CNU comes from behind to down football Bishops, 27-26

Rocky Mount, NC - In USA South football action, the Captains of Christopher Newport University scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to earn a 27-26 come-from-behind victory over the homestanding Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon at the Northern Nash Football Complex.  Tailback Tunge Ogun rushed for 283 and two touchdowns to lead the Captains, who improve 6-1 overall, 5-0 in USA South action. The loss snaps a two-game win streak for the Bishops, who are now 4-4 on the season, 3-2 in league play.

The NCWC-CNU football rivalry has become one of the much-anticipated match-ups in the USA South, and Saturday’s game did not disappoint. Having won the last two meetings, Wesleyan opened up the scoring on its opening possession, driving 74 yards on four plays. The drive was capped by a 23-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Antonio Harris.

CNU got on the board with 4:33 remaining the period on Ogun’s first score, a 14-yard scamper that knotted the game at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Bishops re-gained the lead at the 12:36 mark of the second period on a 26-yard field goal by freshman Kevin Quicker. Ogun, however, scored his second TD less than two minutes later, this time from 11 yards out to put Christopher Newport back on top, 14-10.

The Bishops responded with a 76-yard drive that saw Orlando Webb haul in a 36-yard TD reception from junior quarterback Bo Jordan. Unfortunately, Quicker failed on the point-after attempt, leaving NCWC with a 16-14 advantage at the half.

In the third quarter, CNU’s Jay Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal at the 12:13 mark to put CNU back on top at 17-16. The Bishops responded with two scores to lead 26-17 with 3:44 left in the third.  The first came on a 22-yard Quicker field goal, while the second saw Jordan fight his way in from two yards out.

NCWC maintained its nine-point lead through the first 7:15 of the fourth.  It was then that Captain quarterback Matt Long hit T.J. Foster on a 26-yard post route to cut the lead to two at 26-24. After forcing Wesleyan to punt on its next possession, the Captains proceeded to ride Ogun into field goal range. Graham then booted home the game-winning field goal from 35 yards out with 1:27 remaining.

For Wesleyan, Jordan finished 21-of-39 for 306 yards, one TD, and one pick.  Webb tallied six catches for 101 yards, while sophomore Laqwan Brodie had six receptions for 95 yards.  Defensively, Quentin Pope had 12 tackles and Jaren Wilcox 10.  Reshard Patterson and Desmond Joyner each had an interception.

Despite the loss, the Bishops out-gained the Captains 464 to 357 total yards on the day.

Wesleyan travels to Ferrum College next Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. match-up with the Panthers.  The Bishops will then return home for their regular season finale on November 15th versus Greensboro, a day that will also serve as Homecoming and Senior Day.