Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
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Time of Poss.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – It was a family affair for the Union College football team in its 45-0 win over Liberty League rival Buffalo State College during Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
First-year Patch Flanagan was strong in his collegiate debut under center, going 10-for-17 for 114 yards and three touchdowns, while his older brother, senior Jack Flanagan, added three tackles, including 1.5 sacks, to help a Union defense that held the Bengals to -1 rushing yards.
Senior Ike Irabor continued his stellar senior campaign with 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns. First-year Nicholas Dunneman added two touchdowns on the afternoon, a 15-yard reception in the first and a 20-yard punt return in the third. The offense racked up 407 yards of total offense: 134 through the air and 273 on the ground. Junior Andrew Lau was a perfect 6-for-6 on PATs and converted on a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter.
On the defensive side of the ball, Union pitched its first shutout since a 33-0 blanking of rival since November 16, 2019 and contributed to its most lopsided shutout victory since a 52-0 win over Rochester on November 6, 1999. The defense compiled five sacks and junior Sam Batchelder had a key interception in the fourth quarter to help preserve the clean sheet.
Flanagan received plenty of support from his running backs on the team's opening drive, as the team marched 75 yards on 15 plays to take an early lead. Irabor and junior Michael Fiore combined for 35 yards on the ground and Flanagan added a 14-yard scamper and a 12-yard pass to junior Garrett Cafaro on the drive, which was capped by a four-yard Irabor plunge to put Union up 7-0.
The home team put together another sustained drive later in the quarter, with Flanagan finishing off the drive with a 15-yard touchdown strike to Dunneman with 16 seconds left in the frame. It would seem that Union would be done scoring with so little time left, but the subsequent kickoff was never fielded by Buffalo State and the Dutchmen pounced on it, allowing Flanagan to connect with senior Andre Ross Jr. for six points just seven seconds later to put Union up 21-0 after 15 minutes.
Irabor ran for 60 yards on the team's next drive, finishing it off with an 11-yard touchdown run, giving Union a 28-0 lead at halftime.
The Dutchmen put up two touchdowns in less than two minutes again in the third quarter. Flanagan connected with sophomore Jonathan Anderson for a seven-yard touchdown catch and run with 3:01 on the clock in the third and, after the defense forced a three-and-out deep in Buffalo State territory, a shanked punt resulted in a quick 20-yard punt return score for Dunneman that finished off the scoring.
Buffalo State threatened to break up the shutout in the fourth quarter, but Batchelder intercepted a Tom Delgado pass at the 10-yard line midway through the final frame to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.
The Dutchmen will head on the road next Saturday to take on St. Lawrence University beginning at 1 p.m. in Canton.