SALISBURY, Md. - Faced with the possibility of playing the rest of its season without a potential all-American quarterback and coming off their first regular season home loss since 2003, the No.20-ranked Salisbury University football team responded with a school-record 77 points Saturday afternoon as Travis Peters (LaPlata, Md./McDonough) led the Sea Gulls to an impressive 77-13 victory over Newport News Apprentice School at Sea Gull Stadium.

The victory not only puts momentum back on the side of Salisbury (4-1), but also keeps the Gulls unbeaten in Atlantic Central Football Conference action (2-0) at the midway point of the season. Apprentice, which has dropped five straight to Salisbury, falls to 3-2, 1-2 in ACFC play.

All eyes were on Peters coming into the game. The senior and close friend of former starting quarterback Dustin Johnson (Delmar, De./Delmar), who is more than likely lost for the season with a torn ACL after posting the second-highest Division III rushing total after four games with 638 yards, came through as he did a year ago when Johnson was injured. Peters improved his record as a starting quarterback to 5-0 as he rushed for 57 yards and one touchdown on five carries, while completing 6-of-10 passes for 131 yards and a pair of scores.

The SU offense spread around the wealth as seventeen different players carried the ball for Salisbury. The Gulls, after falling behind 6-0 early, blew out to a 56-6 lead at intermission and then shattered the school's single-game scoring record. The previous total was 75 points scored against Wesley College on Oct. 15, 1988.

Salisbury, which came into the game with the No.2-ranked rushing offensive in the country (385.3 ypg), finished with 393 yards and 7.9-yards per play on the ground. SU tallied 532 total yards, with 153 coming through the air. Freshman quarterback Ronnie Curley (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) led the balanced ground attack with 74 yards on eight carries, averaging 9.3 yards per play. Alfred Little (Salisbury/James M. Bennett) gained 60 yards and scored a touchdown, Leroy Satchell (Baltimore, Md./Waynesboro) picked up 53 yards and three scores on 11 carries and Antwoine Jackson (Waldorf, Md./Westlake) finished with 33 yards on six attempts.

In addition to Peters' totals, Curley was a perfect 3-for-3 for 22 yards in the second half. Francis Bryant (Bryans Road, Md./Lackey) was the favorite target of the Sea Gull quarterbacks, catching four passes for 116 yards.

The Builders were led offensively by Shonterious Atkins' 48 yards rushing on 14 attempts, while Bruce Freeman added 46 more on the ground on 15 carries. Both players scored a rushing touchdown. Apprentice quarterback Robby Goodman struggled through the air, completing only 4-of-20 passes for 38 yards and an interception. Apprentice finished with 105 yards rushing and 168 total yards.

SU handed Apprentice a touchdown early when Salisbury's Byron Westbrook (Fort Washington, Md./DeMatha) fumbled a punt return at his own 19-yardline early in the first quarter. The Builders took advantage of it by pushing the ball into the endzone for a 6-0 lead at the 11:27 mark. Freeman scored the touchdown, but Hank Schmidt's point after attempt was blocked by Salisbury's Zach Armiger (Parkton, Md./Hereford).

That was about all that the Sea Gull defense allowed for the rest of the half, holding Apprentice to minus-four years at the end of the quarter and 58 yards at intermission. Freshman linebacker Justin Ritter (Smyrna, De./Smyrna) led the SU defensive charge with four unassisted and five total tackles. He also had three tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 12 yards in losses. Freshman Matt Feiser (Hagerstown, Md./Smithburg) added five tackles and one behind the line, while freshman Matthew Bookard (Lanham, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) and Andrew Deming (Columbia, Md./Oakland, Mills) both tallied four tackles.

Offensively, the Sea Gulls scored quickly and often after Apprentice's first touchdown. SU converted 9-of-14 third-down conversions and scored on 11-of-16 possessions in the game, including seven straight during one stretch.

SU took the lead for good on a 60-yard touchdown run on a reverse by Little with 10:35 left in the opening quarter. Brock Boland (Newfield, NJ/Delsea Regional), who shattered the school record with 11 extra points in the game, added the PAT.

A bad snap on a punting situation later in the period allowed Salisbury to drive only eight yards for a score. Peters hit Chris Newton (Pasadena, Md./Glen Burnie) for the touchdown with 5:55 left in the opening period and a 14-6 lead.

Satchell created a 21-6 score on the Gulls' next drive when he hit paydirt from four yards out, culminating a six-play, 34-yard drive.

Salisbury added 35 second-quarter points. Jackson scored on a 17-yard run, completing a 51-yard drive. That was followed by a three-play 46-yard drive as Satchell scored from eight yards out. Peters scored the next touchdown himself, this one from 36-yards out, finishing a 49-yard drive. The Sea Gulls took advantage of a Robbie Goodman fumble to drive the ball 14 yards for the next touchdown. Satchell did the honors from eight yards out. The final SU touchdown of the half came from Peters, when he hit Little for the scoring pass from six yards out.

Leading 56-6 at the half, Curley scored on a 45-yard run with 5:30 left in the third quarter to increase the lead to 63-6. Curley scored on a 12-yard run early in the fourth quarter and Ronnie Shockley (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) scored from eight yards out to complete the SU scoring with 12:01 remaining.

Atkins scored a 21-yard touchdown for Apprentice to account for the final points.

Salisbury will now enjoy a bye week before hosting Buffalo State in an Atlantic Central Football Conference game on Oct. 15.