Football
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Football: Norwich Opens Season With 34-28 Win Over Mount Ida
NEWTON, Mass. - Sophomore quarterback Guerschom Jean-Gilles passed for 135 yards and three touchdowns, and senior running back Darnell Jackson rushed for 96 yards and two scores to lead the Norwich University football team to a 34-28 victory over Mount Ida in the team's season opener on Saturday afternoon.
Jean-Gilles, who played a strong game throughout, rushed for 96 yards of his own for the Cadets, who remain undefeated all-time versus Mount Ida (9-0).
Norwich (1-0) opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Jackson rushed for an 11-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was missed, and the Cadets settled for a 6-0 lead at the 6:40 mark of the opening stanza.
Mount Ida (0-1) responded by scoring the game's next two touchdowns to seize a 13-6 edge with 4:55 to play in the second quarter. On NU's next drive, Jean-Gilles found Nate Stroffoleno for a 26-yard scoring pass to bring the Cadets even at 13-13. The Mustangs scored another touchdown with just 58 seconds left in the half, and they carried a 20-13 lead into halftime.
Norwich took control of the contest in the third quarter, outscoring Mount Ida, 21-0, over the first 6:57 of the frame. A 23-yard aerial from Jean-Gilles to Emilio Martinez on the Cadets' opening drive knotted the score at 20-20 less than three minutes into the third quarter. Norwich regained the lead at 27-20 on its next possession as Jackson scored his second touchdown of the day on an 11-yard scamper. NU completed its rally at the 8:03 mark when Jean-Gilles found Kevin Ober for an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Mount Ida added a touchdown and two-point conversion with just 1:22 to play in the game to account for the final score.
Junior defensive back Dan Wilde led the Norwich defense with three interceptions. The Cadets forced a total of seven turnovers in the game. Freshman defensive back Charles Stiles paced the Norwich defense with seven tackles. Sophomore linebacker Jason Springer made two quarterback sacks, while senior defensive end Richard Cumby had one quarterback sack.
The Norwich football team returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 13, when the Cadets travel to Canton, N.Y., to play St. Lawrence. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
