Union College, ranked No. 17 nationally, scored on their very first play from scrimmage and never looked back as they trounced the Yellowjackets by a score of 36-7 last Saturday.
UR has lost three games in a row without starting quarterback Jeff Piscitelli, who is out for the season with a knee injury. From the start, the Yellowjackets were in trouble against the Dutchmen.
Dutchmen QB Ben Gilbert wasted absolutely no time in dismantling the UR defense. The first time he touched the ball he reared back and found Henry Papale open for a 55-yard touchdown, giving Union a very early 7-0 lead.
In the second period Union scored at will against UR.
After the Dutchmen defense forced the Yellowjackets to punt on their first offensive series of the quarter, Union punt returner Chris Nappi took matters into his own hands, taking Brad DiPietro’s kick back 40 yards and into the end zone.
A missed point after touchdown left the score at 13-0, but this tally didn’t last long.
On Union’s next possession, Sean Washington busted through the line to score from a yard out.
A 43-yard Andrew Ruffo field goal and a 44-yard TD pass from Gilbert to Washington quickly put the game out of reach before the half had even ended.
Union headed to the tunnels with 30 points, and a defensive shutout still intact. The third quarter provided much of the same ? Union dominance and UR ineptitude. Ruffo had two more field goals from 43 and 42 yards away.
The Yellowjacket offense just could not get started. A lost fumble midway through the third did not help the struggling visitors either.
However, UR was finally able to crack the scoreboard in the fourth quarter in the blowout.
Tailback John Breedy’s 37-yard run helped to set up his own 8-yard TD dash around the right end. Breedy finished with a respectable 125 yards on the day despite the loss.
Replacement sophomore quarterback Patrick Fitzsimmons never found his rhythm, finishing with a pathetic 7 yards through the air on 1-for-8 passing.
Breedy caught the only pass for the Yellowjackets, extending his streak of three TDs from UR’s matchup against Carnegie Mellon University Oct. 27.
UR finished its UCAA season at 1-3. Next week, the 3-6 Yellowjackets hope to end their woes and finish off the season strong, when they visit Case Western Reserve University. The game is in Cleveland at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Pisco can be reached at jpisco@campustimes.org.
