ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 15/18 Ithaca College football team found itself in another close Liberty League battle on Saturday, October 14 at Bertino Field at Butterfield Stadium as the Bombers squared off against Union College and came away with a 17-9 victory. The Bombers are now 5-1 on the season and 3-0 in the Liberty League, while Union takes its first loss of the season and is now 6-1.
Both teams punted on their initial drives of the game but the Bombers would get on the board during their next possession as A.J. Wingfield found Julien Deumaga for a 32-yard score to make it 7-0 with 9:44 left in the quarter. The scoring drive was set up by a 15-yard run by Jalen Leonard-Osbourne and a 13-yard reception by Dan Mason.
Union fumbled on the ensuing drive as Jake Connolly punched the ball loose from Jonathan Anderson and Derek Slywka scooped it up at their own 19-yard line with 8:12 remaining. IC was unable to produce any points after the sudden change and gave the ball back to the Garnet Chargers on a punt.
There would be no more scoring in the first quarter as Union punted the ball once again on the final play of the period.
IC started the second quarter at its own 23 and went three-and-out, but a 52-yard punt from Darren Brunner flipped the field and forced another Union punt.
The Bombers then ate up nearly five minutes on the ensuing drive and took a 10-0 lead on a Derek Baldin 40-yard field goal with 7:59 left in the half.
IC then looked to extend its lead to 17-0 with under just over a minute later as Leonard-Osbourne scored from 49 yards out, but the play was called back due to holding. Another IC penalty put the Bombers in a dire situation and had to punt once again.
Union would get on the board as time expired in the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal to make it 10-3. The Bombers held Union to just 2-for-13 passing in the opening 30 minutes of action.
It was an eventful third quarter as Union pinned the Bombers back to their own 3-yard line with a pooch punt from Donovan Pacatte and IC had to give the ball back at its own 35. The Garnet Chargers would then miss a 34-yard field goal with 6:29 to go in the third.
But on the next play, A.J. Wingfield fumbled the ball back to Union and the Garnet Chargers would cash in with a 1-yard run by Pacatte at the 5:16 mark, but the point after was missed to keep IC ahead, 10-9.
Later in the quarter, Leonard-Osbourne broke off a 56-yard touchdown run but it was wiped out after an unsportsmanlike penalty that was enforced from the 2-yard line. IC would go on to miss a 29-yard field goal try with three minutes left.
The Bombers pushed their lead to 17-9 just over five minutes into the fourth quarter on a Leonard-Osbourne 6-yard touchdown run for the final score of the contest.
The Bombers put the game away with 2:07 to go as Slywka intercepted a pass at the IC 37-yard line and returned it to midfield.
Leonard-Osbourne finished the game with 130 yards rushing and a score on 23 carries, while Sam Kline had 106 yards on seven receptions. Wingfield threw for 179 yards on 14-for-28 passing and one touchdown.
Ben Stola led the defense with 15 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, including one sack. Connolly added 12 tackles, while Tamir Rowser and Jonathan Koumas each chipped in eight tackles.
The Bombers outgained Union, 318-209, and held the Garnet Chargers to 34 points below their scoring average for the season.
IC heads to Rochester next Saturday, October 21 for a 12 p.m. kickoff.
No. 15/18 Ithaca Downs Previously Unbeaten Union, 17-9
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20231014_zsg0.xml
2023
Union
9
Ithaca
17
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union (6-1) | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| No. 19 Ithaca (5-1) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Oct 14, 2023