start the second half, drove down the field and got stopped in the red zone. We got the ball back, drove it down and got stopped on fourth and one.”

Caruso sensed at that point that the team “felt the game shrinking,” meaning it didn’t feel good about its chances of coming back.

“In reality, as I showed them on Sunday (during a film session), it’s still a long game,” he said. “I told them, ‘There were still six offensive possessions in the game, so let’s not get caught up in our feelings. Let’s just stay positive and work.’”

While Caruso gives credit to the Morehead State defense, he was disappointed that his offense didn’t rise to the challenge.

“When we met resistance late second quarter, early third quarter, we did not do enough to pivot at that point and do something different,” he said. “There was still so much time left. That was frustrating to see.”

Caruso’s hope is that the frustration will fuel a sense of urgency that will lead to keeping the Tommies’ title hopes alive.

“That’s externally,” he said. “Internally, what we have to shoot for is weekly growth. That’s more what I’m focused on because there are so many things that I don’t control and the players don’t control. So we’re not going to spend a whole lot of time thinking about them.

“The month of October, I felt that, collectively, we grew every day. Last week we took a step back. So what’s at stake is not the points on the scoreboard or the record. Those are the results of the process. Right now we’ve got to get back to the idea that we need elite focus on the process.

“That starts with doing your job, and that is far more important to me as a head coach than anything else.”

Caruso is impressed with Drake’s talent level, which he said is enhanced by the fact that the Bulldogs are a veteran team on both sides of the ball.

Along with his team’s need to be able to move the ball and produce points, Caruso said the Tommies’ defense will have to find ways to contain Bulldogs quarterback Luke Bailey.

“I would say he is as accurate a passer as we’ve ever seen in 17 seasons here,” Caruso said. “And he does a real nice job of keeping his eyes downfield when he’s pressured. That’s going to be a huge test.”