Box Score SCHENECTADY, N.Y.  -- When it comes to season-opening football contests, the more things change, the more they stay the same for Ithaca College.

Despite losing 14 starters, including the quarterback and four of the five offensive linemen, the Ithaca College football team continued its run of season-opening success, knocking off host Union College 38-23 Saturday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field.

Making his first collegiate start, junior Wolfgang Shafer, the son of current Syracuse University head football coach Scott Shafer, passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75.6 percent of his passes (25 of 33).

A potent Bombers (1-0) offense rolled up 381 yards of offense while converting 66.7 percent of third downs (10 of 15) against the Dutchmen (0-1).

Senior Malik Morris recorded 11 tackles, sophomore Dan Loizos added 10 tackles, and senior Ryan Michaels and sophomore Kenny Bradley each added six tackles in the win, Ithaca's sixth straight vs. Union.

"This is awesome and it takes a lot of pressure for now off my back. I just wanted to come in and win it for the guys and for the coaching staff," said Shafer, who won his collegiate debut while playing in front of his mother, father and several family members.

"Our offense was great. We just have to be efficient and manage the game, whoever is playing quarterback, and that's what we did. And that's what we need to continue doing, just taking what the defense gives us. … I credit our third-down success to our defense getting us ready to go. Our goal is (to make) 42 percent or better on third-down and we succeeded in that area."

Ithaca now has won its last 18 openers, and 35 in the last 39 years, but had to survive a late-game comeback attempt by Union for the second straight season.

Ithaca, which led 31-14 on senior Max Rottenecker's 39-yard field goal attempt 2:37 into the fourth quarter, saw Union score on a safety and a touchdown run in a span of 3:32.

Morris, one of four Ithaca student-athletes to land on the American Football Network's Annual UCA College Football D-III Pre-Season All-American watch list, then stepped in front of a pass and returned it 37 yards to finish off the win.

Ithaca got on the scoreboard with a 16-play, 90-yard drive. Shafer rushed for two yards on a 3^rd and 1, then connected with senior Josh Oliver for a 16-yard strike on first down to put Ithaca at the Union 39. Following a false start, Shafer hit sophomore Jack Yule on an 8-yard pass, but the Bombers couldn't pick up the first down and were faced with a fourth-and-five from the 34. Shafer stepped back, eluded the rush and found junior Brian Balsamo for a 14-yard pass to keep the drive alive.

After back-to-back runs, Shafer hit senior Kyle Hastings in stride at the six, and the tight end scampered into the endzone for the first score of the year.

Union responded with a 12-play, 71-yard drive and evened the score on a 16-yard run from Connor Kinzelmann, but the Bombers reclaimed the lead on the ensuing drive.

Shafer completed all five of his passes on the drive, including three straight to Balsamo and an 11-yard pass to Oliver on third down to put Ithaca at the Union 45-yard line.

Evan Skea broke off an eight-yard run before the Bombers turned to some razzle-dazzle to retake the lead. Shafer took the snap and handed off to Oliver, who sprinted to his right, then pulled up and lofted a 32-yard TD pass to Balsamo in the front corner of endzone. Balsamo crossed the plane for a score off of Oliver's first-career passing touchdown. The score capped an eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive.

"When they called that play I knew it was my time to show them what I have, and that was a great result," said Oliver, who starred at quarterback in high school for Poughkeepsie.

"That was a huge play, it gave us the lead and we kept building off of that. We played great on offense today. Even though we lost a lot of people from last year, we have so many talented guys to step up and fill those roles. It was fun coming out here and playing against another team."

The Bombers rolled up 255 yards in the opening half, including 212 through the air. Shafer was 16-for-22 for 180 yards and one TD, Oliver hauled in six passes for 68 yards, and Balsamo had five catches for 65 yards. Ithaca's offense averaged 6.38 yards per play while holding the Dutchmen to 3.83 yards per play.

The Dutchmen tied the game on a 29-yard strike from Dante Cioffi to Joe Vito 2:37 into the third, but Skea scored on a three-yard touchdown run to cap a six-play, 47-yard drive and put Ithaca up 21-14 with 7:57 remaining in the quarter.

Oliver then returned a punt 39 yards, giving Ithaca great field position, and the Bombers pushed their lead to 28-14 when Shafer found Yule for an eight-yard touchdown pass.

Rottenecker's 39-yard field goal extended the lead to 31-14, but Union scored nine straight points and closed within 31-23.

Sophomore Jordan Schemm recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt, but the Bombers were forced to punt. Union took over at its own 20 with 1:31 remaining and was driving until Morris' game-changing interception.

Schemm led all student-athletes with 107 kickoff return yards, including a 46-yarder.

Cioffi was 25-for-55 for 224 yards and a touchdown, while A.J. Baker hauled in eight passes for 81 yards, and Jake LaRovera and Tom Hayes made nine tackles each for Union.

The Bombers are off next week, while the Dutchmen travel to Western Connecticut for a 12 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

#ICVictory