NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - It's just the third week of the 2017 football season, and the Captains of Christopher Newport are already preparing for a battle that could weigh heavily on the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings. Saturday night at POMOCO Stadium, CNU hosts Frostburg State with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Both squads are off to 2-0 starts, and both are 1-0 in league action thanks in large part to superior defensive play.

Art Link's squad is coming off a 20-7 victory last Saturday over Hampden-Sydney at POMOCO Stadium. Christopher Newport's defense shut out the Tigers until the final minute of the game, and also didn't allow H-SC inside the red zone (20-yard line) until the final drive of the fourth quarter. The Captains have now allowed just 24 points in their two triumphs.

"Coach Kirland has done a great job with our guys on the defensive side," Link said. "We've got a lot of returning upperclassmen who have the talent and experience to be special, and they're blending in some of the younger guys to get the job done."

Senior defensive back Justus Drakeford was selected the NJAC's Defensive Player of the Week this week after setting a new school mark for passes broken up last week with five against Hampden-Sydney. Drakeford also registered seven tackles and picked off a pass.

On the offensive side of the ball, senior quarterback K.J. Kearney has completed 55 of 74 attempts (74 percent) with six touchdown tosses. Kearney has averaged 276 yards per game passing, and has not thrown an interception. 

The Bobcats are ranked 11th in the nation this week, and were 10-1 last year but did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NJAC's automatic bid went to Wesley, a team that beat Frostburg State early in the season, 43-7. The Bobcats had to settle for a trip to the ECAC playoffs, where they defeated St. John Fisher to conclude the season on a nine-game winning streak. That streak has now been stretched to 11 thanks to their two victories already this season, most recently a 49-14 thumping of the College of New Jersey last Saturday.

While the CNU defense has been terrific, so has Frostburg State's to begin the year. The Bobcats have allowed just 21 points in their two wins, and the squad has already recorded 11 sacks and forced three fumbles. Frostburg State defeated the Captains last year in Maryland, 17-6, and the Bobcats have captured all three meetings with CNU in the series.

Tickets for the game will be available at the gates at POMOCO Stadium on Saturday. Gates will open at 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) with the pre-game show beginning at 6:30 p.m. Video will also be streamed live on CNUsports.com/live.

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