CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY 2021 GAME NOTES AND STATISTICS Washington and Lee Generals (0-0) at Christopher Newport Captains (0-0) Saturday, September 4, 2021 TowneBank Stadium 6:00 p.m. kickoff Newport News, Va. CAPTAINS HOST GENERALS IN 2021 SEASON OPENER Game #1...W & L Christopher Newport University opens the 2021 season Saturday, 2021 SCHEDULE hosting the Generals of Washington and Lee. The non-conference Sept. 4 Washington and Lee 6:00 battle will kick off at 6:00 p.m. at TowneBank Stadium. Sept. 11 at Averett 6:00 All Captains games are broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/ Sept. 18 Ferrum 6:00 Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) and online at CNUsports.com/ watch. The pre-game show begins at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at Catholic 1:30 Series Info Oct. 2 Kean * 1:00 This will be the first meeting of the Captains and Generals. Oct. 9 at William Paterson* 1:00 Oct. 16 Montclair State* 1:00 CNU History...Season 21, Game 201 Oct. 23 at TCNJ * 12:00 Tonight’s game is the 201st in Christopher Newport football history, and the Captains have recorded an overall record of Oct. 30 Salisbury* 1:00 123-77 (.615) since the program began play in 2001. Nov. 6 at Rowan* 1:00 * New Jersey Athletic Conference games The battle with the Generals will mark the 98th all-time home game, and the Captains are 64-33 (.660) on home turf. This is The Coaches the first of four non-conference game to open the 2021 cam- ART LINK is in his fifth season leading the Captains, and is 14-17 paign, and the Captains are 23-39 (.371) all-time in non-confer- (.452) as head coach. Link is a 1999 graduate of the University ence contests. of Florida, and spent three seasons as Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers coach at Lafayette College (PA) before taking Christopher Newport will play six games this season in the over the CNU program. Link previously assisted programs at New New Jersey Athletic Conference, where the Captains are 22- Hampshire (2012-2013), Campbell (2007-2011), Catholic (2006- 22 (.500) since joining the conference in 2015. In conference 2007), and Florida (2004-2006). games all-time (Dixie/USA South/NJAC), the Captains are now 100-39 (.719) overall and 52-18 (.743) at home. GARRETT LeROSE is in his fourth season leading the Generals. He has an overall record of 11-8 (.579). He is a 2007 graduate The Captains are also 57-43 (.570) all-time in road contests, of Washington and Lee and served as an assistant coach for ten seasons prior to being named head coach for the 2018 campaign. Captains Preview About the Generals Christopher Newport has high hopes heading into the new sea- son. Art Link begins his fifth season at the helm, and the squad Washington and Lee posted a 6-4 record in the 2019 season, features an outstanding balance of experience and youth. and did not see any game action last year due to CoVID. This will be the first meeting ever with the Captains. While the Captains have an experienced group on offense, they are even more mature on the defensive side of the ball. Link The Generals were a high-scoring squad in 2019. W&L averaged could start up to four senior linebackers to help cause problems 33 points per game during the last full season of action. for opposing offenses, including two-time all-conference pick Sean Wilkinson. Wilkinson was in the top ten with 6.5 tackles The Generals were picked to finish fourth in the seven-team Old per game in the two-game shortened spring season. Junior Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) pre-season poll. W&L has cornerback Josh Uvodich also earned all-conference honors in registered a record of 35-16 since the 2015 season, and was the spring at both defense and special teams. 10-1 and an NCAA squad in 2015. On the offensive side, the Captains have several options at Coming Up the quarterback spot, and will also have experience at both the The Captains hit the road next Saturday night, playing at Averett wide receiver and tight end positions. 2019 NJAC first team University in Danville, Va. The scheduled starting time is 6:00 p.m. wide receiver Garrison Mayo is back as well as a trio of all- conference offensive linemen in Josh Hartley, Drew Knott, and It will be the first time the schools have played since 2014, and Nick Norman. the Captains have won 12 of 14 previous games with their former league-mate from the USA South Athletic Conference. 