AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University football team could not dig their way out of a 24-point hole on Saturday night, falling 24-13 to the Bobcats of St. Thomas University at Gyrene Field. The meeting was the second-ever contest between the two Catholic universities in the Sun Division, and the first to take place in Ave Maria.

Neither team found the endzone in the first quarter, but it was the Bobcats that put the first points on the board early in the second quarter after each team had gone scoreless in their first three drives. St. Thomas capped a five-play, 74 yard drive with a four-yard touchdown pass from T. Thomas to Z. Valcarcel, giving STU a 7-0 lead just seven seconds into the second.

The Bobcats added ten more points before the clock stuck zero on the first half. Following an AMU drive that moved into STU territory but was ended on downs, the same combination of Thomas and Valcarcel ended a 65-yard drive with another four-yard score. St. Thomas also added a field goal with one second left in the quarter, capitalizing on a blocked punt with a 31-yard kick from Billy McConnell.

St. Thomas' lead grew to 24 points early in the fourth quarter, following a scoreless third. The Bobcats moved 51 yards in six plays, set up by an interception. On the final play of the drive, Robert Armes plunged in from two yards out to complete St. Thomas' half of the scoring. 

In the final ten minutes of the game, Ave Maria tried to get back in it. After STU's score, the Gyrenes moved to within three yards of the endzone, but faced a fourth and goal. On fourth down, Will Tate was flushed out of the pocket, and heaved a pass backwards over his head as he was going down. The pass found the waiting arms of Charles Philias, who fought into the endzone for a score.

Trailing 24-6, the Gyrenes immediately got the ball back on a successful onside kick. It took just four plays for AMU to make it an eleven-point game, as Philias scored his second touchdown of the night with a 39-yard run. Ave Maria would get the ball back one more time down by eleven, but could not string together another scoring drive to come any closer to the visitors from Miami Gardens.

Many of the game's statistics were relatively even - Ave Maria outgained St. Thomas, 313-296, with the Gyrenes averaging 4.8 yards per play and St. Thomas 4.7. St. Thomas used a 2-0 advantage in the turnover battle to their advantage, as well as 228 yards on the ground.

Philias led the Gyrene offense with 102 yards and two touchdowns on 12 touches (nine carries and three receptions). Will Tate completed 15 of his 21 passes on the night after coming into the game midway through the second quarter. Defensively, Stephen Killop led the way with seven total tackles, including five solo stops.

Ave Maria, who is now 1-1 in Sun Division play, will head on the road for the first time in nearly two months next Saturday, when the Gyrenes take on undefeated Keiser. Kickoff against the Seahawks is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.