UNION, N.J. - Sophomore quarterback Connor Barry threw for two scores and ran for a touchdown Saturday afternoon, as the Captains of Christopher Newport University defeated Kean University, 32-21. CNU improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), while the Cougars fell to 2-5 overall and 2-2 in league play.
The Captains never trailed in the game on a sunny and breezy afternoon at Kean's Alumni Stadium. After a scoreless opening quarter, CNU built a 16-7 lead at halftime and then used scoring runs by Barry and junior tailback Gunner White in the third quarter to hold off the stubborn Cougars.
"We had some great performances today, and I think our guys responded well to the kind of game this was," Head Coach Paul Crowley said. "There were a lot of miscues, penalties, and overall it was just a weird game. We only ran 48 plays and put up almost 500 yards, so that's a lot of explosive plays."
Barry completed 17 of 22 passes for 389 yards, with 13 of the 17 completions going to junior receivers Trey Hayes (seven catches for 153 yards) and Colin Hart (six grabs for 192 yards and a score). Hayes and Hart became just the second tandem to ever post more than 150 yards in a game, joining Cole Blais (212 yards) and Joshua Davis (172 yards) at TCNJ in November of 2018.
"Those two guys are going down in the annals of CNU football as two of the best receivers ever," Crowley continued. "it's great to have play-makers who you can depend on, and Trey and Colin are there for us every time we need a lift."
CNU's first score of the day came on an 83-yard bomb from Barry to Hart with 13:55 remaining n the second quarter. The Captains upped the lead to 13-0 when Barry found sophomore tight end Jason Viernes for a 15-yard scoring strike just three minutes later. The score was the first career touchdown for Viernes. Barry reached the end zone on a three-yard plunge five minutes into the third quarter, and White followed with his own three-yard scoring run with 1:51 on the clock in the third quarter.to open up a 29-14 edge.
The Cougars cut the advantage back to one score when Julius Jones scored on a four-yard scoring run with 9:23 to play in the fourth quarter, cutting the CNU lead to 29-21. Sophomore kicker Maxx Lawton put the game away with his second field goal of the game, a 23-yard effort with 2:14 to play, to provide the 32-21 final verdict.
CNU's defense was led by sophomore rover Noah Martin, who recorded ten tackles, following a 13-tackle performance last week vs. Rowan. The Captains logged three sacks, with 1.5 recorded by freshman Charlie Clawson, Jr.
CNU and Kean were meeting for the tenth time, and the all-time series is now tied, 5-5. The victory was the third straight in the series for the Captains.
Christopher Newport returns to action next Saturday, November 2, to host William Paterson University at TowneBank Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. William Paterson fell to Montclair State, 39-6, on Saturday to fall to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the NJAC.
"We can't look past anyone, and we're going to have to be ready for Willaim Paterson," Crowley concluded. "We've got thee games left, and just two at home, and we've got to take care of business. I know our guys, especially our seniors, are highly motivated to finish the season with a flourish."