SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – #20/21 Susquehanna University scored a game-tying touchdown with two seconds left in regulation and then used a scoop-and-score on Union College's overtime field-goal attempt to escape with a 23-17 victory over the Garnet Chargers in both teams' 2026 season-opener on Saturday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
Union (0-1) never trailed until the final whistle and more than held its own against the nationally ranked River Hawks, but Susquehanna (1-0) outscored Union 23-7 in the fourth quarter and overtime to pull off the comeback victory.
The game was a defensive struggle for most of the afternoon, with the Garnet Chargers coming up huge on several occasions to keep Susquehanna off the scoreboard for the first three quarters. After the River Hawks started with a short field on their opening drive, the defense denied Susquehanna on first-and-goal from the four-yard line, forcing a fumble by quarterback Tommy Wright on third down that was recovered by senior
Matt Mitchell.
On the next drive, senior
Dwayne Hinds forced an intentional grounding on third down that resulted in a longer field goal for Cohen Hoover that hit off the uprights to keep the game scoreless.
After back-to-back punts for both teams, Union put together the first scoring drive of the game to start the second quarter. Senior
Cole Brisson completed three passes and combined with junior
Jah'Cire Jones for 17 yards on the ground to set up junior
Francesco Pileggi for a 27-yard field goal. The defense followed up by forcing a punt and a turnover on downs on the next two possessions to keep the 3-0 lead headed into halftime.
Union added to its lead on the second drive of the third quarter, marching 68 yards on 10 plays. Brisson had a key nine-yard run on third down to extend the drive and connected with sophomore
Kaden Gore on a 10-yard strike on third-and-10 before a Jones 12-yard run set up a 15-yard touchdown strike to senior
Owen Corrigan in the back corner of the endzone to put the home team up by 10.
Susquehanna got on the board with an 80-yard touchdown drive that spanned the end of the third quarter and into the fourth. After punts for both sides, Brisson was intercepted at the Susquehanna 20-yard line to kill a promising Union drive, only for sophomore
Trey Rezendes to pick off Wright on the subsequent drive and take it back 44 yards for a score that put Union back up 10 at 17-7 with 7:41 left. However, the River Hawks got three back on the next possession to again make it a one-score game with 5:13 on the clock.
Union managed a pair of first downs on its next possession, one coming on a key 13-yard third-down reception by senior
Gil Rivera and another coming on a pass interference penalty on third-and-long. But two false start penalties stunted the drive after that, and first-year
Nathan Bearrows pinned Susquehanna at its own eight-yard line with 1:36 on the clock.
Nine plays got the River Hawks to the Union 34-yard line with eight seconds remaining on the clock, and Wright exploited a missed assignment by finding Reese Gaughan along the left sideline for the game-tying touchdown with just two seconds left on the clock.
Union got the ball first in overtime and could not manage a first down, gaining just two yards on three plays thanks to a delay of game penalty. Pileggi's subsequent field-goal attempt was blocked by Jaydon Handy right into the waiting arms of Bexy Nwanonyiri, who scooped up the ball and ran back 65 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Brisson finished the day 18-of-133 for 141 yards and a touchdown and three interceptions, as well as recording a team-high 37 rushing yards, while Gore had a team-best 60 receiving yards. Senior
Alex Carucci led the defensive unit with eight tackles and a pair of pass breakups, while classmate
Jordan Black had eight tackles (two for loss) and a pair of QB hurries.
Wright finished with 305 yards through the air on 20-of-45 passing, while Gaughan had a game-high 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Union will look to shake off the loss next Saturday, when the Garnet Chargers welcome nationally ranked SUNY Cortland to Frank Bailey Field for a noon kickoff in Schenectady.
