Live Video // Live Stats // CNU Game Notes
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University's 25th season of football continues Saturday, as the Captains host the Red Hawks of Montclair State University. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at TowneBank Stadium for the New Jersey Athletic Conference battle.
Paul Crowley's squad is 7-0 overall and 4-0 in league play, while MSU is 3-4 and 2-2 in conference action.
The month of November rolls in and finds CNU ranked 14th in the nation and riding a 12-game winning streak dating back to last season. The Captains are the fourth-highest scoring team in the country, and are coming off a 52-7 victory last Saturday at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. Junior quarterback
Connor Barry had another spectacular day, running for three touchdowns and throwing three scoring passes. The Vienna, Va., product leads the nation in passing efficiency for the fifth straight week, and has now tossed 26 TD passes, a single season CNU record, with just one interception through the first seven games. Barry was named the Offensive Player of the Week this week in the NJAC for the fourth time this season.
Two of Barry's scoring runs last week came on one-yard plunges, and the other on an eight-yard scamper. In addition to two scoring throws to senior
Colin Hart of 42 and 30 yards, Barry also hit freshman tight end
Fred Cowell IV on a four-yard strike in the third quarter. Freshman running back
Drevyon Tharrington opened the scoring vs. the Pioneers with a 33-yard first quarter touchdown run, and led the Captains in rushing with 60 yards on just three carries as Christopher Newport out-gained WPU in total yardage, 543-157, for the day.
Christopher Newport is presently averaging 49.6 points per game and trails just North Central (56.6), Curry (52.6), and Monmouth (49.7) in average points per game. The Captains have scored at least 38 points in every game, and have gone over the 40-point mark in each of the last six games after opening the year with a 38-7 victory over Trine. CNU's top point production this year came in a 69-7 road victory at Vermont State-Castleton on October 11th. The Captains have now scored 48 touchdowns in seven games, an average of almost seven per game. Last year, CNU scored 50 total touchdowns in ten games.
While the offense has been overpowering, the defense has been equally impressive. CNU has allowed just 14 points over its last three games, and the Captains have logged 18 sacks this year including three last week. Junior defensive lineman
Connor Estrella now has seven sacks for the year, and has made 11.5 tackles for lost yardage of 53 yards, and has also forced two fumbles.
The Red Hawks of Montclair State University enter play Saturday with a record of 3-4 overall and 2-2 in league play. MSU won last Saturday, 48-20, at Vermont State-Castleton to snap a two-game losing skid. The game will be the tenth in the all-time series, and the Captains have a 5-4 edge over the first nine meetings with the Red Hawks. The Captains won last year's meeting on November 9th in Montclair, N.J., by a 33-10 score. At TowneBank Stadium, the teams have split four previous games in the all-time series.
Saturday's game will feature a special halftime celebration commemorating the first season of Christopher Newport football in 2001. A limited number of tickets are still available for the matinee and will go on sale at TowneBank Stadium Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. Gates will open at 12:00 p.m.
All Captains 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, as well as the complete CNU game notes package and live stats of the game.
