MONTCLAIR, NJ- The Christopher Newport football team again played two very different halves Saturday, and squandered a 22-7 halftime lead to fall at Montclair State, 32-22. The Red Hawks scored 25 unanswered second half points to drop CNU to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Montclair State, now 3-3 overall and 2-3 in the NJAC, capitalized on five turnovers by the Captains that included four interceptions and one lost fumble to take the first meeting of the schools in front of 1,086 fans at Sprague Field.

"It doesn't matter who you're playing, you can't turn the ball over five times," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said. "We again didn't do enough to win the game, and they took advantage of our mistakes."

CNU enjoyed an inspired first half effort that saw them build a 15-point advantage at the intermission. Momentum shifted quickly in the third quarter as the Hawks began their comeback, a familiar scenario for the Captains that has plagued them all season.

"I don't know what happens to our team at halftime, but we haven't scored a point in the third quarter all season," Kelchner continued. "We have worked on it and looked at it but we obviously have work to do to figure it out."

After an early MSU touchdown on its first possession of the game, the Captains rallied in the second quarter. CNU scored all 22 of its points in the quarter thanks to three touchdowns and a field goal. Senior quarterback Tyler Quigley scored twice on one-yard plunges and also connected with junior Taylor Loudan on a 44-yard scoring strike. Sophomore kicker Andrew Harper also connected on a 23-yard field goal, but had two of his three extra point attempts blocked.

The Red Hawks recorded three touchdowns and a field goal of their own in the second half to surge past the Captains, who have now been out-scored, 49-0, in the third quarters of their first six games. 

"We're working hard and competing but we're making too many mistakes," Kelchner said. "This is a great group of young men and they have shown me a lot in how they have dedicated themselves to improving...and we are improving, but we're just hurting ourselves with penalties and turnovers."

The Captains will try to snap a five-game losing streak as they return home for a Saturday night battle next week against Frostburg State (5-1, 4-1). It will be Homecoming Weekend at CNU with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.