NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University opens play Saturday in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), as the Captains host the Cougars of Kean University. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Kelchner Field at TowneBank Stadium. Art Link's Captains are 2-2 after winning on the road last week, 31-14, at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. The Cougars are 0-3, and fell last Saturday at Merchant Marine, 56-7.

"Last week was a balanced effort from our guys, and we want to continue playing like that as we go into conference play," Link said. "Kean may not be off to a good start, but I know they'll be fired up and prepared to play. They've got a lot of talent, and we're going to have to be ready to go."

Saturday's matinee comes during Family Weekend festivities on the Christopher Newport campus. It will also mark the 100th home game in CNU football history (the Captains are 65-34 all-time on home turf for a winning percentage of .657). 

The game will be the seventh meeting of the two programs, and the home team has won all six previous matchups. Kean is 4-0 against the Captains in Union, N.J., while Christopher Newport has won both previous battles in Newport News. Click HERE for the complete CNU Game Notes Package.

Christopher Newport got off an amazing start last Saturday, as freshman Jordan Borders returned the opening kick of the game 93 yards for a Captains touchdown. CNU went on to dominate Catholic, allowing no points after halftime and just 88 total yards in the second half of the 31-14 victory. Sophomore quarterback Matt Dzierski connected with senior receiver Garrison Mayo on a 66-yard scoring strike, and senior backup quarterback Scotty Forbes ran for two scores as the Captains snapped a two-game losing skid.

Kean has dropped all three of its contests so far this season, and the Cougars have been out-scored 140-20. KU has lost to Delaware Valley (57-6) and Utica (27-7) in addition to last week's 56-7 defeat at Merchant Marine. The Cougars do feature one of the top defensive players in the NJAC, senior linebacker Dante Capozzoli, who last weekend recorded his 200th career tackle. 

Gates will open at 12 noon on Saturday, and a limited number of remaining tickets and standing room only tickets will be on sale prior to kickoff. 

The game will be broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) with the pre-game show beginning at 12:30 p.m. Live video of the contest can also be seen by clicking HERE. You can also follow the action with live stats by clicking HERE.