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NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The Christopher Newport football team returned to winning ways Saturday night, posting a 20-8 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan. The game was played in a steady rain at POMOCO Stadium, and the Captains improved to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

"Overall, considering the conditions, I was pleased with how we played," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said. "Anyone who was out on the field or watching the game knows it was a tough night to hold on to the football. I think we did a pretty good job running the ball, and our defense was solid."

Christopher Newport sophomore running back Paul Dukes led the way, rushing for a career-high 213 yards on 31 carries. Dukes opened the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.

"Paul was tremendous tonight," Kelchner continued. "He's not a big guy, he's got a low center of gravity, and he's tough to bring down. He and Storm Parker both took advantage of what our offensive line was able to create for them."

The Captains gave up a safety early in the second quarter when a long snap on a punt went through the end zone. CNU added to its lead when sophomore running back Storm Parker scored on a 12-yard run to give the Captains a 14-2 lead at halftime. Parker carried the ball 21 times for 79 yards.

Sophomore kicker Mason Studer connected on two field goals in the second half from 24 and 22 yards out to stretch CNU's lead to 20-2. Bishops running back Jacques Alston completed the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run to make the final 20-8.

CNU used a ball control offense to dominate the time of possession, and held the football for over 35 minutes compared to North Carolina Wesleyan's 25 minutes. Amazingly, with the steady rain and soggy field conditions, only three turnovers were committed in the game. CNU lost one fumble and threw an interception, while N.C. Wesleyan also lost a fumble.

Christopher Newport's defense, ranked 17th in the nation against the run, held the Bishops to just 89 rushing yards on 32 carries. Senior linebacker Evan Moog led the defense with nine tackles, while freshman linebacker Allen Hayes posted eight stops.

The Captains, who had lost at Methodist last week, were without three key players due to injury. Junior quarterback Marcus Morrast (shoulder), junior wide receiver Rudy Rudolph (achilles), and senior linebacker Tyler Portell (hip pointer) did not see action.

Senior quarterback Lyndon Garner, playing in place of the injured Morrast, completed seven of 11 passes for 107 yards. Senior wide receiver Richard Roethel took over from the injured Rudolph as CNU's top target, and caught five passes for 94 yards.

A crowd of 2,554 braved the conditions to watch the Captains improve to 3-0 at home this season, and 45-19 all-time at POMOCO Stadium.

North Carolina Wesleyan falls to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the USA South. CNU is now 4-1 overall and 1-1 in league play. The Captains have now won seven out of 10 games all-time vs. the Bishops.

The Captains host the top team in the USA South, Maryville, next Saturday night at POMOCO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. The Fighting Scots are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.