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HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va.- The Christopher Newport University football squad battled 24^th-ranked Hampden Sydney College until the final minute Saturday, and came up just short in its effort to knock off the Tigers. Hampden-Sydney escaped with a 35-30 victory in front of 7,420 fans at Everett Stadium.
 
"This was a tremendous test with two good teams fighting until the last seconds," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said. "I was happy with our effort, but we obviously still have some work to do."
 
The Captains, now 0-2, fell short in their comeback effort in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.  Senior quarterback Marcus Morrast, who threw two touchdown passes in the game, led the Captains into scoring position with the clock winding down.  On a fourth down play, Morrast's pass to senior Rudy Rudolph carried him out of the back of the endzone sealing the Tigers' five-point triumph.
 
CNU opened the game with two field goals in the opening quarter from senior Mason Studer, connecting from 19 and 43 yards. The Captains led 6-0 heading to the second quarter before Hampden-Sydney senior quarterback Nash Nance posted two touchdown passes to give the Tigers a 14-6 advantage.
 
"I'm happy with our offense overall, we just had some spots where we didn't capitalize," Kelchner continued. "Early on, we should have punched it in and grabbed a bigger lead instead of going for field goals. When you're playing a team the caliber of Hampden-Sydney, you need to make the most of your opportunities, and we didn't do that enough."
 
The Captains bounced back before halftime as the squads swapped rushing scores. Sophomore Cameron Siler reached the endzone for Christopher Newport on a two-yard run and following a two-point conversion pass from Morrast to senior tight end Matt Kerr, the game was tied at 14-14.
 
Hampden-Sydney, now 1-1, responded with a scoring run from 12 yards out from senior Brady Macko, giving the Tigers a 21-14 edge with just 1:32 left before halftime. The Captains then travelled 75 yards on seven plays in just 1:12 and evened the game before intermission. Morrast hit Rudolph on a five-yard pass play to tie the back-and forth battle at 21-21 at halftime.
 
In the second half, the Captains grabbed the lead midway through the third quarter on Morrast's second touchdown throw of the afternoon. Sophomore Daquan Davis hauled in a 10-yard scoring reception to give CNU a 28-21 advantage. The Tigers were far from finished, though, as their senior All-American quarterback continued his passing barrage.
 
Nance connected with tight end Joey Druhan on a 25-yard pass play in the third quarter that tied the game at 28-28, and then went back to Druhan on a 10-yard scoring play midway through the fourth quarter to give the home team a 35-28 edge. Christopher Newport again battled back and the Captains found an unconventional way to close the gap. With 2:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, CNU registered a safety when a bad snap sailed over the Hampden-Sydney punter's head and went through the endzone. The Captains trailed by five, 35-30, and could not get any closer despite their final drive that ended on downs in the final minute.
 
Morrast finished the game 19 of 34 for 233 yards and two touchdown passes. His counterpart, Nance, totaled 204 yards on 23 of 31 attempts with four touchdown throws.
 
"We've got a short week and we will get right back to work," Kelchner continued. "We've got a game in Rocky Mount on Thursday and not much time to prepare. It will be a different kind of week for our players and coaches, but it will be the same for both teams."
 
CNU and North Carolina Wesleyan open play in the USA South with their Thursday night game in Rocky Mount. Kickoff time is set for 6:00 p.m.