MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The St. Thomas University Bobcats football team made history on Saturday, delivering a statement victory over the No. 2-ranked Keiser Seahawks, 52-7, to secure the program's first-ever win over Keiser and snap an 0-8 all-time record against the Seahawks.
St. Thomas dominated from start to finish, handing Keiser its largest defeat since 2018 while dealing the Seahawks their first Sun Conference loss in program history and their first conference loss since a Mid-South Conference defeat in 2021.
Entering the matchup, Keiser averaged 47.6 points per game, the sixth-highest scoring average in the NAIA. The Bobcats held the high-powered Seahawks to just seven points, while the St. Thomas offense erupted for 52 points in a historic performance.
The Bobcats wasted little time setting the tone. After opening the game with a methodical eight-play, 75-yard drive, Jalen Daniels connected with Michael Duran for a 22-yard touchdown pass to put St. Thomas ahead 7-0. Later in the first quarter, Isaiah Lopez broke free for a 57-yard touchdown run, extending the Bobcats' advantage to 14-0.
Keiser answered early in the second quarter with a 47-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 14-7. However, St. Thomas responded just before halftime, as Daniels found Julian Rodriguez for a 30-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The score gave the Bobcats a 21-7 lead heading into the break.
St. Thomas took complete control in the third quarter. Lopez punched in a pair of short touchdown runs, finding the end zone from one and two yards out to extend the lead to 35-7. The Bobcats continued to impose their will on the ground, as Clifton Slone added a one-yard rushing touchdown to cap a seven-play, 65-yard drive and push the advantage to 42-7.
The Bobcats' explosive rushing attack continued into the fourth quarter. Andreas Zayas delivered one of the game's biggest plays, breaking loose for an 87-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 49-7. St. Thomas capped the historic performance with a 39-yard field goal from Jay Giunta, completing the scoring at 52-7.
The Bobcats' offensive production was matched by a defensive effort that limited one of the nation's most prolific offenses to a single touchdown. Against a Keiser team that entered the game averaging nearly 48 points per contest, St. Thomas delivered a complete performance on both sides of the ball.
The victory marks a defining moment for the Bobcats football program, ending the team's winless history against Keiser while handing the Seahawks a loss unlike any they have experienced in years. More importantly, St. Thomas proved it could compete with and defeat one of the nation's top-ranked teams.
