Gambill's 99-yard return is a new school record
MORRISVILLE, NY- The Utica College football team used one touchdown in each quarter to defeat host Morrisville College 28-21 in the Empire 8 Conference opener Saturday evening at Morrisville's Drake Field.
The Pioneers, who are currently in the "receiving votes" category of the D3football.com national poll, improve to 3-0 (1-0 Empire 8) on the season and will look to use their momentum as they host SUNY Cortland in Empire 8 action next Saturday. The game, which is part of Utica's homecoming festivities, will start at 1 p.m. Morrisville, meanwhile, drops to 0-2 and will look to bounce back next week as it travels to Buffalo State.
This marks just the third time in program history that the Pioneers have started a season 3-0. The last time UC was 3-0 to begin a season was in 2014 when the Pioneers went on to win a school-record seven games and earn the program's first ever bowl bid.
Arguably the turning point in the game was a 99-yard kickoff return by senior
Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) to tie the score 21-21 just 14 seconds after the Mustangs scored the go-ahead tally on an 89-yard TD run. Gambill's 99-yard return is a new school record, surpassing
Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston)'s record of 90 yards that he accomplished in week one last season.