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WAYNE, N.J. - Christopher Newport University continues the 25th season of CNU football, as the Captains take on William Paterson University in a Saturday afternoon battle at Wightman Stadium. The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game is set to kick off at 1:00 p.m.
Paul Crowley's Captains have won six straight games this season, and 11 in a row dating back to last season, and are ranked 15th in the nation this week in both national polls. The Pioneers of WPU are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the NJAC.
CNU is coming off its first shutout since September of 2023 last week in a 49-0 victory over Kean University at TowneBank Stadium. The win came during Homecoming Weekend, and saw the Captains defense dominate the Cougars, holding Kean to a season-low of just 2.9 yards per play. CNU sacked Kean quarterbacks four times, with two coming from junior defensive end
Connor Estrella, who now has six sacks in six games this season.
The Christopher Newport offense continued to produce big numbers, and the Captains scored three touchdowns in a span of just under four minutes in the opening quarter. CNU held a 42-0 edge at the intermission, and tallied the only points of the second half on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback
Connor Barry threw four touchdown passes, setting a new program record for career TD passes with 43 in just 25 games played. Senior running back
Gunner White rushed for 99 yards on 13 carries and reached the end zone twice on scoring runs of nine and two yards. He pushed his career record TD total to 47 in 37 games played, and set a new school record for career touchdowns rushing with 37 (White has also scored ten times on pass receptions).
Christopher Newport is currently fourth in the country in scoring, averaging 49.2 points per game. The Captains are also 17th in the nation in passing offense, averaging 304.5 yards per game.
Connor Barry is the nation's most efficient passer this week for the fourth straight week, and is tied for first in the nation in touchdown passes with 23 (even with Geneva's Caleb Romano). The lefty also leads the country in average yards per pass at 11.58. Barry matched a school record when he threw for five touchdowns in a season opening win over Trine, and matched it with five at Rowan, where he also had a scoring run in a double overtime CNU win. The junior from Vienna, Va., also threw for four scores in CNU's triumph at Gettysburg, four more vs. Kean last week, and posted three in a victory over Susquehanna. Barry has been named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season, and was also selected to the National Team of the Week by D3football. com. Through the first six victories, Barry is 102 of 148 for 1,714 yards with 23 touchdown throws and just one interception.
The Pioneers of William Paterson University are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in New Jersey Athletic Conference action so far this season. WPU has lost its last two games, both on the road, most recently a 45-16 setback at Rowan last Saturday. This will be the tenth all-time meeting of the programs, and the Captains have won eight of the first nine. CNU has won the last three games in the series, most recently a 45-7 triumph last year at TowneBank Stadium. The Captains are 3-1 all-time vs. the Pioneers at Wightman Stadium.
All Christopher Newport games are broadcast live on the Home of the Captains, Xtra 99.1 FM and CNUsports.com. The pre-game show Saturday will begin at 12:30 p.m.
Links are provided at the top of this story to the live video of the game, which will be produced by William Paterson, as well as the CNU Radio Broadcast, live stats, and the complete CNU game notes package.
