Glenn Caruso and his staff have brought some pride to St. Thomas football. Photo by Scott Pierson, d3photography.com

St. Thomas could have hired an NAIA national coach of the year, or UW-Whitewater's then-offensive coordinator, Jim Zebrowski. Instead, it hired Glenn Caruso, who had coached nearby Macalester for just two seasons, and the program was off to the races.

• Updated bracket, playoff features

"If you can't dream it, it's not going to happen," Caruso says. "When we looked at the job we believed the University of St. Thomas had all of the things it needed to be successful."

The Tommies have played for many Division III national championships, but this is the first time the school will be playing for the football title.

Caruso sat down with Pat Coleman to talk about the success the rest of the athletic department has had at UST, the youth of this year's offense, a key lineup change on defense, how this year's teams talent compares to last year's and what scares the heck out of him as a coach. He also talks about what makes freshman Brenton Braddock a running back wise beyond his years, how long his staff has been following Mount Union and whether playing UW-Whitewater in last year's semifinals can prepare them for facing Mount Union.