HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va.- The Christopher Newport football squad improved to 2-0 Saturday, pulling away from Hampden-Sydney in the second half on the way to a 45-27 triumph. Junior quarterback K.J. Kearney threw for two scores and ran for two more, and set a new school record for passing yards in a game with 355.
"This was another really solid effort by our entire team," Head Coach Matt Kelchner said. "Our defense stepped up in the second half and made some big stops. I thought we moved the ball well on offense and made some big plays."
CNU broke open a close game after halftime by out-scoring the Tigers in the second half, 21-6. The Captains intercepted two second-half Hampden-Sydney passes, one of which was returned 32 yards by junior linebacker Brennan Gary for CNU's final score of the day.
A Family Weekend crowd of 5,500 at Lewis C. Everett Stadium withstood hot and humid conditions, with a gametime temperature of 93 degrees and heat index near 100.
"I told the team at halftime that the better conditioned team was going to win the game," Kelchner continued. "We practiced ten days in August that were similar to this one, and I think our conditioning was a big factor in the outcome."
Kearney, making his second career start, completed his first 11 passes of the first half. He finished the day 24 of 30 for 355 yards. His touchdown throws went to sophomore Joshua Davis (22 yards late in the second quarter) and senior Taylor Loudan (25 yards early in the third quarter). He also reached the end zone on runs of seven and eight yards. Kearney has connected on 38 of 58 throws through two games for 526 yards with three touchdown throws and three scoring runs. His 355 passing yards against the Tigers passed the previous school mark of 340 yards set by Marcus Morrast against Greensboro in 2014.
The Captains held a 24-21 advantage at halftime following a back-and-forth first half that saw the lead change six times. Kearney's scoring pass to Davis with 3:26 left in the half put the Captains ahead to stay. CNU scored on its first four possessions of the first half, all on drives of more than 74 yards.
CNU's defense tightened in the second half, and the Captains held the Tigers to just one score in seven possessions. Junior linebackers B.J. Hill and Drew Davidson topped the team with seven tackles each, and Hill also picked off a second-half pass from Hampden-Sydney quarterback Alec Cobb.
Loudan finished the day with 11 catches for 161 yards and his first score of the season. Senior tailback Daquan Davis rushed for a team-high 85 yards on 13 carries and junior Kyree Burton posted 75 yards on 10 attempts, including a 33-yard touchdown scamper early in the second quarter.
The Captains are 2-0 to start the season for just the second time in the 16-year history of the program. Christopher Newport has out-scored their first two opponents in the second half, 30-6.
The meeting was the fifth all-time, and the Tigers now hold a 3-2 edge in the series. It marked CNU's first win in Hampden-Sydney in three tries.
Christopher Newport will host Wesley (1-1, 1-0) next Saturday at POMOCO Stadium. Kickoff time is set for 6:00 p.m.
"This is a great spot to be in," Kelchner said. "Obviously there are a lot of games left and a lot of work to do. I hope folks come out and see us next week, we're fun to watch and our guys are working hard."
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Kearney's Record-Setting Performance Leads Captains to 45-27 Victory at Hampden-Sydney
/seasons/2016/boxscores/20160910_s7po.xml
2016
Christopher Newport
45
Hampden-Sydney
27
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Newport (2-0) | 3 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Hampden-Sydney (0-2) | 7 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 27 |
Sep 10, 2016