GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University football team defeated #22 Christopher Newport University, 10-7 on Saturday night.
The Profs turned a pair of turnovers into first half points and held off the Captains in the fourth quarter. Rowan is 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. CNU drops its first game of the season and has an overall mark of 4-1 and they are 3-1 in the conference.
Quarterback Dante Pinckney (jr. Lawnside, NJ/Haddon Heights) threw for 149 yards (18-27). Running back Anthony Diorio (so. Medford, NJ/Shawnee) carried the ball 18 times for 60 yards. Running back Gawain Bragg (jr. Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Twp.) had 13 attempts for 62 yards and one TD. Wide receiver Jamel Smith (jr. Wrightstown, NJ/New Egypt) made nine catches for 77 yards.
Defensive back Bobby Barbieri (sr. Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) made eight tackles, including one for a loss (3 yards) and forced a fumble. Defensive lineman Chris Henchy (jr. Egg Harbor City, NJ/Absegami) and linebacker Ryan Brenner (sr. Northfield, NJ/Mainland Reg.) recorded seven stops. Henchy also had 1.5 tackles for a loss (2 yards) and Brenner collected an interception (42 yards). Defensive lineman Kevin Stokes (so. Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) accumulated five tackles, including 1.5 for a loss (3 yards), 1.5 sacks (3 yards) and a 57-yard fumble return.
For Christopher Newport, quarterback K.J. Kearney (jr. North Dinwiddie, VA/Dinwiddie) completed 21 passes in 37 attempts for 205 yards and one TD. Wide receiver Kyree Burton (jr. Virginia Beach, VA/Salem) had six rushes for 19 yards and three receptions for 27 yards. Running back Daquan Davis (sr. Norfolk, VA/Lake Taylor) tallied 10 rushes for 18 yards. Wide receiver Taylor Loudan (sr. Stephens City, VA/Sherando) caught nine passes for 94 yards and one touchdown.
Defensive back Shomari Wright (sr. Hampton, VA/Heritage) and linebacker Drew Davidson (jr. Leesburg, VA/Tuscarora) had 10 tackles apiece. Defensive back Tyrell Noel (jr. Hampton, VA/Grafton) chipped in with eight tackles and linebacker B.J. Hill (jr. Bluffton, SC/Bluffton) added seven.
Rowan scored the only points of the first quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run by Bragg with 12:37 on the clock. The drive was set-up by a 42-yard interception return by Brenner on the Captains' fourth play from scrimmage. Christopher Newport tried to cut into the lead with 56-seconds left, but a 26-yard field goal was missed wide right.
With 10:30 to play in the second quarter, Stokes recovered a fumble and returned it 57 yards to the CNU 31 yard line. The Profs' seven-play, 15-yard drive ended with a 34-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Knighton (jr. Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) at the 7:55 mark for a 10-0 lead.
After the Captains forced a punt to start the second half, they took the ball and traveled 45 yards on eight plays, scoring on a two-yard touchdown pass from Kearney to Loudan with 8:38 remaining in the third quarter. One of the game's best defensive plays was made by Smith, as he forced a fumble at the one-yard line after CNU recovered a fumble and was running into the end zone for a touchdown at the 6:04 mark of the third. The ball scooted out of the end zone for a Rowan touchback.
Rowan hosts Salisbury University for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.