NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University saw its season come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling to Susquehanna University on a sunny and chilly day at TowneBank Stadium, 42-28. The River Hawks, now 10-2, jumped to an early 14-0 lead in the opening quarter, and the Captains were never able to get closer than a touchdown. The loss snapped a ten-game winning streak this year for CNU, and a 15-game winning streak dating back to last season. Paul Crowley's squad ends the year with a 10-1 mark.
The River Hawks, Champions of the Landmark Conference, intercepted three Connor Barry passes, and sacked the Captains junior quarterback five times. Barry, the Offensive Player of the Year in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, connected on just ten of 24 attempts for 148 yards and a score. He also ran for two scores on a two-yard play in the opening quarter and a one-yard plunge in the fourth quarter.
Susquehanna quarterback Josh Ehrllich, the Offensive Player of the Year in the Landmark Conference, ran for three scores and threw two touchdown passes, completing 20 of 28 attempts for 250 yards. Susquehanna scored on its opening possession just 1:50 into the first quarter, and held a 21-7 edge at the intermission. Both teams scored three touchdowns in the second half to account for the 42-28 final verdict.
"I'm tremendously proud of our guys and all that we accomplished this year," Crowley said. "I'm also proud of the way we fought today. There was a time when we were down 28-7 and the flood gates could have opened. But instead we kept battling and guys stepped up like our fourth-string running back to start the year, Zavier Kennedy, who popped some really big runs down the stretch. It's disappointing certainly, but ultimately doesn't take away the memories of a very special season."
Kennedy led the Captains in rushing for the day with 74 yards on six carries, averaging 12.3 yards per carry. Senior Gunner White, who finished his career third on CNU's all-time rushing list with 2,807 yards, ran seven times for 70 yards. Senior wide receiver Colin Hart, Christopher Newport's all-time leader in pass receptions and receiving yards, caught four passes for 92 yards, including a 20-yard scoring pass from Barry in the third quarter. The touchdown was Hart's 30th career TD reception.
The game also featured the longest play in CNU football history. In the fourth quarter with just 2:22 to play, sophomore Josh Powell returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to complete the scoring in the game. The play pulled the Captains to within two scores, but CNU was unable to recover an onside kick attempt to get the ball back, and the Hawks were able to run out the clock.
"We knew going into the game that third down plays were going to be very important," Crowley continued. "We just didn't do a good enough job containing those plays and didn't create any turnovers. It's very difficult to win when you lose the turnover battle and that was a big factor today."
The River Hawks converted 13 times on 18 attempts on third downs, and will advance to play Eastern University next Saturday in the round of 16. Eastern defeated Franklin & Marshall Saturday, 28-24.
The loss for the Captains, in front of 1,855 fans at TowneBank Stadium, ended the 25th and most-successful season in CNU football history. The Captains had never before gone 10-0 in the regular season, and set a new school record for victories as well most points scored in a season with 492, an average of 44.7 per game. Christopher Newport captured its second New Jersey Athletic Conference title since joining the league in 2015.
Christopher Newport Falls to Susquehanna, 42-28, to End Season at 10-1
/seasons/2025/boxscores/20251129_b9kr.xml
2025
Susquehanna
42
Christopher Newport
28
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 22 Susquehanna (10-2) | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
| No. 6 Christopher Newport (10-1) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
Nov 29, 2025