|  Box Score in HTML Format  |  Box Score in PDF Format

NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The 7th-ranked Sea Gulls of Salisbury University scored 27 second half points Saturday night, surging to a 40-16 victory over the Captains of Christopher Newport at POMOCO Stadium. The game was the season opener for both squads.

Salisbury jumped to a 13-0 lead in the opening half before the Captains got on the board with 4:32 to play in the first half. Senior quarterback Aaron Edwards connected with sophomore receiver Rudy Rudolph on a 6-yard scoring pass to make it a 13-7 score at the half.

The Captains opened the scoring in the second half when Edwards and Rudolph hooked up again, this time on a 70-yard completion. After the extra point was blocked, the game remained tied at 13. That's when the Sea Gulls took over.

Salisbury grabbed the lead back three minutes later and proceeded to score four second half touchdowns en route to the 24-point win.

"They were very good and played harder than we did," CNU Head Coach Matt Kelchner said after the defeat. "I was disappointed with our effort in the second half, and that's my fault. We weren't prepared to play the way we should have been."

Salisbury senior running back Joey Benedetti rushed for four touchdowns and 216 yards on 24 carries. Senior quarterback Dan Griffin ran for 102 yards, threw for 50, and scored twice on running plays.

CNU's only other score came on a 34-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Mason Studer in the third quarter.

Edwards was 26 of 43 passing for 253 yards and two scores. Junior receiver Kentel Noel caught 9 passes for 61 yards while Rudolph finished with 7 grabs for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

The Sea Gulls accumulated 505 total yards, 455 on the ground to CNU's 71 rushing yards for the night.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Kelchner continued. "It's a long season, and we have a long way to go."

Christopher Newport was led on defense by junior Justin Navarro, who made 13 tackles and recorded two sacks. Junior Derek Wright, a transfer from Towson, made 11 stops for the Captains in his first CNU game.

CNU will travel to Hampden-Sydney next Saturday to play the Tigers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.