WPI Kicker’s 50-Yard Game-Winner Earns National Spotlight on NBC Sports

A 50-yard field goal as time expired has turned a Worcester Polytechnic Institute sophomore into one of the week’s most talked-about kickers in college football — and landed the Engineers a moment of national television exposure.

Nathan Napier drilled the career-long kick last Saturday at Alumni Field, lifting WPI to a 22-21 victory over the University of New England and capping a chaotic final two minutes. WPI trailed by four with 16 seconds remaining after a sequence that included a dropped touchdown pass in the end zone, a UNE safety taken from its own end zone, and a squib kick recovered by junior Mike Kasprzak at the UNE 33 with six seconds left.

The finish reached a national audience when Comcast Corporation’s NBC Sports aired highlights of the kick during halftime of its Iowa–Iowa State broadcast that evening. NBC is part of the media giant’s Media segment, which anchors its portfolio of broadcast and cable sports properties. Comcast shares closed at $23.73, down 3.22% from a prior close of $24.52, with a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion.

Coach Chris Robertson said he learned of the TV moment while watching the Big Ten matchup at home with his daughter. He estimated he received 30 to 40 text messages afterward, including congratulations from Ed Zaloom, his predecessor atop the program.

“It’s nice to know you have a lot of alumni and people out there, regardless of your status, who are always keeping an eye out for the good things and they’ll let you know,” Robertson said.

The kick capped an unconventional finish. On fourth-and-goal from the 8 with 1:52 left, quarterback Dylan Gallo’s pass to Ethan Frisch was knocked loose by a UNE defender. After UNE ran the clock down and conceded a safety while punting from its own end zone, WPI got the ball back in-plus territory. With no chunk play available on first down, Gallo threw the ball away to set up the field-goal attempt. Robertson said the kick, made possible by clean snap, hold, and protection, “would have been good from 55 yards.”

Napier’s week has since included NEWMAC Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors and national recognition as a Fred Mitchell Award Kicker of the Week.

The moment carries added weight for a program coming off a 2-8 season and an opening-loss to RPI this year. With a sophomore core that includes Gallo, Frisch, Napier, defensive back Jake Robertson, and wide receiver Dylan DiPietro, Robertson says the Engineers have shifted from “reset mode” to “growth mode,” and he hopes the win becomes a springboard.

What to watch

• WPI’s upcoming NEWMAC schedule, to see whether the Engineers can build on the momentum from the UNE win.
• Continued national recognition opportunities for Napier through the Fred Mitchell Award, which honors weekly and seasonal kicking excellence.
• NBC Sports’ college coverage, part of Comcast’s Media segment, which continues to showcase lower-division highlight moments alongside its national broadcasts.

Source: original release