CNU GAME NOTES // LIVE VIDEO // LIVE STATS

NEWPORT NEWS Va. - Christopher Newport University football begins play on Saturday, opening the 2023 season at home vs. Southern Virginia University. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. at Kelchner Field at TowneBank Stadium. Paul Crowley begins his second season leading the Captains, who were 7-3 last year and finished 5-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). Southern Virginia was 1-9 in 2022 and 

"It's a very exciting time for CNU football," Crowley said as his team went through final preparations for the opener. "We've had a really competitive camp, and I know we're ready to compete. There's no atmosphere quite like TowneBank Stadium, and we have a large group of newcomers who will be experiencing the incredible excitement for the first time."

The Captains will be looking to build on last season's success, which included a six-game winning streak and a second-place finish in the NJAC. Crowley's team is picked to finish second again this year in the pre-season poll of conference coaches.

"We obviously want to get off to a good start and set the tone early," Crowley continued. "Our non-conference games will all be very competitive, and that leads to the NJAC schedule, which will also give us tough tests every week."

The Captains will likely be led on ofense again by senior quarterback Matt Dzierski, who has been selected the NJAC's Offensive Player of the Year the last two years. Dzierski topped the conference in passing (169.9 yds/game) and total offense (214.1 yds/game) last season and had the second-fewest interceptions among conference quarterbacks. Dzierski rushed for 11 scores in addition to throwing for 11 more in 2022.

Christopher Newport also returns its top tackler from a year ago in senior defensive back Kindrick Braxton, who contributed 75 tackles last season in ten games. The Captains also have first team All-Conference and third team All-Region kicker Ryan Castle back on the squad. Castle led the NJAC by averaging 51.1 yards per kickoff last season, and was also 29-for-31 on extra point attempts and added nine field goals. 

CNU and Southern Virginia have met four times in the past on the gridiron, and the Captains have won all four previous matchups. The schools haven't played since the 2018 season opener, when the Captains registered a 38-9 victory at TowneBank Stadium.

Reserved chairback tickets for the game are sold out. General admission tickets for the game will be available at the TowneBank Stadium gate beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Stadium gates will open to all fans at 4:00 p.m.

All Christopher Newport games are broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) with the pre-game show beginning at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Former Captains Head Coach Matt Kelchner will fill in for Tracey Cooper and provide color commentary alongside Francis Tommasino on the broadcast.

The game will be streamed live on CNUsports.com, and can be seen by clicking the link at the top of this story. Live stats can also be accessed by clicking the link above. You can also access the complete CNU game notes package by clicking the link above. 

The Christopher Newport football program began play in 2001, and has enjoyed tremendous success over its first 22 seasons. CNU has compiled an all-time record of 135-85 for a winning percentage of .614.  The Captains have won ten conference titles, and recorded an all-time conference record of 108-43 (.715). Christopher Newport has advanced to the NCAA Tournament ten times, including the first four years in program history.