Utica, NY -- The undefeated Utica College football team is set to host nationally-ranked No. 23 SUNY Cortland in Empire 8 Conference action on Saturday at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.  The contest will be a part of the College's Homecoming festivities.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Undefeated: Utica is 3-0 for just the third time in the 16 year history of the program … The last time UC was 3-0 to begin a season was in 2014 when they went on to win a school-record seven games and earn the program's first ever ECAC bowl bid. 

Wave to the Cameras: Time Warner Cable Sports will be on Utica College's campus Saturday, televising the contest … The game will be televised live across New York State on the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel in Syracuse/Utica (Channel 26/323), Albany/Hudson Valley (Channel 50/323), Rochester (Channel 26/323) and Buffalo (Channel 25/323) … On the call for Time Warner will be Eric Gallanty (Play-by-Play), Dale Drypolcher (Color Analyst) and Kate Sweeting (Sidelines) … The contest will also be replayed on TWCS in all markets. 

Broadcast Info:  All Utica College football games will be broadcast over the radio airwaves on 1310 AM by Dave Peroni, in his 40th year of broadcasting, and UC alum Ray Biggs … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on ESPNUR's website, www.espnur.com ... Utica College home games are also broadcast over the air and online by Utica College's student radio station, WPNR 90.7 FM… Fans can also follow live video and stats for all home games at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.

Coach to Cure MD Game: For the ninth year in a row college's across the nation have joined together to support the Coach to Cure MD program …The rapidly growing effort has raised more than one million dollars to fight Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy… At Saturday's game the Utica College coaching staff will be rolling up their sleeves to show off their "Coach to Cure MD" armbands…College football fans will be asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy…Fans can donate to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill and standard text message rates apply).

Youth Football Day: It's also Youth Football Day at Gaetano Stadium on Saturday … Admission is free for all Pop Warner players, cheerleaders and coaches … Just wear your youth football jersey, outfit or coaching shirt.

Week Three Review:  The Pioneers used one touchdown in each quarter to defeat host Morrisville State 28-21 in the Empire 8 Conference opener for both teams Saturday evening at Drake Field … 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 … The Pioneers scored the winning touchdown with 6:43 remaining as Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) made a highlight reel grab in the corner of the end zone for a three yard completion.

In the National Spotlight: As a team, the Pioneers rank 23^rd nationally in third down conversions with a 50% conversion rate… The Pioneers rank 18^th nationally and first in the Empire 8 with an average of 26.80 yards per kick return … The UC offensive line ranks 17^th nationally and first in the Empire 8 allowing an average of just 3.67 tackles for a loss per game … Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) ranks 11^th nationally and first in the E8 with 269 total kick return yards … Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) ranks in the top 50 nationally and second in the conference with an average of 7.0 receptions per game.

Offensive Notes
1,000 Yard Club: Senior running back Ryan Burnett (Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac) became the fifth player in program-history to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a career last weekend against Morrisville … Burnett rolled up a season-high 78 yards on 19 carries and now ranks fifth on the College's career list with 1,009 rushing yards. 

Big Freshman: First year running back Lindell Reed (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) scored two more touchdowns last weekend and now leads the team and ranks fourth in the Empire 8 Conference with four rushing touchdowns this season … Reed has 100 yards rushing on 25 attempts through three games.

Steady Teddy: Senior quarterback Teddy VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) ranks second in the Empire 8 with an average of 251.7 yards passing per game … He also ranks fourth in the conference with five passing touchdowns … He leads the E8 with 63 completions this season.

Touchdown Makers: Receivers Shawn Marchant (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) have combined for five touchdown catches this season … Marchant has 11 catches for 171 yards and three TD's while Vincent has 11 catches for 170 yards and two TD's.

Benefiting from Beniquez:  Senior wide receiver and punt return man Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) leads the team and ranks second in the conference with 21 catches … He needs just 21 all-purpose yards to move into second on the College's all-time list … He currently has 3,749 career all-purpose yards. 

