They were no match.
That’s how head coach Jon Poppe reflected on the end of the 2023 season for the Union College football team, who ultimately fell to the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Though there were mistakes made, Poppe acknowledged that the Blue Jays were simply the better team on that day.
“We came up against a powerhouse today,” stated Poppe during his postgame press conference on Saturday following the 39-17 defeat. “They dominated us on both offense and defense, and even special teams. They were just better.”
In the end, Poppe’s message to his team was to appreciate the six-hour bus ride from Homewood Field in Baltimore back to Schenectady.
“This is your last trip together as a team, so enjoy the ride,” he said. “Although things didn’t go our way, we can still look back on this incredible season we had and be proud of ourselves and our efforts.”
The undefeated Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (12-0 overall) quickly took control of the game with two touchdowns on their first two offensive drives, and held on to the lead for the remainder of the game.
While Union (10-2 overall) put up a strong fight in the second quarter, the Blue Jays capitalized on three interceptions from Garnet Chargers quarterback Donovan Pacatte, and secured their victory with 17 points in the closing minutes of the game.
“Our execution throughout the game was frustrating, but Johns Hopkins deserves all the credit in the world,” explained Poppe. “We definitely faced a tough opponent.”
John Hopkins quarterback Bay Harvey had an impressive performance with 282 passing yards and one touchdown, as well as 73 rushing yards and another touchdown. Spencer Uggla contributed 68 yards on 17 attempts and scored three short touchdowns.
The Blue Jays took an early lead in the first quarter with touchdowns from Uggla and Harvey, but Union answered back in the second quarter with a touchdown pass from Pacatte to Isaiah Russell, after making a crucial stop on fourth down.
In the final minute of the first half, after a field goal brought the Blue Jays to 16-7, Union gained momentum when James Gillespie forced a fumble and Cole DaSilva returned it deep into Johns Hopkins territory. This set up Pacatte’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Michael Fiore with 46 seconds left.
However, Johns Hopkins responded with a quick 24-yard pass from Harvey to EJ Talarcio for a touchdown with just seven seconds remaining in the half, bringing the score to 22-14 in favor of the Blue Jays.
“Sometimes,” said Poppe, “you get this kind of score when they make plays in one-on-one situations and you don’t.”
Union came within five points after a field goal from Max Gluck in the third quarter, but Johns Hopkins solidified their win with two more touchdowns from Uggla and a field goal from Joe Zahner.
Pacatte threw for 169 yards, while Jonathan Anderson led the Garnet Chargers with 79 rushing yards. Anderson finished the season with 1,023 yards, joining Fiore with 1,095 yards as the first Union teammates to both run for 1,000 yards in a season.
“As we broke down, I reminded the team that there’s so much to be proud of,” Poppe concluded. “Our fifth-year seniors stuck with us while we tried to build a new team. I am extremely proud of this group of men.”
Union 0 14 3 0 — 17
Johns Hopkins 13 9 0 17 — 39
JHU — Uggla 2 run (Zahner kick)
JHU — Harvey 11 run (kick failed)
U — Russell 7 pass from Pacatte (Gluck kick)
JHU — Zahner 21 field goal
U — Fiore 7 pass from Pacatte (Gluck kick)
JHU — Talarico 24 pass from Harvey (kick blocked)
U — Gluck 24 field goal
JHU — Uggla 1 run (Zahner kick)
JHU — Zahner 24 field goal
JHU — Uggla 2 run (Zahner kick)
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