UNION, N.J. - Christopher Newport University used a balanced attack Saturday, recording a 24-13 victory at Kean University. The triumph was the third straight for the Captains, who are now 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The 11-point victory also marked the first win ever for CNU at Kean in five games played at Kean Alumni Stadium.

"That was really the first complete performance for our team this season," Head Coach Paul Crowley said. "Offense, defense, and special teams all came together for us today and we really played well in all aspects of the game. We knew we'd have a tough battle, but I thought we were well prepared and ready to play from the start."

The Captains never trailed, and strung together three scoring drives of more than 64 yards. Junior quarterback Matt Dzierski ran for two scores, and also threw a touchdown pass to account for CNU's three touchdowns. Christopher Newport dominated time of possession, 39 to 21 minutes for the day, and ran 69 offensive plays to just 46 by the Cougars. Kean fell to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the NJAC on a sunny and pleasant afternoon in northern New Jersey.

Christopher Newport opened the day with a 12-play, 77-yard drive to grab an early advantage. On a fourth-and-four situation, Dzierski went over the middle to senior Xander Jedlick, who scampered in for a 20-yard touchdown reception. Dzierski would score on a seven-yard run in the final minute of the opening quarter, and then reach the end zone again on a one-yard plunge with 3:24 left in the first half to culminate a 10-play, 75-yard drive. A late field goal by the Cougars cut CNU's lead to 21-13 at the intermission.

The second half proved to be a defensive struggle, with the only points coming early in the fourth quarter. Senior kicker Ryan Castle connected on a 24-yard field goal to complete a 13-play, 64-yard drive to provide the 24-13 final verdict. CNU's defense held Kean to minus five total yards in the final quarter, and no first downs in the final 15 minutes.

Freshman running back Gunner White led the CNU rushing attack, compiling 84 yards on 16 carries. Dzierski carried the ball 27 times for 51 yards, and also completed 18 of 24 pass attempts for 186 yards. Dzierski connected with freshman wide receiver Colin Hart four times for 72 yards as well as Jedlick four times for 45 yards. Senior linebacker Keith Martin led the defense and was a part of eight tackles for the Captains, four solo and four assisted stops. 

Kean now leads the all-time series with the Captains, 5-3. Christopher Newport hosts William Paterson University next Saturday, October 22, at Kelchner Field at TowneBank Stadium. The game will be a part of Homecoming Weekend festivities, and kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.