Rensselaer title hopes sundered in Schenectady

A game that threatened to devolve into a blowout would instead conclude as a 21-28 defeat for Rensselaer just three yards in front of Union’s goal line. The late rally was snuffed out as time expired, leaving the victorious hosts, the Union Garnet Chargers, to claim all the accolades on the day.

Both teams entered the game vying to claim the 75th annual Dutchman’s Shoes Trophy, won by Rensselaer last year, amidst the backdrop of both league title and national championship implications. A win for Union, undefeated in Liberty League play, would give them both the trophy and earn them a spot in the NCAA Division III Championship Bracket.

The Engineers, however, did not fully control their own destiny. The Engineers were similarly undefeated in league play, outscoring their first five opponents by a combined score of 241-40, until falling to the Ithaca Bombers last week. However, if the Bombers lost to their rivals SUNY Cortland—played in Yankee Stadium—an Engineer win would give them the title and the national championship seat thanks to their superior record against non-conference teams.

Their path to league glory already twisted, Rensselaer would begin the game in calamitous fashion. After Union elected to receive the kickoff, the hosts sliced through the field, capped off with a rushing touchdown from their quarterback. After Rensselaer’s drive stalled out, the Garnet Chargers would tally on another seven points. Already down two scores, the Engineers' next drive would end in disaster, with quarterback Anthony DeMatteo’s pass picked off at Rensselaer’s 48-yard line. Union’s fortuitous field position would result in the Engineers staring down a 21-0 deficit not even halfway through the second quarter.

It was the defense that stepped up first. Rensselaer began to become wise to Union’s offense, which was run almost exclusively—both on the ground and through the air—by their quarterback. After another punt from the offense threatened to put the game to bed, senior defensive back Cassius Johnson picked off a Union throw, which the Rensselaer offense converted into a touchdown. The defense then forced a turnover on downs just before time expired in the half to keep the deficit at fourteen. In spite of a shaky first half, the defense would only let up one more touchdown for the rest of the game, keeping Rensselaer within striking distance.

With the defense stabilized, it was up to the offense to make up the difference. The Engineers made five drives into Union’s red zone throughout the second half. The first drive at the beginning of the third quarter was marred by a dropped catch in the endzone, and the consolation field goal was shanked wide left. The second drive, sparked by a 43-yard punt return by Gage Swanger, gave Rensselaer the ball at Union’s 11-yard line and punched the ball into the endzone off of a rush from running back Kayden White, who would finish the game with 89 rushing yards to his name.

Swanger would give the Engineers yet another impressive return, this time a 34-yard run that, thanks to a Union penalty, set up the Engineers in Garnet territory. But drops would stall the Engineers on attempt number three, and - down two scores with time dwindling in the fourth quarter - were denied again by the Union defense on their fourth red zone drive.

It seemed as though Rensselaer’s luck had run out until an errant snap flew through the Union quarterback’s hands, falling to senior lineman Owen Boland, who took it to the house, reducing the Union lead to 28-21 and inducing a roar from traveling Rensselaer fans bundled in red and white.

After the defense forced Union to punt, Rensselaer found itself on Union’s 31-yard line with a minute left on the clock. By this point, Ithaca had won its match, eliminating Rensselaer from title contention—but a successful drive would still give the Engineers a chance to win the Dutchman’s Shoes.

Rensselaer would reach the Union 5-yard line with five seconds left on the clock. But Union’s defense would hold strong one last time, downing Rensselaer three yards from the endzone as time expired and sending the Garnet Chargers into jubilation. The win sees Union win the title, shoes, and a date with Muhlenberg College in the national championship bracket.

Rensselaer finishes the season with a 7-3 overall record and third in the league with a 5-2 record in conference play. After a blowout loss to Utica earlier this year, the Engineers would rebound, winning an overtime thriller against SUNY Brockport and earning their highest points tally away from home against Hilbert College, earning a handful of votes in the national poll at one point. Rensselaer will look to win the title, last won in 2021, next fall. The box score for this game can be found here.