UNION, NJ – Christopher Newport University held off upset-minded Kean University Saturday, 31-20, to improve to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The Captains were powered by a 201-yard rushing performance from senior
Jordin Lennon, who scored twice and carried the ball 27 times.
The victory, on a sunny and mild day, was the 20
th consecutive regular season victory for
Paul Crowley's team.
"We talked all week about how adversity would hit us and how we would respond and handle it," Crowley said following the game. "It was a good job by our guys to get the win today in a tough place to win. There was a lot we have to work on moving forward and sloppiness was definitely a problem today."
Kean, now 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the NJAC, opened the scoring to take a 6-0 lead, marking the first time this season the Captains have trailed in a game. CNU bounced back by scoring three touchdowns to take a 21-6 lead. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Pena connected with senior tight end
Ethan Barham on a three yard scoring strike late in the opening quarter to put CNU ahead to stay, 7-6. Lennon reached the end zone for the first time early in the second quarter thanks to a 16-yard scamper that made it 14-6. Pena later found freshman
Bryce Banning on a 23-yard scoring strike to cap off a 10-play, 81-yard drive to push the advantage to 21-6. The Cougars would respond with a score with just over a minute to play in the half to cut the lead to 21-14 at the intermission.
Christopher Newport opened the second stanza in strong fashion, traveling 70 yards on eight running plays to get on the board again. Lennon crossed the goal line on a five-yard run midway through the third quarter to extend the advantage to 28-14. The Captains did not attempt a pass in the second half, using Lennon and senior Alex Jriege to carry the CNU offense and kill the clock. Jriege finished the day with 18 carries for 83 yards as Christopher Newport out-gained Kean on the ground, 277-34.
The Cougars would not go quietly, piecing together a 12-play, 84-yard drive, and scoring on a run by sophomore quarterback Ty Kline with 4:57 to play. The score cut the lead 28-20 as the Cougars had their extra point attempt blocked. Kline led the Kean attack by throwing for two scores and running for one.
The Captains were finally able put the game away with 1:55 on the clock when freshman kicker
Brandon Prater connected on a 38-yard field goal to end the scoring and provide the 31-20 final verdict.
"We were running the ball so well, I wanted them to prove they could stop us," Crowley continued. "It certainly wasn't a lack of confidence in our passing game, but there are no style points, you either get the win or you don't, and we got a hard-fought one today."
Lennon, who rushed for 234 yards in a game two years ago vs. TCNJ, averaged 7.4 yards per carry on his 27 totes.
"Jordin has been getting back to full health and it's great to see him running like that," Crowley continued. "I have a lot of confidence in him and our offensive line, and he and Alex today were both tough to stop."
The game was the 12
th all-time meeting of the programs, and the Captains now hold a 7-5 edge in the series and have won the last five.
Christopher Newport, ranked 13th in the country last week, will return to New Jersey next Saturday to play at Montclair State University. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. in Montclair, N.J.
