While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, our friends at TowneBank are partnering with CNUsports.com to spend some time throughout the fall semester looking back at a few of the more memorable moments in the storied history of the athletic department. Over the course of the next three months, the Captains will honor the anniversary of three dozen record-setting accomplishments, championship-clinching victories, and other historic events in order to celebrate the past while preparing for even more great moments in the future.

AT A GLANCE
In one of the most incredible displays of offensive dominance in school history, the Christopher Newport football team chewed up Averett's defense with a physical game plan that relied almost exclusively on the rushing attack during a 43-12 triumph at the Cougar Den on October 10, 2009. Setting a slew of single-game records, the squad established new standards with 72 total carries and 509 yards on the ground. Leading the way, Tunde Ogun broke his own record with 285 rushing yards while providing three of the team's six touchdowns.
 
BACKSTORY
Christopher Newport had built a reputation as one of the better rushing attacks in the country. In 2008, the Captains ranked 13th in the nation in rushing yards per game with a 256.6 average. At the forefront of the attack was former Division I transfer Tunde Ogun, who finished his second year in Newport News with 179.4 yards per contest. That placed him third in the NCAA and helped him earn the USA South Offensive Player of the Year award.
 
Picking up right where they had left off, the Captains were once again punishing defenses in the early part of the 2009 campaign. Just slightly off the historic rate from 2008, Christopher Newport was mauling its opposition, including a 297-yard outburst during an overtime victory against Salisbury on September 19.
 
Although Ogun headlined the attack following his breakthrough junior campaign, Christopher Newport was well-balanced on the ground. In the first four games, the team had three different leading rushers, and four Captains had already scored a touchdown.
 
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
On paper, Averett's defensive unit posed a solid challenge to Christopher Newport's rushing attack. During the early part of the 2009 campaign, the Cougars hadn't allowed a single 100-yard rusher. In fact, they had only surrendered a pair of rushing touchdowns all year while forcing 10 fumbles. With opponents five-times more likely to hand the ball over than crack the end zone, they were more than comfortable facing a run-based offense.
 
Overall, Averett entered its battle with Christopher Newport ranked second in the USA South in rushing defense, allowing only 137 yards per contest. With a defensive unit featuring five All-Conference performers, including three decorated linebackers, the Cougars seemed perfectly equipped to serve as a formidable foe against the Captains.
 
And then the game kicked off.
 
GAME RECAP
Less than six minutes into the contest, Antonio Epps punctuated Christopher Newport's first scoring drive with a three-yard dive into the end zone. Two minutes later, after the defense handed the ball back to the Captains, the squad pieced together a drive that encapsulated the entire contest.
 
On a 12-play possession that chewed up 78 yards, Christopher Newport ran the ball 11 times. Featuring a well-balanced assault, Ogun had a 24-yard run, T.J. Foster had a 21-yard burst, and Epps broke into the red zone with a 15-yard scamper. Just a few yards from paydirt, Ogun barreled his way across the line with a two-yard run for his first touchdown of the game.
 
In the second quarter, Ogun stretched the lead to 21-6 after breaking free on a 64-yard sprint. Continuing to foster the 15-point lead early in the third quarter, the Captains turned back to Ogun with one of the most punishing drives in program history.
 
Starting nearly 70 yards from the end zone, the game plan was fairly simple: Hand the ball to Ogun. On the first play, he gobbled up 26 yards. On the next? Six more. After that, he orchestrated back-to-back first-down runs with a four-yard rumble and a 14-yard dash.
 
Following penalties on both teams that set the Captains up with a 1st-and-10 on the Averett 15, Ogun finished what he started. The senior All-American bowled his way to the one-yard line on his next attempt to set up 1st-and-Goal. Although he was bottled up on his next run, he polished off the drive with a one-yard plunge.
 
All told, the eight-play drive featured eight runs by Ogun, which accounted for 67 total yards.
 
Not only did his third touchdown of the game cap off a remarkable drive, but it also marked Ogun's 33rd career score. That pushed him past Roland Hilliard for the most touchdowns in program history.
 
Following Ogun's showcase, Christopher Newport put its entire rushing attack on display in the fourth quarter. On the first drive of the final stanza, Corey Legister registered three straight 1st-down runs before Myles Reid punched his way into the end zone on a one-yard score. Later, Keith Gaines put the finishing touches on the contest with a 19-yard bolt to lock up the 43-12 triumph.
 
In addition to Ogun's 285 yards, Epps finished with 69, Legister had 54, Foster had 43, and Jake Preli broke off a 37-yard attempt. Overall, the Captains ran the ball 72 times while attempting only nine passes.
 
Although the offense was the story of the game, the defense added its own entertaining note. While the offense ran for 509 yards, Christopher Newport's defensive unit allowed quite a few less. Showing the world had to stop a rushing attack, the Captains limited Averett to -3 yards on the ground. To this day, that still remains one of only four times in program history that the opposition was unable to gain a single inch on the ground.
 
Jay Kirland finished the contest with a team-high six tackles and a sack, while Kristopher Gant recorded a safety after hauling down Averett's quarterback in the end zone during a third-quarter highlight. Trevor Wagner, Tyler Henderson, and Adrin Diggs all assisted on at least one sack as well.
 
POSTSCRIPT
Ogun's 285 yards rushing still stand as the all-time program record. In fact, he holds the top three spots on the single-game list. Since that performance against Averett in 2009, no Captain has gotten within 70 yards of matching his record-setting total.
 
In addition to Ogun's mark, the team totals also remain unchallenged. The 72 carries and 509 yards still stand as program records.
 
Eventually, Ogun was inducted into the Christopher Newport Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Meanwhile, his teammates were also celebrated for their efforts in 2009, including a pair of offensive linemen. Helping pave the way for that record-setting rushing attack, Kenneth Hall and Patrick Green both earned All-Conference accolades.
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
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