SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior Patch Flanagan threw a pair of touchdowns in the final two minutes of the second quarter to allow the Union College football team to pull away from Buffalo State University in a 31-10 Liberty League victory on Saturday afternoon in front of a Homecoming and Family Weekend crowd of 2,738 at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
 
Flanagan completed an efficient 9-of-16 attempts for 139 yards and touchdown passes to senior Tommy Leonard and junior Gil Rivera, while also running for 64 yards and a score. As a team, Union (2-4, 1-1 Liberty League) racked up 231 yards on the ground, led by senior Jonathan Anderson with 83 yards and classmate Michael Fiore with 64 yards and a score.
 
Senior Cole DaSilva led the defensive effort with 10 tackles (six solo), pacing a unit that allowed only 67 rushing yards on 29 attempts. The Garnet Chargers also intercepted Amir Cameron four times, the most for Union in a game since grabbing four picks against the University of Rochester on October 12, 2019.
 
After forcing a three-and-out on the game's opening possession, Buffalo State (2-4, 0-2 Liberty League) got to the Union 14-yard line before a sack by sophomore Jordan Black and an interception by senior James Gillespie that got the ball back. The home team then marched down the field, with a steady dose of Anderson and Fiore keeping the sticks moving and eventually resulting in a three-yard touchdown rush by Flanagan. Union rushed on 11-of-12 plays on the drive, which put Union up 8-0 after a two-point conversion connection between junior Cam Fries and first-year Declan Flaherty.
 
An interception by first-year John Droggitis cut short Buffalo State's next drive in Union territory, but the Bengals eventually got on the board on their next drive with a 36-yard field goal by Nick Sciandra.
 
The game turned in the final five minutes of the frame, with Union scoring twice to take a commanding lead. Flanagan connected with Leonard on a 29-yard touchdown strike with 1:56 to go in the second quarter, putting Union up 14-3. A sack by senior Ethan VanderBrink and sophomore Alex Cushing short-circuited BSU's next drive, and it took Union only two plays to find the endzone again on a 26-yard toss from Flanagan to Rivera to make the score 21-3 at the half.
 
It was junior Matt Mitchell's turn to grab an interception the opening drive of the third quarter, making a leaping grab inside the Union 20 to preserve the lead. That led to Union's longest drive of the day, a 13-play, 69-yard drive finished off by a 37-yard field goal from first-year Francesco Pileggi. After Buffalo State found the end zone for the first time late in the third quarter, Union came back with another touchdown of its own early in the fourth, capped by a Fiore two-yard touchdown run that moved him into sole possession of seventh place on the school's career list with 27.
 
The Union defense turned Buffalo State over on downs on its next two possessions before junior Ryan Grenier capped the day with an acrobatic interception in the final minutes.
 
Union will continue Liberty League play next Saturday with a 1 p.m. matchup at Hobart College.