Defensive Notes
Approaching a Milestone: Senior linebacker Juwan Wilson (South Ozone Park, NY/Holy Cross) needs just three more tackles to move into third place on the College's all-time tackles list … Wilson currently has 259 tackles and needs three more to surpass Eric Kahl '09 for third on the College's all-time list … Wilson currently ranks second on the team with 22 total tackles.

Ball Hawks: Chancellor Harris (West Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta) is tied for the team lead with two pass breakups this season … Matt Stone (Rochester, NY/Brighton) and Anthony Beaubrun (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) are tied for the team lead with one interception each … Stone took his interception 83 yards for a touchdown in the Pioneers win over Ohio Northern in week two. 

Pressuring the QB: Xyier Woodard (Albany, NY/LaSalle) leads the team with 2.5 sacks … Nick Yelich (Lancaster, NY/Depew) ranks second on the team with 1.5 sacks and senior captain Frank DeNome (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall) is tied for third with one sack.

Special Teams
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week: Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) was named the Empire 8 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday … Gambill posted three kickoff returns for 151 yards and set a new school-record with a 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown as the Pioneers topped Morrisville 28-21 Saturday night … Gambill's 151 return yards ranks third on the College's single game list.

Freshman Standout: Freshman kicker Desmond Akpanoko (Roosevelt, NY/Roosevelt) ranks second on the team with 22 points scored this season … He has three field goals and 13 extra points … His three field goals rank second in the Empire 8 Conference.

History in the Making: Senior running back Ryan Burnett (Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac) needs 139 rushing yards to move into third on the College's all-time list … Teddy VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) needs 23 completions to become the fourth player in program-history to complete 300+ career passes … Last weekend VanGalen became the fourth player in program-history to throw for 20 or more career touchdown passes … Beniquez needs 112 receiving yards to move into sixth place on the College's all-time list … Beniquez is the College's all-time leader with 1,845 career kick return yards.

All-Time vs. Cortland: Cortland and Utica have squared off four times previously, but this will be just their second meeting in the last 13 years … Cortland and Utica played each year in the first three years of Utica's varsity existence back in 2001, 2002 and 2003 … Cortland won all three meetings in convincing fashion … Last season the Pioneers lost an overtime thriller to host and then nationally-ranked No. 25 Cortland 47-40 in Empire 8 Conference action … Graduated Utica kicker Thomas Woodburn (West Islip, NY/West Islip) forced overtime with the game-tying field goal with 1:19 left in regulation, but the Red Dragons scored the first touchdown of extra time and held the Pioneers out of the end zone on their ensuing possession to earn the seven point victory.

Meet Cortland: Cortland, ranked No. 23 nationally, is the reigning Empire 8 Conference Champions and heads into week four with a 2-1 overall record … Cortland downed Heidelberg and Framingham State to open its season 2-0, before falling to nationally-ranked St. John Fisher 31-24 at home last Saturday … Starting quarterback Steven Ferreria left Saturday's game against Fisher due to injury and Cortland is expected to start freshman DeAngelo Walker under center … Alex Wasserman ranks second on the team with 131 yards rushing on 40 carries … Jake Smith leads the receivers with 15 catches for 220 yards and two touchdowns ... Matt Goodman leads the Cortland defense with 33 tackles … Ike Schannauer leads the team with 4.5 sacks through three games. 

Get The App: Utica Athletics recently launched a fan rewards program to promote fan engagement for all 26 of UC's intercollegiate sports… Powered by SuperFanU, the "Pioneer Pride Points" Fan Rewards app uses GPS tracking to recognize where fans are located at specified home games… Points are earned by attending and "Checking In" to UC athletics games, participating in a variety of contests and interacting with social media platforms through the app… The app is available on all IPhone and Android devices by searching 'Pioneer Pride Points' in the Apple App Store or GooglePlay Market and is free to all Utica College students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and fans.

Social Media: If you can't make it out to the game make sure to follow live updates on the Pioneers official Twitter feed: @UCPioneers … If you are at the game on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #LetsGoUC … You can also "Like" the Pioneers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCpioneers ... Fans can also follow the Pioneers on Instagram or Snapchat by searching UCPioneers.