NEWPORT NEWS — Two individual career records were broken, and one has to wonder if a team mark was also set, as No. 17 Christopher Newport remained unbeaten with a 49-0 blowout of Kean University on Saturday at TowneBank Stadium.
Quarterback Connor Barry threw for 202 yards and four touchdowns, and Gunner White ran for 99 yards and two scores — both in just over two quarters of work. Barry became CNU’s all-time leader in touchdown passes with 43; White is now atop the rushing TD list with 37.
White knew he was close, but not that close.
“I didn’t know it was going to happen today,” he said. “I had gotten the total touchdowns (record) in week two, but I didn’t know where I was with rushing touchdowns. They said it on the intercom (after his record-breaker), and it was cool to hear.
“This whole season, honestly, has been surreal. This team feels special. It has that ‘team of destiny’ feel. We’re all real close and playing good football. I can’t ask for anything more.”
There’s no school record listed for most consecutive possessions with a touchdown. But when the Captains took a 28-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter, that made 16 in a row dating back to an overtime win at Rowan two weeks ago.
At 6-0 (3-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference), CNU is off to its best start in the program’s 25-year history. Going back to last season, the Captains have won 11 consecutive games, also a school record.
CNU finished with 419 total yards, 336 coming in the first half. It was the fifth consecutive game in which the Captains scored at least 41 points — yet another program superlative .
It’s safe to say CNU’s offense, which counting Saturday is averaging 49.2 points and 484.8 yards per game, is humming.
“We’re playing pretty well right now,” Captains coach Paul Crowley said. “With any good offense, you have to have a line that can operate and the skill guys. But I really give a lot of credit to our tight ends.
“We play with three tight ends and all three of them are good football players. They’re really smart, so we can do a lot of things schematically. That has an effect on the pass game and the run game.”
Tight end Ethan Barham had a career day with four catches for 75 yards and three touchdowns.
CNU scored its first touchdown on its sixth play from scrimmage, a 31-yard pass from Barry to wideout Josh Powell. After Kean fumbled the kickoff, Barry connected with Barham for 26 yards to make it 14-0 midway through the first. That gave Barry his 41st career touchdown pass, which tied teammate Matt Dzierski and former Captain Marcus Morrast for the record.
Less than three minutes later, White scored on a 9-yard run to tie Tunde Ogun’s record of 36.
On CNU’s next possession, Barry threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Barham that broke the record and put CNU ahead 28-0.
After the Captains were stopped on downs, ending the streak of 16 straight touchdown drives, White scored on a 2-yard run to move past Ogun and push the lead to 35-0 with 1:11 left in the first half. Barry then pushed his total to 43 with a 5-yard scoring pass to Barham.
Crowley went to the reserves early in the third quarter. The only scoring after that was Brandon Pena’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Beau Sahnow on the first play of the fourth quarter.