TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and mistakes prevented Union College from coming all the way back as the Dutchmen were dealt a 23-13 defeat in the 72nd edition of the Dutchman Shoes game on Saturday afternoon at ECAV Stadium.

The win for Rensselaer (7-3, 5-1 Liberty League) keeps the Shoes in Troy for the second straight season and the seventh time in the last nine years.

Senior Donovan Pacatte threw for 295 yards and senior Ike Irabor ran for 93 yards and a score for Union (6-4, 3-3 Liberty League), who scored both its touchdowns inside the 90 seconds before and after halftime but had trouble getting going for the remainder of the afternoon.

Having struggled offensively for much of the season, RPI took command of the game early with a touchdown on the game's opening possession. After a 54-yard run by Dylan Burnett on the second play from scrimmage set RPI up inside the Union 10-yard line, Burnett finished off the drive with a one-yard plunge 2:42 into the contest. 

Union's special-teams struggles came to the forefront for the first time on the subsequent drive, as a punt by junior Andrew Lau was blocked to give RPI the ball back around midfield. The Engineers took advantage with a seven-play drive, capped by a 22-yard touchdown from Jake Kaznowsky to Deen Ninche to put Union in a deep hole.

The teams settled into a field-position battle after that, with a second blocked punt from the RPI defensive line tilting the field in the favor of the home team. After RPI extended its lead to 17, Union finally got on the board with a long drive at the end of the second quarter. The Dutchmen went 81 yards in 13 plays, capped by a 31-yard strike from Pacatte to junior Avery Turton to get within 10 at the break.

Union then took the second-half kickoff and was in the end zone in less than a minute. After a short rush and a 12-yard game to senior Andre Ross Jr., Irabor took a handoff from Pacatte and raced 63 yards down the left sideline for his 10th rushing TD of the season and the 47th of his stellar Union career.

The Union defense limited RPI to one first down on the next two drives to give the offense back the ball; however, Union could not capitalize thanks to two promising drives ending in an interception and a blocked field goal. Taking the momentum from their defense, the Engineers put the game away with a 32-yard touchdown to Burnett on the second play of the fourth quarter.

Union ends its season with a 6-4 record and a 3-3 mark in the Liberty League.