SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Senior Patch Flanagan ran for four touchdowns and also threw for 197 yards, leading the Union College football team to a fourth straight victory Saturday, as the Garnet Chargers took down defending Liberty League champion Hobart, 33-16.
Union (4-2, 3-0 Liberty League) remains unbeaten in conference play heading into the bye week thanks to another superlative effort from Flanagan, who completed 11-of-15 passes, while also running for a team-best 116 yards on 23 carries. His four rushing touchdowns are the most in a game for a Union player since Michael Fiore ’25 reached the end zone four times against St. Lawrence University in October 2022.
Senior Gil Rivera was the primary target through the air, catching four balls for 109 yards, while six other receivers had at least one reception as well.
Sophomore John Droggitis led the defensive effort with a game-high 12 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. The Garnet Chargers finished the game with six TFLs and three sacks, with sophomore Logan Miller accounting for two sacks and forcing a fumble that led to a safety. First-year Trey Rezendes III also recorded his second interception of the year for the home side.
Union got the ball to start the game and drove 58 yards on nine plays to take the early lead. A 27-yard pass to junior Owen Corrigan on third down brought the Garnet Chargers into the red zone, and Flanagan eventually punched it in from a yard out to open the scoring.
Hobart looked to respond on its first drive and got inside the 30-yard line before junior Daniel O’Leary recovered a Statesmen fumble to get possession back.
The Garnet Chargers made another big play on Hobart’s next series, as senior Charlie Johnson got a hand on a 32-yard field goal attempt by Luke Monteyne to keep the Statesmen off the scoreboard.
Union kept the momentum on its side by subsequently going 80 yards in eight plays, with the big play of the drive coming courtesy of Flangan, who broke off a 35-yard run. The senior cashed in again – this time from the five-yard line – to double the Union lead with 5:11 to go in the second quarter.
The momentum generated by the Union offense carried over to the defense on Hobart’s next possession. The Statesmen started on the five-yard line after a penalty on the kickoff and a false start. After an incomplete pass on first down, Miller broke through the line to sack quarterback Jeremy Weiss, with Hobart falling on the fumble in the end zone for a safety.
The Statesmen managed a field goal at the end of the half to get on the board, and then scored a touchdown on their first drive of the third quarter to get within a score at 16-10.
But Union responded with its most important drive of the afternoon, going 87 yards on nine plays to get some distance back. A 52-yard connection between Flanagan and Rivera set up the Garnet Chargers at the 10-yard line, and Flanagan again found paydirt from a yard out to make it a 23-10 score early in the fourth.
Union then converted a turnover on downs into a 38-yard field goal from sophomore Francesco Pileggi on its next series.
Following a Hobart touchdown and failed two-point conversion that closed the gap to 10 points midway through the fourth, Union finished off the game with a 57-yard drive. Flanagan and Rivera hooked up for a 39-yard pass on third down to get into the red zone, and three straight runs by senior DJ Wright were followed by another Flanagan keeper to provide the final score.
Union will take its four-game winning streak into the bye week, as the squad prepares for a big test on Oct. 25 at Ithaca College – one of two other teams in the Liberty League boasting unblemished conference records; RPI being the third.
