(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The Thomas More University football team moved over .500 on Saturday afternoon, defeating Cumberland University 24-16 in their homecoming game, improving to 4-3 after their second straight win. The Saints now sit at 3-1 in the Mid-South Conference after the victory.
Blaine Espinosa got things started with a bang, taking the Saints second play of the game to the house on a 66-yard run, the longest of his collegiate career.
Later in the quarter,
Luke Iden hit a 23-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Phoenix would manufacture a 20-play drive that lasted over eight minutes and resulted in an eight-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 10-6. A failed two-point conversion attempt would keep the score there with 4:03 remaining in the half.
Cumberland would get the ball back late in the second quarter, using a 37-yard rush and 20-yard pass to help move the ball to the Saints 30-yard line. The play of the game came for Thomas More on a Phoenix 47-yard field goal attempt.
Jackson Gear got a great push off the Phoenix linemen and got his right hand up to block the kick, which allowed
Colton Sandhas to pick it up and take it 70 yards the other way for the Saints touchdown in a massive momentum shifting play.
The score would be 17-6 at the break. Out of halftime however, Cumberland put some pressure on Thomas More. They ran their way to a touchdown in their first drive of the second half, using seven rushes and an eventual Luke Holloway 13-yard scamper to make it 17-13.
The Phoenix would pick off the Saints on their next possession and grab great field position for their ensuing drive at their own 48-yard line. One 43-yard pass to Elijah Gaskin later and the Phoenix had a chance to take their first lead of the game, sitting at the Thomas More nine-yard line. However, the Saints clamped down defensively and only allowed one yard on three plays, forcing a Cumberland field goal that made it 17-16.
Cumberland would force a Saints punt and put themselves in position to drive down and take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, at the Saints 43-yard line, the Phoenix threw a critical interception to
Jackson Belk, who took it back 47 yards to Cumberland's 14-yard line on another huge defensive play.
Three plays later and Espinosa was in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and a 24-16 Saints lead. The Phoenix would never get past the Saints 49-yard line for the remainder of the game as Thomas More grabbed a huge win.
- Espinosa's 66-yard touchdown run was the longest for the Saints since September 9th, 2017 where Hjavier Pitts took it 73-yards to the house against Bridgewater (Va. ) in the second quarter.
- This is Espinosa's second game this season with two-rushing touchdowns, with the other coming against Bluefield.
- Belk picked up his first interception as a Saint.
- Trey Brausch led the team with seven tackles (four solo, three assisted).
- Amos Griffith and Ross Halverstadt both had a tackle for loss and a sack. Halverstadt now has three sacks this season while Griffith has two.
- The Saints have now blocked a kick in back-to-back home games.
Thomas More will be back on the road next week when they travel to play the Bethel (Tenn.) Wildcats in McKenzie, Tenn. The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 6 in the NAIA.
The Saints beat Bethel 24-14 on the road last season.
