ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College football team will hit the road for its next Liberty League matchup this Saturday, October 24 as the Bombers head to Union College for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Ithaca is 5-1 on the season, 4-0 in the Liberty League and is coming off a bye week.
GAME COVERAGE
ALL-TIME SERIES: Ithaca College and Union College will meet for the 22nd all-time matchup this Saturday in Schenectady. Ithaca is 16-5 against the Garnet Chargers dating back to 1985, but had its four-game winning streak snapped last season by a 19-14 outcome, which gave Union the Liberty League title.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bombers are coming off a 36-0 shutout victory over Rochester on October 10 to improve to 5-1 on the season and 4-0 in the Liberty League. IC scored 29 second half points, including 21 in the third quarter, to put the game out of reach.
The Bombers racked up 29 first downs and 501 yards of total offense on 262 rushing and 239 passing. IC controlled the ball for nearly 36 minutes of the contest.
Defensively, IC held Rochester to 200 yards and just 41 yards rushing. The Bombers racked up 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, including a strip sack by
Nicholas Garzarella on the first play of the third quarter to set up IC's second touchdown of the contest.
OFF A BYE WEEK: Since 2010 (15 games), the Bombers are 12-3 coming off a bye week, but their most recent loss off a bye came against Union last season.
SCULLY REPORT: Junior running back
Chris Scully scored three touchdowns against Rochester to run his season total to 10 through six games. He ranks ninth in rushing touchdowns across Division III and is now one touchdown shy of cracking the single season top 10 list. His three-score performance also made him just the 19th player in program history to run for at least three touchdowns in a game.
DIALING IT IN: Senior quarterback
Michael Reed has been throwing the ball exceptionally well over the past four games for the Bombers. Over the past four contests, Reed has thrown seven touchdowns and no interceptions as he has completed 71.8% (61-for-85) of his attempts for 856 yards. Compare that to the first two games, he was 28-for-65 (43.1%) for 352 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
WHERE THE BOMBERS STACK UP IN THE NCAA: IC remains among the nation's best in the following statistical categories: Punt Return Defense (1st – [-1.3]), 4th Down Defense (6th – 16.7%), 1st Down Offense (6th – 164), Total Offense (9th – 495.0), Scoring Defense (10th – 9.8), Punt Returns (14th – 15.4), Rushing Offense (15th – 259.5), Scoring Offense (19th – 42.2), Total Defense (21st – 242.2), Rushing Defense (22nd – 66.8).
NOT AN NCAA TRACKED STAT BUT…: The Ithaca defense has allowed just one rushing touchdown all season. IC is just one of five schools who have given up one rushing touchdown (Cortland, Hope, Middlebury and Washington & Jefferson).
SENIOR AND FAMILY DAY: On November 7, the IC football team will hold its Senior Day against RPI. Parents of the 31 seniors on this year's team will be honored at halftime, while the underclass parents will be recognized prior to kickoff.
LIBERTY LEAGUE UPDATE: Heading into the final four weeks of the regular season, the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship is coming down to a two-team race. Ithaca is 4-0, while RPI is 3-0. Rochester and Union are 2-1 to sit in a tie for third.
CORTACA TICKETS: The Bombers conclude the season against Cortland in the 67th Cortaca Jug Game presented by Visions Federal Credit Union at Yankee Stadium on November 14 at 1 p.m. Tickets for the game can be purchased on Ticket Master by searching 'Cortaca Jug'.
SCOUTING UNION: The Garnet Chargers are 3-3 on the season and have faced some stiff competition. Union dropped its first two games of the season to nationally ranked opponents, Susquehanna (23-17) and Cortland (26-0), and are coming off an 18-12 loss at Hobart.
Union averages nearly 30 points per game but only accumulates 302.7 yards of offense, while the defense gives up 17.5 points on 277.2 yards. A major reason for the high offensive point total is due in large part to that fact that the Garnet Chargers have scored four defensive touchdowns this season and has set up the offense with eight touchdown scoring drives that traveled less than 41 yards.
Luke Sheehan is the offensive player to watch for Union on Saturday as he has thrown for 883 yards and 10 touchdowns, to just one interception, and has rushed for 112 yards and another score.
The top receiving target is Kaden Gore, who has 22 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, eight different players have more than 24 tackles on the season, led by 46 from Dwayne Hinds. Jordan Black is a menace at the line of scrimmage with 11.0 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. The Garnet Chargers have also received interceptions from seven different players.
UP NEXT: The Bombers travel to Buffalo State next Saturday, October 31 for a 3 p.m. kickoff.
