The Captains defeated Rowan University 24-7, improving the Captains record to 3-3 on the season.
The game occurred during Homecoming Weekend, where parents, students and alumni of Christopher Newport University were in attendance. They were rewarded with a Captains victory in a game that was hardly in doubt.
The Captains received the ball first and punted. However, a muffed punt from Rowan was recovered by the Captains and put them at the Rowan seven yard line. On the very next play, sophomore quarterback Connor Barry found junior wide receiver Trey Hayes to give the Captains the lead.
On the next possession, the Captains continued to capitalize on miscues made by Rowan. While Rowan was able to drive the football down to the goal line, they were unable to score as a fumble by sophomore running back Nunes Bukula IV was recovered by the Captains deep in their own territory.
With the Captains offense working from their own end zone, they embarked on a lengthy drive. Back to back first downs from junior running back Gunner White and junior wide receiver Colin Hart put the Captains in better field position. The passing game worked smoothly as three consecutive completions made from Barry to Hart, White, and sophomore tight end Jayson Viernes put the Captains at the Rowan goal line. The Captains were able to build onto their lead when sophomore kicker Maxx Lawton made a 23 yard field goal.
After the Captains defense forced a Rowan punt, the offense returned to the field. Multiple conversions including a completed pass from Barry to White on fourth down kept the drive alive. The offense’s efforts were rewarded with a 23 yard touchdown reception from Colin Hart that gave the Captains a 17-0 lead. A defensive stop on the subsequent possession helped preserve the Captains lead heading into the half.
The Captains continued to capitalize on Rowan errors. On the first possession of the second half, Rowan received the ball and made multiple key third down conversions as well as one on fourth down that put them deep into Captains territory. However, a fumble from running back Tyshawn Bookman on fourth down led to a turnover on downs and the Captains offense to take possession at their own 10 yard line.
The sole Rowan score came after a fumble from sophomore running back Jordin Lennon was recovered by their defense. A six play, 29 yard drive ended with a touchdown run from freshman quarterback Matt Wesley that cut the Captains lead to ten.
While the Captains defense was the driving force in maintaining their lead, the offense made sure that these efforts would not go unnoticed. After a turnover on downs from Rowan late in the fourth quarter, the Captains offense took the field with two minutes and 50 seconds left in the game. With the game still hanging in the balance, the Captains offense made sure to eliminate any doubt as a rushing touchdown from Gunner White sealed the victory.
Up next, the Captains (3-3) will face Kean University (2-4) in Union, New Jersey on October 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
