NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport got off to a fast start Saturday by building a 24-0 lead by halftime over the College of New Jersey at POMOCO Stadium, but then had to hold off the Lions in the second half. The Captains, playing in their first game as associate members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, ended up winning the conference opener, 31-21, in front of 4,245 fans. The game was the 150th in CNU program history, and the first ever with the Lions.
"I liked the first half a lot better than the second half," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said following the start of the 15th season in program history. "We got a little sloppy and lost our focus in the third quarter, but overall we did a good job. I think we executed really well in the first half and did a lot of good things."
CNU rotated senior quarterbacks Arsaiah Robinson and Tyler Quigley, and both contributed heavily in the triumph. Robinson opened the scoring with a 71-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter, and Quigley threw two scoring passes and also put the game away in the fourth quarter with a one-yard quarterback plunge. Robinson ended up leading the squad in rushing with 87 yards on nine carries, and Quigley was 13 of 16 throwing the football for 207 yards and two scores.
"They both bring a lot to the table and help us in different ways," Kelchner continued. "I think we kept them off balance on defense and showed a lot of different looks."
Following Robinson's 71-yard touchdown run only six minutes into the opening quarter, freshman Dylan Curran booted a 22-yard field goal to push the lead to 10-0. Quigley then connected with junior wide receiver Taylor Loudan, who made a fantastic diving grab, for a 36-yard scoring strike to give the Captains a 17-0 advantage after the first quarter. Loudan would end up with eight receptions for 139 yards for the day.
With nine minutes to play in the second quarter, Quigley found sophomore receiver Kyree Burton for a 35-yard scoring pass to up the CNU lead to 24-0, which held until halftime.
The third quarter proved to be a different story, as the Lions began their comeback. TCNJ posted two touchdowns in a span of three minutes late in the quarter to cut the lead to 24-14.
Christopher Newport regained control in the fourth quarter as Quigley engineered the longest drive of the afternoon for the Captains. A 10-play, 70-yard drive culminated with Quigley's one-yard plunge with 12 minutes to go to essentially put the game away for the Captains. TCNJ would conclude the scoring with a touchdown pass two minutes later to make the final 31-21, and give CNU its 99th victory in program history, and first in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
CNU's defense was led by senior linebacker Mic Edwards, who posted nine tackles. Junior linebacker Allen Hayes made six stops and also forced a fumble and registered one of two CNU sacks.
"This is a much different league with a high level of talent across the board," Kelchner continued. "Every week is going to be a tough battle with a quality opponent. I'm very happy we were able to get this one and now we begin preparing for a non-conference game, the only one of the season next Saturday."
The Captains will host Hampden-Sydney at POMOCO Stadium next Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. as CNU will battle for the 100th win in program history. The Captains are now 99-51 all-time for a winning percentage of 66 percent. The Tigers lost their opener on Saturday at home to Wabash, 35-3, and will enter the game 0-1.
Christopher Newport dedicated the victory to junior defensive lineman Justin Palimore, who missed the game following the death of his 24-year-old brother on Friday. The Captains will present Palimore with a signed game ball from the triumph.
CNU Football Jumps to Early Lead and Holds Off TCNJ, 31-21, in Season Opener
/seasons/2015/boxscores/20150905_gtb8.xml
2015
TCNJ
21
Christopher Newport
31
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCNJ (0-1) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| Christopher Newport (1-0) | 17 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
Sep 05, 2015