Big second and fourth quarters provide push for Tommies
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Northern Michigan football team was defeated by the St. Thomas Tommies 56-14 on Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats trailed 15-7 after one, but a three-touchdown second quarter from the Tommies had them ahead 35-7 at the break. NMU scored the lone touchdown in the third, but St. Thomas closed the door with three more in the final quarter.
Wilson Ptacek scored both of Northern’s touchdowns, hauling in three receptions for 60 yards. NMU totaled 333 yards of offense, led by Noah Dobert with 27 carries for 142 yards. Liam Oczkowski was 12-of-18 for 134 yards and a touchdown, while Duke Shovald also had a connection with Ptacek for a score.
The Wildcats turned the ball over four times, three of them being fumbles. Jax Hertel recorded an interception on the defensive end, accounting for UST’s lone turnover.
UST’s Nicholas Peipert threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns while running another in. Running back Gabriel Abel ran eight times, three of which found the end zone.
Northern is now 0-3 on the season as they return home for the next two games. The Tommies improved to 2-1.
How it Happened
St. Thomas scored first as Gabriel Abel capped the opening drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 at 10:52. NMU went three-and-out, and St. Thomas extended the lead on its next drive with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Stefano Giovannelli, with a two-point conversion making it 15-0 at 8:02.
NMU moved into St. Thomas territory on its next possession, but Liam Oczkowski was intercepted in the end zone. Duke Shovald answered on NMU’s next drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Wilson Ptacek, cutting the deficit to 15-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Jax Hertel intercepted a pass to open the second quarter, but a Noah Dobert fumble gave the ball right back. Play was halted for more than 30 minutes in the second quarter following an injury. Out of the stoppage, Abel scored his second rushing touchdown for UST to make it 22-7 at 6:01. Another Dobert fumble led to a 9-yard touchdown run from UST quarterback Nicholas Peipert, making it 29-7 at 4:48. St. Thomas added two field goals before halftime for a 35-7 lead at the break.
NMU was stopped on fourth down to open the third quarter. Oczkowski found Ptacek again for a 27-yard touchdown, his second of the game, making it 35-14 at 2:30. The score held through the end of the quarter.
St. Thomas pulled away in the fourth. Abel scored his third touchdown on the opening play to make it 42-14. A third NMU fumble set up a 35-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Cobb-Butler, 49-14 at 10:22, and a 17-yard touchdown to Owen Lyons closed the scoring at 56-14.
Up Next
The Wildcats will be back at the Superior Dome next weekend, hosting the Davenport Panthers for Homecoming on Saturday, September 19.