2001 & 2002 Dixie Conference Champions / 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 USA South Conference Champions 2021 CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT FOOTBALL NOTES HEAD COACH ART LINK ALMA MATER: FLORIDA ‘99 SEASONS AT CNU: 5TH Art Link was named Christopher Newport University Head Football Coach on January 30, 2017, and has led the Captains for the last four seasons. He is just the second head coach in the history of the program, which dates back to 2001. Link has led the Cap- tains to a 14-17 overall record over his first four seasons, and Christopher Newport is 12-14 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in that span. Christopher Newport is com- ing off two losses in a two-game spring 2021 season in the New Jersey Athletic Confer- ence after CoVID-19 wiped out the fall 2020 campaign. The Captains were 2-8 in their last full season in 2019, and finished with a 2-5 mark in the NJAC, posting home victories over William Paterson and the College of New Jersey. Link’s squad received a major award from the conference, as senior defensive lineman Ben James was selected the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the league. The Captains recorded a 7-2 overall record in the 2018 cam- paign that saw them finish 6-2 in the NJAC. Link’s squad won its final four games to finish strong, and both of Christopher Newport’s defeats came in overtime thrillers. The campaign included three impressive road victo- Link began his head coaching career by leading the Captains to a 45-17 triumph at ries over New Jersey schools; Rowan Southern Virginia University on September 2, 2017. Christopher Newport would go on (39-6), William Paterson (39-10), and to start the season with a 4-1 mark, matching the best start in program history through the College of New Jersey (38-13). five games. The Captains notched impressive victories over Hampton-Sydney, Mont- The Captains also registered triumphs clair State, and Rowan along the way. After improving to 5-2 with a home victory over over Southern Virginia (38-9), Hamp- William Paterson, the Captains would end up losing their final three games to conclude den-Sydney (17-13), and Kean (13-3). the season with a 5-5 mark. Link’s inaugural campaign featured two outstanding indi- vidual performances. Freshman wide receiver Cole Blais was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the New Jersey Athletic Conference after catching 54 passes including two for scores. Senior cornerback Justus Drakeford became just the ninth Christopher Newport football standout to achieve All-American status after picking off COACHING HISTORY six passes and posting 40 tackles. Link succeeded Matt Kelchner as Head Coach of the Captains. Kelchner led the squad from 2001-2016. Prior to taking over the Captains program, Link spent three years as CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY 2017-PRESENT the Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., Head Coach from 2013-2016. Prior to that, he served as linebackers coach at the University of New LAFAYETTE COLLEGE 2014-16 Hampshire for two seasons (2012-2013), both years advancing to the NCAA tourna- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers ment. His 2013 New Hampshire squad advanced farther than any other Wildcats team UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 2012-13 and reached the NCAA semifinals. Linebackers Coach CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY 2007-11 Before his time in the CAA, Link led the program’s defensive unit and linebackers at Campbell University when they started the football program in 2008. Link’s opportunis- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers tic defense led the Camels to their first winning season in 2011 when Campbell ranked CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA 2006-07 thirteenth nationally in turnovers forced. He was also the defensive coordinator and Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs defensive backs coach at Division III Catholic University in the Old Dominion Athletic UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2004-06 Conference for the 2006 season. Link, a native of Gainesville, Fl., received both his Graduate Assistant / Linebackers bachelors of science as well as masters in Exercise and Sports Science from the Uni- BOCA RATON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL 2003-04 versity of Florida where he was a member of the Gators 1996 National Championship Defensive Line Coach and SEC Championship team. He played for Head Coach Steve Spurrier at Florida, as FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY 2002-03 well as Defensive Coordinator Bob Stoops. He received the Fifth-Year Senior Award in 1998, and was part of teams that played in the Orange Bowl (1999), Citrus Bowl Intern Assistant / Video Operations / Assistant Strength & Conditioning (1998), and Sugar Bowl (1997).His coaching career also includes a stint with the Ga- MISSOURI WESTERN STATE COLLEGE 2001-02 tors as a graduate assistant, working primarily with the linebacking corps from 2004- Linebackers 2006 under head coaches Ron Zook and Urban Meyer. Link and his wife, Megan, have two children, son Ryan and daughter Ava.