NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The Christopher Newport University football team hits the road for the first time in 2014 on Saturday, and the Captains have a tough test ahead of them. CNU, 0-1 after losing to Salisbury 41-32 last Saturday at POMOCO Stadium, will play at Hampden-Sydney. Kickoff time for the non-conference battle is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Everett Stadium.

The Tigers are ranked 24th in the country, and are also coming off a loss last Saturday. Hampden-Sydney dropped its opener at Wabash, 34-21.

"They're a great program and have had a lot of success," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said. "We are going to have play well and correct a lot of things from last week."

The Captains got off to a slow start in their opener, and never led the game. CNU fell behind the Sea Gulls 14-0 in the opening quarter, trailed by one at the half and then by two points following the third quarter. The Gulls pulled away in the final stanza for the nine-point victory. Senior quarterback Marcus Morrast led the CNU offensive attack with two touchdown runs and a scoring pass. He finished the game 15 of 23 for 256 yards passing. On defense, junior linebacker Mic Edwards topped the team with 14 tackles.

Saturday's game will be the third in as many years in the CNU-Hampden Sydney series, and each school has won once in the first two meetings. The Tigers downed the Captains, 42-20, two years ago at Hampden-Sydney. Last season, the Captains posted a 17-7 triumph at POMOCO Stadium.

"Hampden-Sydney has a quarterback and receiver combo (Nash Nance and Holton Walker) that's as good as any in the nation," Kelchner continued. "On defense, they are going to blitz us all day long...so it's going to be a great test."

Following Saturday's game, the Captains will have to get right back to work. CNU will operate on a short schedule next week, as the Captains open USA South play on Thursday, September 18th, at North Carolina Wesleyan. The game in Rocky Mount will be the first non-Saturday game in the 14-year history of the CNU program.

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