ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College football team began its season with a 21-16 win over Union on Saturday afternoon at Butterfield Stadium. The #23 ranked Bombers withstood a Union comeback attempt in the game's final minutes and Ithaca safety Noah Poskanzer deflected a Union pass in the endzone on fourth down to preserve the victory.

Union was led by senior running back Darnel Thomas, who rushed for a career high 169 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns. It was his fourth career 100 yard rushing effort. Quarterback Tom Dempsey threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers for the Ithaca scoring plays and the running-back tandem of Tristan Brown and Shawal Abdur-Rahman combined for 109 yards on 27 carries.

Union QB Connor Eck was 22 for 33 with no interceptions and 199 yards passing. Wide receiver Kyle Reynolds, who missed all of last season due to injury, had 104 yards on eight catches in his return to the Union lineup. It was his third straight 100 yard receiving game, including the final two games of the 2012 season. Chris Carbone and Tim Lucey led the Dutchmen defense with nine tackles each, and Justin Waller and Nick Littas added eight stops each while Waller posted an interception.
 
Ithaca drove deep into Union territory on the opening drive and missed a short field-goal attempt. Union answered with a 13-play, 62-yard drive that ended with a 34-yard field goal by Jonathan Schaible. The Bombers got on the board on their next possession. Ithaca covered 85 yards in just seven plays. The drive was capped by Dempsey's 26-yard strike to Brendan Wojtowicz in the back of the end zone, one play after a 42-yard completion from Dempsey to Chris Bauer.
 
Union went back ahead on a 1-yard touchdown run from Thomas with 6:31 remaining in the second quarter. Ithaca answered again with a 10-play, 71-yard drive. Dempsey threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Whiteley with 1:32 left in the quarter and Ithaca led 14-10.
 
In the third quarter, Ithaca stretched the advantage to 21-10 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Dempsey to Andrew Tabbert. Union scored in the fourth quarter on an 82-yard touchdown run by Thomas. A two-point conversion attempt was deflected and intercepted by Ithaca's Joe Ricotta, and the Bombers held a 21-16 lead.
 
Another long Ithaca drive stalled deep in Union territory, and it set up the Dutchmen at their own 29 with 2:38 remaining. Union converted four first downs in their two-minute offense and had first-and-goal from the 10. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, three incomplete passes followed, with the fourth-down play being broken up by Poskanzer in the back corner of the endzone with 12 seconds left in the game on a pass intended for Tosin Kazeem.
 
Ithaca cornerback Ryan Michaels had 12 tackles in the game, while Anthony Domenick and Noah Poskanzer had eight tackles each. Chris Friedlander had Ithaca's only sack of the game. Ithaca deflected six pass attempts by the Dutchmen. Dempsey was 16-for-24 for 222 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Seven different players caught passes, and five had multiple receptions. Tight end Kyle Hastings led Ithaca with 61 receiving yards.

Union opens the home season next Saturday, September 13 at 1 p.m. against Utica at Frank Bailey Field.