Union College fans, you just got gut-punched. Your team was less than ten seconds away from kicking off the season with a win against Susquehanna on Saturday, but a blown coverage, a game-tying touchdown, and then a walk-off blocked field goal return in overtime left the Garnet Chargers stunned, falling 23-17. It was an absolutely brutal way to start the year.
What Happened in the Final Seconds of Regulation?
Picture this: Union is up by seven points. The clock is ticking down in the fourth quarter. Just two seconds, *two seconds* left in the game at Frank Bailey Field, and a massive communication error in the secondary meant Susquehanna’s Reese Gaughan was wide open. Tommy Wright launched a 34-yard touchdown pass, tying the game up and snatching victory right out of Union’s hands. Coach Jon Drach didn’t mince words after, calling it simply, “a communication error on the coverage. That was an uncovered player.” You just can’t make those mistakes, especially when the game is on the line.
For a good chunk of the game, it seemed like Union might actually get away with some sloppy play. Senior quarterback Cole Brisson had a really uneven first collegiate start, tossing three picks. You can’t win football games like that, not usually. But the defense was doing its job, bend-but-don’t-break, shutting out Susquehanna through the first three quarters. They even built up a 10-point lead in the fourth when cornerback Trey Rezendes snagged a Wright pass and sprinted 42 yards to the end zone with 7:46 to play. But those early miscues? They came back to haunt them.
Self-Imposed Wounds Cost Everything
After a Cole Hoover field goal pulled Susquehanna within 17-10 with 5:13 remaining, Union had a chance to seal it. They picked up a couple of first downs, burning some precious clock. Then, disaster. Back-to-back false start penalties absolutely killed the drive, forcing a punt. You just can’t do that to yourselves! Coach Drach summed it up perfectly, pointing out that “Self-imposed wounds that put you behind the chains make things harder.” He kept it real: “At the end of the day, that’s what the difference is between winning and losing. When you don’t do those things correctly in those moments, you generally don’t win.” And he was right. Susquehanna marched 92 yards in a minute and 36 seconds without a timeout to tie it up, hitting Gaughan for their second 34-yard TD connection of the quarter.
The Overtime Heartbreak
Overtime was a quick, brutal punch to the gut. Union’s offense went nowhere, gaining just seven yards on three plays. They lined up for what was supposed to be a 35-yard go-ahead field goal from Francesco Pileggi, but a delay of game pushed it back. Then, Susquehanna’s rush absolutely blew through Union’s protection, Jaydon Handy blocked the kick, and Bezy Nwanonyiri scooped it up, racing untouched to the end zone for the 23-17 walk-off victory. A truly stunning end.
The numbers don’t lie. Susquehanna more than doubled Union in yardage, 424-211, and had an 18-minute time-of-possession advantage. Brisson finished 18 of 33 for 141 yards and that 15-yard TD pass to Owen Corrigan, but those three interceptions loomed large.
Union now stands at 0-1, and they’ve got to regroup fast. They’re back at home this coming Saturday at noon for a nonleague game against SUNY Cor. Every single player needs to look in the mirror, because a loss like this, where you basically hand it away, can define a season if they let it. They HAVE to come out firing and fix those “self-imposed wounds” next week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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