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ALL-TIME SERIES: Ithaca and Union will meet for the 20th time dating back to 1985 this Saturday in Schenectady. Ithaca leads the all-time series, 15-4, and has won each of the past three games. Dating back to 2010, the Bombers are 12-1 against the Garnet Chargers with the only loss coming back in 2019.

LAST TIME VS. UNION: IC topped Union last season, 17-9, and a fourth quarter touchdown run by Jalen Leonard-Osbourne proved to be the difference. The Bombers then turned to their defense to force a punt and closed the game with an interception with two minutes remaining.

Ithaca outgained Union in the contest, 318-290, and held the Garnet Chargers to just 11-of-30 passing. Leonard-Osbourne rushed for 130 yards on 23 carries, with a long of 54 yards.

RECAP FROM BUFFALO STATE: The Bombers notched their third straight victory last Saturday at Buffalo State with a convincing 49-14 victory. IC jumped out to a 23-0 lead in the first quarter and extended its advantage to 49-7 with just under three minutes to go in the contest before the Bengals scored again in the final minute.

Ithaca wasted no time getting on the board as Owen O'Neill and Aidan Parry combined on a sack for a safety on the first play from scrimmage. The Bombers would go on the rack up six rushing touchdowns with 231 yards on 42 carries. Matthew Parker also threw for one touchdown as he finished the game with 249 yards on 25-of-29 attempts.

FINDING THEIR STRIDE: Over the past three games, Ithaca has averaged 35.3 points and 455.7 yards per game, compared to 18.8 points and 338.5 yards over the first four contests of the year. A major factor for that improvement is IC's ability to throw the ball. During this three-game winning streak, IC is completing 76.7-percent (56-for-73) through the air with no interceptions. In the first four games of the season, the Bombers were completing just 54.5-percent (66-for-121) of their passes with eight interceptions.

SPIRRA HONORED: Freshman linebacker Joe Spirra has been on a tear over the past three weeks as he has logged 16 tackles and four interceptions. In the win at Buffalo State, Spirra intercepted two passes and had four tackles to earn him Liberty League Rookie of the Week honors.

JALEN COUNTDOWN: After another solid game, Leonard-Osbourne continues to climb the record books and is heading towards more milestones. He is now 107 rushing yards away from eighth all-time, 38 carries from ninth and three rushing touchdowns from moving into fifth on the career list. He is also just 92 all-purpose yards away from fourth in program history.

On the single season list, Leonard-Osbourne needs 144 yards to crack the top 10 in all-purpose yards and currently ranks second with 163.4 yards per game.

LIBERTY LEAGUE UPDATE: IC sits second in the Liberty League standings with a 3-1 record and needs help from RPI and Rochester over the next three weeks to give the Bombers their third straight title as Hobart is 4-0 in league play. The Statesmen play RPI this Saturday and then take on Rochester on November 16.

SCOUTING THE GARNET CHARGERS: Union is 2-5 on the season and 1-2 in Liberty League action. Despite the record, the Garnet Chargers have played in numerous tight games. Union lost to Montclair State, 17-15, and St. Lawrence, 27-24 in overtime. They were also within a score early in the fourth quarter against Utica, but the Pioneers pulled away late for a 15-point win. Union is coming off a 27-0 loss to Hobart and the Garnet Chargers only managed to pick up 41 yards rushing on 20 carries.

The Garnet Chargers average 19.1 points and 309.1 yards per game, while they allow 24.9 points and 346.7 yards per outing.

Union possesses a running attack that features three players. Quarterback Patch Flanagan leads the way with 418 yards and three touchdowns, while Michael Fiore has amassed 351 yards on a touchdown. Jonathan Anderson will also see action with 278 yards on 56 carries.

Flanagan has thrown for 1137 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and has six targets who have all caught more than 11 passes this season. Robbie Tolbert is the top option with 24 catches for 267 yards and four touchdowns, while Gil Rivera has 249 yards on 19 receptions. Tommy Leonard has three touchdown grabs on the year.

Cole DaSilva and Ethan VanderBrink are the players to watch on defense. DaSilva has 73 total tackles to lead the team, while VanderBrink has 47 tackles, including 11.0 for loss and 6.5 sacks.

UP NEXT: Ithaca will return home to play St. Lawrence in the Bombers' Liberty League finale on November 9 at 1 p.m. Next Saturday's game will also be Senior Day.