NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- As the calendar flips to October, the Christopher Newport football squad hosts a key New Jersey Athletic Conference game Saturday night at POMOCO Stadium. The Captains are coming off a bye week and will look to end a two-game losing skid as they take on the undefeated and 15th-ranked Profs of Rowan University. Kickoff time is set for 6:00 p.m.

Head Coach Matt Kelchner and CNU fans certainly hope that two trends continue Saturday. CNU is 49-11 all-time in October for a winning percentage of 82 percent, by far the best month for the Captains...and Christopher Newport is 13-2 all-time coming off a scheduled bye week for a winning clip of 87 percent.

"This is traditionally the time of the season when we head into league play, and we want to continue that kind of success in our new conference," Kelchner said. "Rowan is a very good football team with lots of size and speed. We will need to play a complete game in every aspect to beat them."

The Captains are 1-2 overall and 1-1 in NJAC play. CNU last played on September 19th, a 44-24 road loss at fifth-ranked Wesley. The Profs are 3-0 overall and 2-0 tied atop the NJAC with Salisbury, Kean and Wesley. Rowan edged Montclair State, 13-7, last Saturday.

"Coming off a bye week gives you two advantages," Kelchner continued. "One is from a health standpoint. You get guys an extra week to recover from bumps and bruises and that makes a big difference. The other key is preparation. We've had two weeks to get ready for Rowan, while they were looking at Montclair State last week."

While the meeting will be the first ever as members of the NJAC, Rowan and CNU have met numerous times in the past. Saturday's game will be the seventh all-time, with the Profs holding a 5-1 series lead. The Captains won the last time the teams met, 23-17, to open the 2007 season at POMOCO Stadium.

This weekend is Family Weekend at Christopher Newport. Tickets will go on sale at 4:00 p.m. outside POMOCO Stadium, and gates will open at 5:00 p.m.

The game will be broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) and live audio and video will be available at CNUsports.com/live with the pre-game show beginning at 5:30 p.m.

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