ITHACA, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Union College football team was limited to a season-low 290 yards in a 17-9 defeat to #15/18 Ithaca College on Saturday afternoon at Jim Butterfield Stadium.
 

Ithaca (5-1, 3-0 Liberty League) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and the Union offense could never get back to even, as the Garnet Chargers rushing attack averaged under three yards per rush and the team was held under 300 yards for the first time this season.
 
Senior Donovan Pacatte was Union’s top rusher on the day for Union (6-1, 2-1 Liberty League), rushing 22 times for 66 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 169 yards on 30 attempts. Sophomore Landers Green caught a team-best five passes for 76 yards on the day.
 
After the teams traded three-and-outs to start the day, Ithaca went 65 yards on just five plays to open the scoring. A.J. Wingfield went 4-for-4 on the drive, which finished with a 32-yard touchdown strike to Julien Deumaga to put the Bombers up 7-0. Two more punts and a fumble kept the Garnet Chargers off the scoreboard in the first quarter.
 
The teams traded field goals during a low-scoring second quarter, with the visitors mounting a 14-play, 41-yard drive to end the frame that resulted in a 33-yard field goal from junior Max Gluck at the final whistle to make it a 10-3 score at the half.
 
Defense turned to offense for Union in the third quarter, as senior Jack Flanagan forced a fumble that was recovered by classmate Cole DaSilva at the Ithaca 29-yard line. A 21-yard pass from Pacatte to junior Tommy Leonard got Union inside the red zone, followed by a seven-yard rush by junior Jonathan Anderson and a one-yard plunge by Pacatte to make it a 10-9 game after the extra point was missed.
 
Union’s next two drives resulted in three-and-outs, however, and the Bombers responded with a 71-yard drive to the endzone to make it a 17-9 game with 9:30 remaining. The visitors got the ball back with 4:33 on the clock with a chance to tie the game, but an interception with 2:07 on the clock gave the ball back to Ithaca and the home team was able to run out the clock.
 
Union will return home next Saturday for a noon kickoff against Hobart College.